Gavin Hastings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gavin Hastings

Full name	Andrew Gavin Hastings
Date of birth	(1962-01-03) 3 January 1962 (age 63)
Place of birth	Edinburgh, Scotland
Height	188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	91 kg (201 lb; 14 st 5 lb)
School	George Watson's College
University	Cambridge University Paisley College of Technology
Notable relative(s)	Adam Hastings (son) Scott Hastings (brother)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) Correct as of 19 November 2022 National team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 1983–1985 Scotland 'B' 5 () 1986–1995 Scotland 61 (667) 1986, 1989, 1993 British Lions 6 (66) Correct as of 19 November 2022

Andrew Gavin Hastings (born 3 January 1962) is a famous Scottish former rugby union player. He played as a fullback, which is a key position in rugby. Many people think he is one of the best Scottish rugby players ever. He was a top player during his time.

Gavin Hastings played 61 games for Scotland, and he was the captain in 20 of those games. He also played for several clubs like Watsonians, London Scottish, and Cambridge University. He toured twice with the British Lions, which is a team made of the best players from the UK and Ireland. He went to Australia in 1989 and was captain for the 1993 tour to New Zealand.

Gavin's Early Life and Education

Gavin Hastings was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He went to George Watson's College in Edinburgh for his schooling. Later, he studied at Paisley College of Technology, which is now called the University of the West of Scotland. He also attended Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he studied Land Economy and earned his degree in 1986.

Gavin's Rugby Union Career

Gavin Hastings had a long and successful career in rugby. He started playing when he was young and quickly became a star.

Amateur Rugby Days

Gavin was the captain of the Cambridge University team that won in 1985. During a break from his studies, he also played for Auckland University Rugby Football Club in New Zealand and won the Gallaher Shield with them. In Scotland, he played for a team called Watsonians.

Playing for Clubs and Districts

Before rugby became a professional sport, Gavin played for Edinburgh District. After that, he joined London Scottish. He also played for a team called the Scottish Exiles. When rugby union became a professional sport in 1996, he was still playing for London Scottish.

Playing for Scotland

Gavin Hastings was a great leader from a young age. He captained the first Scottish schoolboys' team to win a game in England.

He played five games for the Scotland 'B' team between 1983 and 1985.

Gavin made his first game for the main Scotland team in 1986 against France. He was a very important player when Scotland won the Grand Slam in 1990. This means they won all their games in the tournament that year. In February 1995, he set a new record for Scotland. He played his 53rd international game, which was more than any other Scottish player at that time.

Gavin's last game for Scotland was on 11 June 1995. It was against New Zealand in the quarter-finals of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. By the end of that game, he had scored 667 points for Scotland. This was a Scottish record for points scored until another player, Chris Paterson, broke it in 2008.

Gavin was the captain of the Scotland team 20 times. This included leading the team in the 1995 World Cup.

Playing for the British & Irish Lions

Gavin first played for the British Lions in 1986. He played in all three main games of their successful tour to Australia in 1989. He also played against France in 1989. He was chosen to be the captain for the 1993 tour to New Zealand. On that tour, the Lions lost the series of main games 2–1.

Working in Rugby Management

On 30 August 2007, Gavin Hastings was announced as the chairman of the new Edinburgh professional rugby club. This shows he continued to be involved in rugby even after he stopped playing.

American Football Career

In 1996, Gavin Hastings tried a different sport. He joined the Scottish Claymores, an American football team in the NFL Europe league. He played for one season as a placekicker. A placekicker is the player who kicks the ball through the goalposts for points.

He scored 24 out of 27 extra points after touchdowns. However, he missed his only attempt at a field goal. Even though the Claymores won the World Bowl '96, which is like their championship game, Gavin was released from the team at the end of the season.

Gavin's Family Life

Gavin Hastings comes from a family of talented athletes.

• His younger brother, Scott, also played rugby for Scotland.
• His son, Adam Hastings, plays rugby for Gloucester Rugby and has also played for Scotland.
• His niece, Kerry-Anne Hastings, plays hockey for the Scotland team.

Gavin married his wife, Diane, in 1993. In 2003, Diane was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

Gavin's friends and teammates often call him "Big Gav."

Awards and Honours

Gavin Hastings has received many awards and honours for his amazing rugby career.

• In 1995, he received an Honorary Blue from Heriot Watt University. This was for his great contribution to sports in Scotland.
• He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1993. This award was given to him for his services to rugby union.
• He was put into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2003. Later, in 2013, he was also inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. These halls of fame celebrate the greatest rugby players of all time.

Since 2001, Gavin has been the Patron of the Sandpiper Trust. This is a Scottish charity that helps provide important medical equipment to doctors, nurses, and paramedics in rural parts of Scotland. This equipment can help save lives.

Images for kids

• 

  Gavin Hastings playing rugby.

See also

In Spanish: Gavin Hastings para niños