Agreement for Rugby Heritage Archive Signed

Documents, images and an assortment of rugby relics have been moved from former commentator Bill McLaren’s home and have begun their new residency in the Archives of Hawick’s Heritage Hub. Hawick RFC are also making a contributing to the Archives in the coming weeks. It is expected when the Archives are completed, they will contain a vast array of rugby related articles.

Both Ross Cameron, a Bill McLaren Foundation trustee, and Paul Brough, Live Borders’ archive manager have commented on the exciting development of rugby collectables. They said, “We are delighted to be working at partners. This is a fantastic, world class collection of rugby-related materials. Working together we intend to realise the exciting plans given such an enthusiastic thumbs up by the feasibility study conducted by Alan Jones Associates for Hawick Rugby Club last year.”

Others involved in creating the impressive collection include Hawick Rugby Club member and honorary research fellow, Murray Watson, who has spent two and a half years accumulating materials to add to the digital collection. He said, “The next step will be to start fundraising in earnest. Our plans involve creatively harnessing modern digital technology to bring this unique collection to a diverse range of audiences. We plan seven outreach strands including, traditional archive use, reminiscence therapy programmes for people with memory problems, a programme of public meetings and showing old rugby videos, engaging with primary school pupils across the globe, as well as creating an online research group and providing nominal linkage services for family historians.”

Bill McLaren’s daughter, Linda Lawson, has expressed her delight that her father’s rugby relics are being put to good use and will be able to be viewed by rugby fans worldwide. She said, “Dad would have been absolutely delighted with this news. He gathered and kept so much stuff from way back in his teenage years. It is a veritable treasure trove that people from all over the world will soon be able to enjoy.”