Former Scottish rugby star Stanger to visit Lerwick for talk

Former Scottish rugby international winger Tony Stanger will be visiting the isles next week to give a talk at Shetland Museum.

Stanger, who famously scored the winning try at Murrayfield against England in the Calcutta Cup match of 1990, will be highlighting the development of sporting potential. He will be speaking in his role as talent manager at the Sportscotland Institute of Sport.

The event is open to anyone with an interest in performance sport, including sports coaches, PE teachers, parents and athletes.

Stanger’s presentation will look at how “talent” is not an inherited trait as is commonly thought. Being physically suited to a sport does help but it is an athlete’s mindset that is crucial to their own development. He will explain that hard work, learning from mistakes and embracing challenges are determining factors for an athlete’s growth.

SIC sports development officer Bob Kerr said: “This presentation will bring some of the latest sports research to Shetland and will explore how sports coaches can help young athletes reach their potential. It promises to be a thought-provoking session and I’d encourage anyone with an interest in sport, as a coach, athlete, parent or teacher to come along.”

Stanger, 44, was born in Hawick and played for his home town club as well as the Borders, Leeds and Grenoble. He represented his country 52 times, scoring 106 points and remains Scotland’s joint leading try scorer. He was also called up to the 1997 British Lions tour of South Africa where he gained one cap.

The presentation “Understanding Talent – Mindset” will take place in the museum auditorium at 7pm on Thursday.