And the first recipient of the referees’ cap is Allan Hosie, who was one of the finest and fairest global referees of his generation and has given a lifetime of service to the game.

Former Scotland captain and three times British & Irish Lions tourist, Andy Irvine, declared: “Allan was an outstanding referee and an absolute gentleman.

“It’s entirely fitting that he should be the first to receive this richly-deserved recognition from Scottish Rugby.”

Pictured: Former referee and President of the Scottish Rugby Union, Allan Hosie and former player and President of the Scottish Rugby Union, Andy Irvine, during Alan’s  retrospective cap presentation.

Hosie, who officiated out of the Hillhead club in Glasgow, has been a member of the West of Scotland Rugby Referees’ Society for 60 years.

From his first international match – Ireland v England in Dublin in 1973 – he went more than 20 other Tests over the next 11 years, including two Bledisloe Cup fixtures between New Zealand and Australia.

SRU President Keith Wallace said: “What a great pleasure it is to present our inaugural referees’ cap to Allan.

“The referees’ cap initiative follows on from the retrospective caps we have awarded to male and female players, since the SRU Custodian Board decided to look afresh at our heritage during 2023, the 150^th anniversary of the Union.

“At this stage, we will be presenting caps to those living referees who have controlled an international men’s match involving a Tier 1 union.

“Our research will continue around other international matches, including those in the Women’s game.”

He also served on the Glasgow & District Committee, including three years as chair and enjoyed 12 years on the SRU General Committee.

He was manager of the 1993 Scotland tour to the South Pacific and chair of both the Five and Six Nations Committees (welcoming Italy to the competition during his tenure in the latter), in addition to representing Scotland on the International Rugby Board and the British & Irish Lions Committee.

In the 2002/03 season, he was President of the Scottish Rugby Union.

Pictured: Former referee and President of the Scottish Rugby Union Allan Hosie, with his retrospective Scotland referee cap. Header image: Allan, with wife Fiona, Andy Irvine and Keith Wallace.