BBC commentator Brian Moore was visibly moved while delivering a poignant tribute to Scott Hastings live on air. The Scotland legend died aged 61 after a battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, with Moore on commentary duty for England vs France in the Women’s Six Nations when the tragic news emerged.
As a former team-mate of Hastings and a fellow commentator, Moore found it difficult to hold back his emotions while honouring him live on the BBC. He said: “I got to know Scott Hastings well on two Lions tours. He was a roommate of mine on several occasions. The man I got to know very well was a man of huge integrity, honesty and empathy.
“As a testament to any human being’s legacy that’s all that you can say.” As a player, his partnership with Jeremy Guscott was seminal in beating Australia in 1989 and the one thing that you always got with Scott was that, in extremis, or when you were on top, that he would give nothing less than his very best.
“It didn’t mean to say that he always got it right but you knew he would never let you down for effort. Those of you who did know Scott know what we’ve lost. Those of you in the wider rugby world who didn’t know him, let me just say that rugby is much the poorer for his passing but very much the better for his being.”
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend and Sir Ian McGeechan also offered moving tributes to Hastings. The former said: “His defensive display in the 1990 Grand Slam victory over England was crucial to that day’s success and he epitomised what it meant to play for Scotland – combining passion, confidence and aggression, whenever he wore the navy blue jersey.
“Scott always brought positivity and energy into everything he did from his playing career then into the past couple of decades as a widely travelled and respected commentator. His passing is a huge loss for Scottish rugby, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family and close friends. Rest in peace, Scott.
“I remember Scott on the Lions tours taking an absolute lead. He was so single-minded and determined about winning. He was very much your right-hand man, given what he did on the field.” After hanging up his boots in 1999, Hastings became a recognisable and highly respected voice in broadcasting, and was honoured with induction into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame last year.
Hastings made his cancer diagnosis public four years ago, confirming he was receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, an incurable condition. He died on his late wife Jenny’s birthday, almost two years following her own passing.