Scotland & Lions great ‘Mighty Mouse’ McLauchlan dies at 83

Ian McLauchlan, the former Scotland captain and the great of the British and Irish Lions, passed away at the age of 83.

McLauchlan played his final Test against New Zealand at Murrayfield in November 1979, leading his nation 19 times in his 43 caps.

McLauchlan, a prop known for his fearsome scrummaging, earned the nickname “Mighty Mouse” and participated in Lions successful tours of New Zealand and South Africa in 1971 and 1974 despite weighing only 14st 6lb on his debut in 1969.

In the first Test against Dunedin in June 1971, the Lions won 9-3 and were one of only five players to start all eight of those contests.

Andy Irvine, his former Scotland and Lions team-mate, told Scottish Rugby, “He was some character and some player.”

He was smaller than the majority of the props he faced, but I never saw him suffer.

He was “astounded, almost invincible,” he said. What a fantastic career for the Lions and Scotland. It’s very, very depressing.

McLauchlan, who made his Scottish Rugby debut in 2010, resigned from his position as president in 2019, extending his 50-year career.

He was inducted into Scottish Rugby’s Hall of Fame in 2013 and received an OBE in the New Year’s Honours List in 2017.