Former England rugby star and BBC commentator Brian Moore paid tribute to Scott Hastings in his final broadcast during England’s Women’s Six Nations clash with France on Sunday.
61-year-old Hastings, a former teammate of Moore’s with the British and Irish Lions, had passed away earlier in the day after a battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma prompting the poignant tribute from Moore.
“I got to know Scott Hastings very well on two Lions tours, Australia and New Zealand,” said Moore through visible signs of emotion as he remembered his friend.
He continued: “He was a roommate of mine on several occasions and 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 is 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, you knew that in extremis or when you were on top, 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 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.”
Wonderful tribute from the brilliant @brianmoore666 to his friend and former teammate, the great Scott Hastings. 🏴 🦁 pic.twitter.com/LNgmc0tcYC
— Andy Burke (@AndyBurke_) May 17, 2026
Hastings featured 12 times for the Lions on the 1989 and 1993 tours, and also made 13 appearances for the Barbarians. He remains the most-capped male centre for Scotland of all-time, and helped seal a grand slam with a totemic performance against England in the 1990 Five Nations.
Scotland head coach Gregor Townend also offered a tribute to Hastings saying: "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.”
