The Bear to shed pounds and raise pounds for Old Bags and The Voice of Rugby

Scotland’s legendary former prop and Grand Slam winner, Iain Milne, is set to lose a staggering 100lbs to raise monies for charity. In a feat he describes as “the biggest and most crucial challenge of my life”, Iain, better known to fans as The Bear, has spoken candidly about why he’s addressing the weight issue that started with the onset of depression seven years ago.Iain explained:”During my rugby career, my weight hovered around 18 stones. Once I’d retired from rugby, I remained fit, putting on only a couple of stones. But a back injury in 2000 saw my weight balloon to around 25 stones as a result.”Over the last seven years, however, my real weight issues have surfaced as a result of depression. Eating and drinking became my drugs of choices when the depression hit. It was my “go to” when I was down, a form of self-medication that actually made the depression worse, not better, because it led to me piling on even more weight.Prior to Christmas, I decided that 2017 was going to be the year I would tackle this once and for all. I have made all sorts of efforts to get fit and alter my lifestyle before. But nothing worked or if it did, it was very short-term.”By making a public declaration and committing funds to two charities I respect – The Prince’s Trust (through the amazing Lunch with an Old Bag event) and The Bill McLaren Foundation – I feel I am in a place where I can take on this challenge and succeed. I will be backed up by a dedicated support team to help with nutrition, exercise and my mental health. As both my chosen charities focus on supporting achievement, my heartfelt aim is to help them by delivering a significant achievement of my own.”Iain plans to shed the pounds between now and early September when his weight loss total will be revealed at Lunch with an Old Bag, which last year raised over£750,000 for The Prince’s Trust Scotland at its annual lunch.  80 percent of the money Iain raises will go there and 20% to The Bill McLaren Foundation.Iain Milne’s rugby career ran from 1979 to 1990, involving 44 Scotland caps and a Grand Slam win in 1984. He played once with his two brothers, Kenny and David, in a Barbarians game and the brothers were known as “The Three Bears.For further information, contact Lizzy Lambley at Indigo on 0131 554 1230