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| Mike Blair | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Michael Robert Leighton Blair | ||
| Date of birth | April 20, 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Edinburgh, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Weight | 13 st 5 lbs (85 kg) | ||
| Nickname | Blade | ||
| School | Edinburgh Academy | ||
| Notable relative(s) | David Blair | ||
| Rugby union career | |||
| Playing career | |||
| Position | Scrum-half | ||
| Amateur clubs | |||
| Edinburgh Academicals Boroughmuir |
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| Professional clubs | Caps | (points) | |
| Edinburgh Rugby | |||
| correct as of May 16, 2007. | |||
| National team(s) | Caps | (points) | |
| 2002-present | Scotland Scotland A Scotland U21 Scotland U19 Scotland Sevens |
58 | (25) |
Michael Robert Leighton Blair (born 20th April, 1981 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish rugby union footballer. He plays professional rugby union as scrum-half for Edinburgh Rugby and represents Scotland. Blair has recently signed another two-year contract with the Edinburgh Gunners. He attended the Edinburgh Academy He has 3 brothers the oldest Peter does not play rugby (although he has also achieved international honours as a prize winning tax accountant) but his brother David plays at fly half also for Edinburgh Rugby and his youngest brother Alex plays for The Edinburgh Academicals and has now been put in the Scottish U18 Dream Team.[citation needed]
Blair's international debut came on the 15th of June 2002 against Canada and scored his first try for his country in the same game. Blair was made captain of his country for the first time v Ireland in the 6 Nations 2008 and again in the following games against England and Italy.
He has 50 caps for his country with the latest being against Argentina in Buenos Aires in June 2008. This game was the 5th time Blair had captained Scotland, including the Calcutta Cup win v England also that year. He was injured playing for Edinburgh v Llanelli in January 2007 and required surgery on his shoulder which prevented him from playing in the entire 2007 6 Nations.
It is seen as ironic that while Scotland have a big deficiency in talented fly halves they have two scrum halves who could arguably make it into any side in the world (Chris Cusiter being the other one), Blair and Cusiter have a famous friendly rivalry, but Blair has kept the first team place in recent times.
A testament to Blair's ability as a rugby player, he was nominated for the IRB International Rugby Player of the Year in 2008, establishing himself as one of an elite few at the top of the sport and entrenching himself as one of Scotland's greatest ever rugby players.
Having been left out of the original Lions touring squad to South Africa in 2009, Blair was called up as a replacement for the injured Tomás O'Leary on the 11 May. [1]
He married his long time girlfriend, Viv Mackay in Midlothian in June 2007.
References
- ^ "Blair replaces O'Leary for Lions". BBC Sport. 2009-05-11. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8018225.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
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