I grew up in Dunbar, on the coast, which isn’t exactly steeped in rugby history but both my brother Alaister and I played at school. He was a winger so he had most of the pace in the family but for a back rower I was deemed to be quicker than most and I also had strong shoulders having worked as a lifeguard in my teens at the local pool.
After leaving school, I played for Dunbar before trying my luck at a higher level with Haddington, where I was born. After a couple of seasons there, I moved down to Gala, aged 21. It was a real eye-opener, the rugby was so much more intense than I had been...