Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend has paid tribute to former national team captain Peter Brown following his death at the age of 83.
Brown’s family announced that he had “passed away peacefully” on Sunday after being admitted to hospital in Edinburgh following a fall at home earlier in the week. He had undergone several years of chemotherapy for myeloma, a form of blood cancer.
Known as PC because of his first two names being Peter Currie, Brown won 27 Scotland caps and played eight Test matches for the Lions in the 1970s. His younger brother Gordon, who died in 2001, also featured in 12 of those Scotland internationals.
READ MORE – Edinburgh celebrity chef Tom Kitchin closes restaurant in ‘tough decision’
READ MORE – Edinburgh mum opens up on grief process after losing son at seven years old
The number eight delivered 66 points for Scotland – a record for a forward that still stands. He enjoyed five wins over England plus victories against South Africa and Australia, and was part of the Scotland team that drew 0-0 with New Zealand in 1964.
Townsend said in a statement: “PC was great company and his passion for Scottish rugby and the game in general always shone brightly. His exploits on the field have gone down in legend, being a key contributor in some Scotland famous wins during his international career.
Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox
“A goal-kicking captain playing in the forwards must have been a unique achievement before Jon Eales did something similar with the Wallabies a few decades later.
“He continued to be involved with rugby after he retired from playing, being involved with Gala then on the international stage once again with his work on various disciplinary panels over the years. He will be sadly missed.”
Join Edinburgh Live’s Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
The accountant and former Scottish Building Society chair remained heavily involved in rugby long after his playing days ended. He was a referee and then a coach and committee member with Gala, a Scottish Rugby Union board member and a member of disciplinary committees at home and abroad.
In a statement, Peter’s family said: “Peter underwent several years of chemotherapy treatment for myeloma, supported wonderfully by the haematology team at the Western General (hospital in Edinburgh). Earlier, this week, he was admitted to the Royal Infirmary (in Edinburgh) following a fall at home. Peter passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday 12 January.
“The family would like to express their gratitude to the Acute Medical Unit for their care and compassion.”