country. Although, on a Lions tour he was given the ability to live and train as a full time rugby player and, with world class teammates. Unfortunately his International rugby career came to a somewhat inauspicious end. In December, 1976, he was playing in a match between Glasgow and the North-Midlands, he was suspended for three months after getting into a fight with Allan Hardie, in which Brown chased Hardie, threw him to the ground and kicked him. Prior to this, Hardie had kneed Brown in the face and proceed to stamp on the open wound on Brown's brow after the initial attack went unnoticed by the referee. The suspension meant that he missed three internationals and was banned from training at any rugby club. He trained daily at Ibrox stadium under the guidance of Jock Wallace of Rangers who put him through a gruelling fitness regime. Gordon remembered being made to sprint up and down the terraces at Ibrox until he was sick. After missing three months of rugby he was selected for the British Lions tour of New Zealand 1977. Because of a string of injuries, he never played for Scotland again. LP Death Gordon Brown died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma aged 53 in March 2001. His funeral was attended by former Scotland and Lions team mates and opponents from the whole rugby world. As reported by The Daily Telegraph, at a fundraising dinner held in late February 2001 for Brown due to his illness, he met with de Bruyn again. Notes References Bath, Richard (ed. 1997) The Complete Book of Rugby, Seven Oaks, Massie, Allan (1984), A Portrait of Scottish Rugby, Edinburgh: Polygon, External links profile on ESPN profile on British and Irish Lions Gordon Brown in The Scotsman newspaper Broon frae Troon by Jeff Connor (Scotsman newspaper) 1947 births 2001 deaths British & Irish Lions rugby union players from Scotland Marr RFC players People educated at Marr College Rugby union locks Rugby union players from Troon Scotland international rugby union players Scottish rugby union players West of Scotland FC players World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees