Tributes Paid to Former Scotland Rugby Star Graham Dall
The rugby world is in mourning following the passing of Graham Dall, a highly talented and charismatic flanker who made a significant contribution to the sport in Scotland. Dall, who was part of a renowned rugby family, was an immensely gifted player who captained the Scottish Schools and under-21 teams, and represented Scotland A on nine occasions.
According to Scottish Rugby, Dall was part of a great Heriot’s and Edinburgh rugby family. His dad, Fraser, was the stand-off in Heriot’s championship winning team in 1978-79, having won a Scotland B cap against France in 1973, while his younger brother Andrew was capped against Wales in Cardiff in 2003 and was also a Scotland age-grade cap and mainstay of the Edinburgh professional team.
In a different era, Dall would surely have won a multitude of Scotland caps, but the back-row talent at Scotland’s disposal in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and Dall’s decision to concentrate on his medical studies, meant that this ultimate rugby honour eluded him. However, as Scottish Rugby reports, Dall made a stellar contribution to the game in Scotland, captaining the Scottish Schools on their 1993 tour of Australia, which saw them win seven of their games in the space of some 28 days.
The friendships cultivated on that tour were still evident some 30 years on when Scottish Rugby marked the anniversary of that triumphant tour by inviting squad and management as guests to the Scotland v France 2023 Rugby World Cup warm-up test at Scottish Gas Murrayfield stadium. Dall had been the man who had pulled it all together.
Dall led the Scotland under-19 team in season 1993-94 and captained the national under-21 side in all ten matches in seasons 1994-95 and 1995-96. In 1995, while the Scotland team were on Rugby World Cup duty in South Africa, Dall was part of the unbeaten Scotland XV development tour in Zimbabwe, the highlights of which were victories over Zimbabwe in Bulawayo and Harare.
As quoted in Scottish Rugby, former Scotland stand-off Duncan Hodge paid tribute to Dall, saying: "Graham Dall was like a modern-day open side. He was 6ft 1ins and 102 kg and he could do the defensive chores and the jackling, but it was his attacking game – he played like a back! – that marked him as a class operator. He was one of those guys that you just wanted on your team. He was a tough, tough competitor with a skill level that not a lot of people could match."
Scottish Rugby’s Head of Performance Programmes, Grant McKelvey, also paid tribute to Dall, saying: "Dallsy was always considered as one of the good guys. I bumped into him sporadically through work, mostly by accompanying injured pathway & regional players to A&E to meet their parents. He was a class act and showed the same leadership in that role that he did on the field."
In his life beyond rugby, Dall went on to become an orthopaedic surgeon, working in the NHS at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose, specialising in ankle and foot surgery. As reported by Scottish Rugby, Rob Moffat, the former Scottish Schools head coach, said: "In his medical role at the BGH, Graham has been a fantastic support to rugby clubs, players and their families in the Borders. Whether looking after players, giving advice or acting as team doctor at games, such as in the Super 6, his service to the game that he graced as a player has been brilliant."
Scottish Rugby extends its sincere condolences to Graham Dall’s family and many friends. The organisation will update its website with details of his funeral arrangements in due course.
Pictured: Graham (left) in action for Edinburgh against Newport, February 2002.
Pictured: Graham in a club headshot session for Edinburgh Rugby, season 2001/02
The images used in this article are courtesy of Scottish Rugby.
