Dr Donald McLeod, former President of the SRU

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Donald Macleod is a former President of Selkirk Rugby Club. He also played for Edinburgh Accies. He was Scotland's team doctor for 26 years, finishing in 1995 after two World Cups, and has also served the SRU and the International Rugby Board as a medical advisor. He was the British Lions doctor on their tour of New Zealand in 1983.

Away from Rugby, he spent 26 years as a consultant general surgeon at West Lothian hospitals, followed by a three-year spell as vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

He also enjoyed a seven-year spell as chairman of the British Association for Sport and Exercise Medicine, was Scotland's Commonwealth Games medical committee chairman in 2005 and was named an honorary professor of Aberdeen University in 1998.

OUR CLUB MEETING: President Ian welcomed Dr McLeod to our club with a list of credentials too long to repeat here. 

Donald told us about how his life and Rugby have been intertwined since 18th March 1950 when he watched Scotland beating England at Murrayfield. He was an acitve player in the '50s and '60s but claims he was not good enough. I may want to stress here that his whole talk was governed by being very modest about his own achievements.

After his medical studies and becoming a general surgeon, he watched his first game as a team doctor from the sideline in 1969. He served amateur clubs in our area and then the Scotland teams, spanning a period when Scotland won the Grand Slam (1984, 1990) but also repeatedly was stopped at the World Cup by the All Blacks. He stopped working as a team doctor when the sport turned professional in 1995.

It was clear from Donald's talk that the doctor in a Rugby match stitches players back together so that they can continue their game. Sometimes however, he had to give the advice that the player is better to retire from the match, something difficult to communicate to the manager and the player. This challenge between team doctor and manager increased in professional Rugby which now is a big business and entertainment industry. It becomes increasingly difficult to protect the players particularly from neck injuries and playing after being treated with local anaesthetics. Those drugs, not being illegal in the sport, are dangerous as they allow the players to push further and then lead to further injuries.

Donald emphasised that the SRU has always been aware of these issues and under his lead as SRU president and medical advisor have done their best to protect the players. They lead the way in training medical staff and physios in the game. The SRU first-aid course is used world-wide.

Dr McLeod finished his talk with praising the good health of the SRU in terms of responsible developing the next generation of players through their academy system.

Jim West gave the vote of thanks to a very entertaining and informative talk, at least for me who does not know much about Rugby. Well, I know a lot more now.

Report by Hendrik Nahler