Book description
For the last 140 years, the south of Scotland has been a powerhouse
of rugby union. Despite the area's small population, it has produced
clubs in the mould of Hawick, Gala and Melrose, whose names are known
wherever the sport is played. And from these organisations has sprung
a sublime string of world-class players, which includes the likes of
Jim Telfer and Hugh McLeod, John Rutherford and Roy Laidlaw, Jim
Renwick and John Jeffrey, Craig Chalmers and Gary Armstrong. Off the
pitch, the Borders bequeathed the game of Sevens to the world, and
individuals such as Telfer were at the forefront of Scotland's twin
Grand Slams in 1984 and 1990, and the British and Irish Lions' success
in South Africa in 1997. Including interviews with many of the leading
protagonists, including Telfer, Rutherford, Laidlaw, Renwick,
Chalmers, Colin Deans, Doddie Weir and the most-capped Scotsman in
rugby history, Chris Paterson, Southern Comfort paints a vivid picture
of how the South thrived on the mustard-keen rivalry between their
communities, bolstered by pioneering individuals with radical ideas,
whose efforts were complemented by the peerless tones of The Voice of
Rugby', Bill McLaren, who spread the union gospel to every corner of
the globe. Proudly published in association with the Bill McLaren Foundation
Neil Drysdale has been involved in journalism since the mid-1980s and
has been praised for the quality of his writing across a wide range of
sports. He was an award-winning writer with the Scotland on Sunday for
15 years, but now works freelance, mostly for the Herald and the Sunday
Times. He is the author of two sports books - Dad's Army and the
autobiography of Alan Rough. He is married and lives in Falkirk.
