Chris Paterson Retires - A Personal Reflection as rugby's most-capped International Scotsman goes out at the top

The phone rang.

Scotland's all-time record point scorer was on the other end.

" I will soon be an ex-internationalist Steevo".

Chris Paterson, Nathan Hines after England (RWC), Auckland 2011

Some YouTube Highlights follow in this blog:

Christopher Douglas Paterson was at the other end from the SPACE Clinics hotline.
Having just recently played in all 4 games at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Chris was preparing to call time on his international career, and this was a courtesy call to say cheerily that a press conference had been called & that he was going to officially retire, but he did want this to be the first time I found out.

We go back a long way.

I was present at Chris' first 'professional' appearance in any jersey, when I was working for Scottish Rugby as a rehab physio at the tail end of the nineties.

Chris prior to RWC Team Announcement,
Museum of Scotland

I was covering for another legend of the game, physio Bob Stewart, and deputising for him with the Glasgow Caledonians ProTeam in one of my first matches as physio: he was simply immense in so many games and on Day One showed an inkling of what was to come even then as a youngster-something seen at Gala when winning the Scottish Cup & Melrose 7s titles in the same season alongside another great friend of mine in rugby, Nathan Hines. He also impressed in a World Cup 'selection' fixture at St Boswells, memorable not only for Chris easing his way into the international aide but Jesse Rae standing fully dressed and armed as a Clansman at the side of the pitch all too close to the medics!

Barely 12 months after that G-Cals debut, I watched from the stands as he took his international bow in 1999 at the Rugby World Cup against Spain, & was present at his (& Nathan's) last one as England narrowly defeated Scotland in Auckland barely 3 months ago.

Ruptured Gun, Cardiff 2008

Of course there were injuries along the way, a ruptured bicep in Cardiff years before the lacerated kidney. Helping him from the filed that day we had no idea the injury was so severe, on that Day of Days, his 100th, and the unfortunate Thom Evans' last. 
Also the 2008 cheekbone injury against South Africa when I was immediately onfield after a clash with the Springbok Openside Juan Smith & he was instant in his assessment that the cheekbone had fractured as it had previously against South Africa years earlier. He never had the best of luck against the 'Boks-he has been left with a residual injury in the hamstring from 2006, as well as the metal plate within the cheek!

One personal memory?

Prior to application of 'White Tape'

Possibly off-field, with hotel nonsense and the Wall of Weird or the Caption Competition?


Probably though, it's rocking up before each game, lifting a 4" otherwise fairly useless roll of the least adhesive athletic tape that no-one else uses, looking up with a grin whilst the remainder of the squad are strapped with coloured kinesiotape, waterproof brown or white zinc oxide & the array of silicon pads, and says: 
"that's my tape, I'll just do myself, it may be all just in the head, but I'll just tape myself" 
& then he does so in the corner of the changing room. 


Wherever we are.
All in the head?
They say that's where top sport is won & lost.

Chris' final matchday booth

Thanks for the memories Mosscat.