.JPG) McGeechan in 2007 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1946-10-30)30 October 1946 (age 79) Headingley,Leeds, Yorkshire, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| University | Carnegie Physical Training College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Teacher Director of rugby, Head coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sir Ian Robert McGeechan,OBE (born 30 October 1946) is a Scottishrugby union coach and former player.
Born in Leeds, McGeechan representedHeadingley as his only club during a 15-year club career. Qualifying for Scotland through his father, he played 32 times for Scotland over 7 years and won 8 caps on two tours for theBritish & Irish Lions. During his playing career he worked as a teacher.
After retiring from playing McGeechan began coaching. In a career spanning 26 years he coached the most recent Scottish side to win aGrand Slam in the1990 Five Nations Championship, and wonPremiership Rugby & the European Cup withLondon Wasps in 2008 and 2007. He was head coach on four tours for theBritish & Irish Lions from 1989 to 2009 and was an assistant to the 2005 tour.
McGeechan was born in Leeds to aGlaswegian father who was in theArgyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He attended West Park County Secondary School andMoor Grange County Secondary School and became head boy before training to be a PE teacher at Carnegie Physical Training College (now part ofLeeds Metropolitan University). Although his family mostly playedfootball, he took to rugby while in school.[1]
McGeechan played forHeadingley and made his debut forScotland in 1972. He won thirty-two caps, playing atfly-half andcentre. He captained Scotland on nine occasions. He toured with theBritish & Irish Lions in both1974 and1977.
In 1986, McGeechan became the assistantScotland coach toDerrick Grant and in 1988 he was promoted to coach. In 1990 his team won aGrand Slam victory in theFive Nations Championship. His forwards coach and partner wasJim Telfer.
McGeechan was theBritish & Irish Lions head coach in1989,1993,1997 and2009.[2] In 2005, he coached the midweek side on theLions' tour to New Zealand on the invitation ofSir Clive Woodward.[2]
In 1994, McGeechan was appointed as Director of Rugby atNorthampton and in 1999 replacedJim Telfer asScottish Director of Rugby.
McGeechan was appointed Director of Rugby atLondon Wasps in 2005[3] after an unsuccessful and unhappy period as the Scottish Director of Rugby. In his first season of 2005/06 he led Wasps to theAnglo Welsh Cup title, beatingLlanelli Scarlets in the final atTwickenham. In his second season, London Wasps claimed theHeineken Cup and in his third season, London Wasps won thePremiership
In February 2010, McGeechan joined the coaching staff atGloucester as an advisor to Head CoachBryan Redpath and his coaching team.[4][5] but moved to local rivalsBath to take up the post of performance director in June 2010.[6]
In 2011, McGeechan took over as the director of rugby at Bath following Steve Meehan's departure.[7]
In July 2012, McGeechan was appointed the executive chairman of Leeds Carnegie.[8]
In February 2024, McGeechan was brought in as the Director of Rugby atRFU Championship side,Doncaster Knights, and helpsJoe Ford with the squad.[9]
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Win ratio (%) | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 49 | 3 |
 Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 000 | 38 | 96 |
 England | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 017 | 62 | 100 |
 Fiji | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 38 | 17 |
 France | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 040 | 46 | 51 |
 Ireland | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 135 | 84 |
 Japan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 47 | 9 |
 New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 000 | 40 | 65 |
 Romania | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 050 | 44 | 18 |
 Samoa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 28 | 6 |
 Wales | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 080 | 100 | 43 |
 Zimbabwe | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 51 | 12 |
| TOTAL | 35 | 19 | 1 | 15 | 054 | 640 | 504 |
Note: World Rankings Column shows the World Ranking Scotland was placed at on the following Monday after each of their matches
| Opponent | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | Win ratio (%) | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000 | 16 | 25 |
| Australia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 000 | 25 | 63 |
 Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 000 | 23 | 26 |
| England | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 025 | 34 | 125 |
| Fiji | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 58 | 42 |
| France | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 000 | 44 | 155 |
| Ireland | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 020 | 92 | 162 |
 Italy | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 080 | 152 | 105 |
| Japan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 32 | 11 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 000 | 40 | 154 |
| Romania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 37 | 10 |
| Samoa | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 31 | 8 |
 South Africa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 033 | 65 | 63 |
 Tonga | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 43 | 20 |
 United States | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100 | 157 | 44 |
| Wales | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 040 | 112 | 121 |
| TOTAL | 43 | 18 | 1 | 24 | 042 | 961 | 1134 |
In May 2025, McGeechan revealed he had been diagnosed withprostate cancer.[10]
McGeechan wasknighted in the2010 New Year Honours for his services to rugby,[11] having previously received anOBE in the1990 Birthday Honours.[12]
In August 2014, McGeechan was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter toThe Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September'sindependence referendum.[13]
| Preceded by | Scotland national rugby union team coach 1988–1993 1999–2003 | Succeeded by |
| Forwards | |
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| Backs | |
| Coach | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
