Gary Armstrong (born 30 September 1966, in Edinburgh) is a former Scotland international rugby union player. He played scrum-half for Jed-Forest RFC, Newcastle Falcons and the Border Reivers. Rugby Union career Amateur career He played for Jed-Forest. His nickname is the Border Terrier. Gary Armstrong had succeeded a fellow British and Irish Lion and Scotland player, Roy Laidlaw, as scrum half at Jed-Forest. Armstrong was helped in his development as a youngster by Jedforest moving Laidlaw to stand off with Armstrong playing scrum half. Jed-Forest rugby club honored Gary Armstrong and their other two famous scrum-halves, Roy Laidlaw and Greig Laidlaw, with a gala dinner on 2 August 2019. All three played for the British and Irish Lions and captained Scotland. At the age of 51, his old Scotland team-mate Finlay Calder coaxed Armstrong into playing for Stewart's Melville 3rd team in a match against Penicuik 2nd team. Word got out that Armstrong was playing in the match; and Armstrong then played the 1st half with Stewarts Melville and the 2nd half with Penicuik. Provincial and professional career He played for South of Scotland District. He played for the Reds Trial side in 1988, coming on as a substitute for Andrew Ker in the second half. He joined Newcastle Falcons in 1995/96, and his appetite for the fray was seen to best advantage when the club won England's Allied Dunbar Premiership title in 1998, featuring in all 22 matches of the season. He also started the victorious 2001 Anglo-Welsh Cup final. Many supporters believe Armstrong to be the best player in the club's history. In Jonny Wilkinson's book How to Play Rugby My Way Armstrong is given the nickname–"the scrap-yard dog"– because Wilkinson said that he had never met anyone as "tough as him". He was an ever-present in Newcastle Falcons 1998 Premiership win. Armstrong finished his career by returning home to play for the newly created professional team, The Borders. He retired in 2004 at about the same time as Doddie Weir. International career He was capped by Scotland at age grades Under 16, Under 18 and Under 21. He was capped twice by Scotland 'B' in 1987-8. He scored 3 tries against Italy 'B' in a 37–0 win for Scotland. Armstrong made his full senior international debut in 1988, in a game against Australia building to their 1991 world cup victory. Armstrong displaced Laidlaw as the incumbent scrum