SELKIRK Rugby Club has lined up two star speakers for its Sports Dinner at Philiphaugh on Friday, March 13 – Richard Cockerill and George McNeill.

Edinburgh head coach Richard Cockerill is one of the most respected and forthright figures in rugby. Formerly head coach with Leicester and Toulon, Cockerill won 27 caps at hooker for England.

Playing against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1997, the Leicester player made headlines by eyeballing opposite number Norm Hewitt during the All Blacks’ performance of the Haka.

The second speaker at the dinner is George McNeill, a former world professional sprint champion who is acknowledged as one of the most popular and entertaining speakers on the after-dinner circuit.

Organising the event, and chairing the dinner, is Selkirk Rugby Club’s most capped internationalist, John Rutherford.

He said: “It promises to be a great night.

“Richard Cockerill is one of the top coaches in Europe, and has taken Edinburgh from an average performer to a top professional team. He is well known for his abrasive, no-nonsense approach, and I'm sure he will entertain us with tales of his many rugby experiences.

“George McNeill was a former professional footballer who became the only man to win the two most famous professional races in the world – Scotland’s New Year Sprint, and the Stawell Gift in Australia.

“The dinner is a fund-raiser for our club, and I hope our friends, supporters and players will get behind the event. We will also be making a donation to the Royal Signals Benevolent Fund."

The dinner is being held the evening before ‘Super Saturday’, when the last three games in the 2020 Guinness Six Nations Championship are staged.

Tickets, priced £35, are now on sale, and can be purchased from Selkirk RFC bar and events manager Layla Anderson in the clubhouse, or by contacting John Rutherford 07887 952 292, or Mick Craig 07810 435 846.