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BBC commentator fights tears live on air during emotional tribute to Scott Hastings

Brian Moore is the latest former team-mate of Scott Hastings to pay a touching tribute after his tragic death

[BBC commentator Brian Moore fought back tears when paying tribute to Scottish rugby icon Scott Hastings]

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BBC commentator Brian Moore fought back tears when paying tribute to Scottish rugby icon Scott Hastings(Image: BBC)

BBC commentator Brian Moore was visibly upset when delivering a heartfelt Scott Hastings tribute live on air. The Scotland icon died aged 61 after a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, with Moore covering England vs France in the Womens Six Nations when the tragic news became public.

As a former team-mate of Hastings and a fellow commentator, Moore struggled to hold back tears when paying tribute to 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 beings legacy thats 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 didnt 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 weve lost.

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Those of you in the wider rugby world who didnt 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 Sir Ian McGeechan also paid a touching tribute to Hastings.

He 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," he said.

"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.

[Scott Hastings is Scotland's most capped centre]

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Scott Hastings is Scotland's most capped centre(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)

"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."

Following his retirement in 1999, Hastings become an recognisable voice in the broadcast world and last year was inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame.

Hastings revealed his cancer diagnoses with cancer four years ago and that he would be receiving treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which was incurable. He sadly died on his late wife Jennys birthday, nearly two years on from her death.

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