Former Scotland captain Brown dies aged 83

Former Scotland rugby union captain Peter Brown has passed away at the age of 83 after a long illness. Born into a sporting family in Tranent, Brown played for West of Scotland and Gala before making his international debut on January 4, 1964, against France at home.

Brown’s father, Jock, was a football goalkeeper who won the Scottish Cup with Clyde in 1939; his uncle Jim represented the USA at the 1930 World Cup; and his brother Gordon was also a Scotland rugby international, winning eight caps for the British and Irish Lions. A versatile forward, Peter Brown played both lock and number eight in his 27 international appearances, and was also a prolific goal-kicker, his 66 points for Scotland remaining a record for a forward.

After retiring, Brown remained actively involved with Gala and had a successful career in accountancy. Brown's family said in a statement: “Peter had been receiving chemotherapy for multiple myeloma for several years, with excellent support from the haematology team at the Western General Hospital. He was admitted to the Royal Infirmary earlier this week after a fall at home. Peter passed away peacefully on Sunday 12 January, surrounded by family. The family are grateful for the care and compassion of the acute medical team.”

Known as “PC”, Brown’s full name was Peter Currie Brown. During his career, his teams defeated England five times, including the famous 1971 victory at Twickenham, where he converted Chris Rea’s late try to secure a 16-15 win, Scotland's first there since 1938. “PC was a great character and his passion for Scottish rugby and the game always shone through,” said Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend.

“His on-field exploits have become legendary, and he was a key contributor to some of Scotland’s famous victories during his international career. After retiring, he continued to be involved in rugby, first with Gala and then internationally, serving on various disciplinary committees for many years. He will be sorely missed.”