Scott Hastings passes away at 61

Former Scottish rugby great, Scott Hastings, has passed away at the age of 61, following a battle with cancer, the Scottish Rugby Union announced on Sunday.

Hastings had a distinguished career, earning 65 caps for Scotland, and 51 of those were alongside his brother, Gavin. He was also selected for the British and Irish Lions tours to Australia in 1989 and New Zealand in 1993.

Scott Hastings’ Illness and Passing

After retiring from rugby in 1999, Hastings went on to have a successful career as a rugby broadcaster.

In 2022, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of cancer that could not be cured. Hastings was also known for his charity work, particularly in the areas of mental health and motor neurone disease.

A Sudden Deterioration

According to his children, Corey and Kerry-Anne, Hastings passed away peacefully in an Edinburgh hospital, surrounded by his family. This was on the morning of Sunday, 17 May, which also happened to be his late wife Jenny’s birthday.

A statement from the Scottish Rugby Union said: “Corey and Kerry-Anne Hastings are saddened to inform you that Scott, the Scotland and British & Irish Lions centre, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on the morning of Sunday, 17 May. This also marked his late wife Jenny’s birthday which speaks louder than words that he is safe and with his beloved Jenny. Scott was undergoing cancer treatment and due to complications deteriorated extremely quickly.”

The statement added: “Despite every effort by the incredible team at the Western General Hospital ICU, he passed away peacefully and pain free. At this time the family ask everyone to give them space to process and manage their energies and ask for their privacy to be respected.”

Scottish Rugby has extended its heartfelt sympathies to Hastings’ family, including his brothers, Graeme, Gavin, and Ewan, as well as his many friends. The flag will fly at half-mast at Murrayfield Stadium in tribute to one of Scotland’s finest sons.

Details of the funeral service will be shared once finalised. For more information, you can visit the Scottish Rugby Union website at https://scottishrugby.org/news-and-features/obituary-scott-hastings/.