Centre of Excellence

During a 24- year playing career he was a member of the Hawick RFC team which won the last ever unofficial Championship and thereafter eight official Scottish Championships. He was capped 52 times for Scotland (a record at that time), scoring a hatful of tries (several of which appear on 'Best of ...' videos and are still shown regularly on television), penalties and drop-goals. He played for the British Lions in the first Test against South Africa in 1980 and is widely considered to have been unfortunate not to have played in more Tests at that level. A serial tourist in the amateur age, Renwick has witnessed and been part of many exciting and hilarious escapades. He has a naturally mischievous character and some of the high jinx in which he has been involved are the stuff of rugby legend. He has also met and made friends with a huge number of the great and good of rugby football across the globe in addition to many well-known characters from outside the game Now as revered for his repartee and after dinner speaking as he was for his incisive breaks on the park, Renwick's actions - both on and off the field - have made him one of the best known and popular figures in the rugby world. This intimate and revealing biography is sure to be one of the most entertaining sports biographies of recent years.

David Barnes is a freelance journalist who specialises in rugby. Having been forced to retire from the game because of a knee injury he has covered club, pro-team and international rugby for Scotland on Sunday, the Sunday Herald, Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. He is the co-author of Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland.