British & Irish Lions and Scotland prop Ian McLauchlan OBE has passed away at the age of 83.

McLauchlan earned eight Test caps for the Lions, starting all Tests across the 1971 Tour to New Zealand and 1974 Tour of South Africa.

He lost just one Test during an iconic period in the history of the Lions, and scored the only try in the Lions’ 9-3 victory in the first Test against New Zealand.

His performances earned the adoring moniker ‘Mighty Mouse’, which was used widely amongst the rugby world, for his impressive scrummaging skill in spite of his unconventionally smaller stature.

A PE teacher by trade, McLauchlan made his Scotland debut in 1969 and went on to captain his country 19 times as part of a decade-long international career that fittingly ended against New Zealand in 1979, his 43rd and final cap.

He also served the game after hanging up his boots; he was president of the Scottish Rugby Union between 2010 and 2012, and served on the Scottish Rugby Board between 2010 and 2019.

He also served as chair of the British & Irish Lions Trust, which serves to support all Lions players in need and to spread the spirit and values of the Lions throughout England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

He was inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013 and was awarded an OBE in 2017.

British & Irish Lion Andy Irvine paid tribute to an all-time great of Scottish rugby: “He was some character and some player. He was smaller than most props he came up against but I never saw anyone get the better of him.

“He was so tough, almost indestructible. What a fantastic career he had for Scotland, and the Lions.”