Danny Herrington (25 August 1960 inTillicoultry, Scotland – 26 May 2005) was aScotland A internationalrugby union footballer. His rugby career spanned the amateur and professional era. He played at Tighthead Prop.

He started playing rugby with amateur club Hillfoots RFC. Both Herrington andJohn Manson came through the clubs ranks at the same time.^[1] Herrington, Manson and 'Budgie' Cairney formed a front row partnership affectionately deemed the 'Tillicoultry Troglodytes'.^[2]

From Hillfoots, Herrington moved to Dundee HSFP, along with Manson and Cairney. He was a key member of the Dundee squad and drove the club back into Scottish rugby's top amateur division.^[3]

Herrington's impeccable technique in the scrum was such that Scotland's then Director of RugbyJim Telfer asked him to pass on his knowledge to younger props.^[2]

He mentored youngsters in the Dundee team - most notably young propTom Smith, who was later to become aBritish and Irish Lions player.

Smith was to say of his mentoring: "When I joined my first senior club in Dundee, there was an old prop called Danny Herrington, a bit of a local legend, who basically shoved my head up my arse in training, twice a week every week for what seemed like years. Now, that's what you call a learning curve. Those training sessions were my classroom. Danny took the view that a young prop should have his share of bad experiences before trying to inflict them on other people."^[4]

He would later move to play forKirkcaldy RFC.^[5][6]

He first played for the amateur districtNorth and Midlands in 1990.^[3]

When Scotland took on the challenges of the professional game, this district becameCaledonia Reds in season 1996-97. Herrington also represented this professional provincial side.

Danny won theScottish Inter-District Championship withCaledonia Reds in 1996-97 season.^[7] It was the first Inter-District championship that North and Midlands or Caledonia Reds had won outright and qualified Caledonia Reds to the Heineken Cup.

Caledonia Reds folded in 1998 as the SRU cost cut. However Danny's days as a professional player were not yet over. In 2000, he answeredRichie Dixon's injury problems by turning out forGlasgow Warriors, then known as Glasgow Caledonians. He made an appearance from the bench againstBridgend RFC and started againstNeath RFC inWelsh-Scottish League matches towards the end of1999-2000 season. He made his Warriors debut at 39 years old and was a grandfather.^[8] From his date of birth to 12 February 2000 is 39 years 5 months and 18 days on Warriors debut; and his last Warriors appearance he was aged 39 years 8 months and 18 days; currently the record for Warriors oldest ever player.

It was while Herrington was with Dundee that he received his caps forScotland A.^[9] He received 3 'A' caps in all:- against the All Blacks in 1993; in the victory overFrance A in Rennes in 1994 and the narrow loss to France A in 1995.

Herrington died on 26 May 2005 after a long battle with cancer, aged 44 years old.^[3]

The manager ofCaledonia Reds, Ian Rankin, called Danny 'Mr Indestructible'. He told the story of the time when 'Mr Indestructible' met 'The Fun Bus' causing not much fun at all for the English prop. This was in a European match againstHarlequins, Danny had the then world's most capped playerJason Leonard 'squealing' in the scrums.^[2]

John Manson gave this tribute to his former teammate: "Danny is undoubtedly one of those who was unlucky not to play for Scotland, " he said. "He was probably underrated because he didn't necessarily look the part, but the strength he had from being a manual worker made him particularly powerful and made him seem almost indestructible."^[10]