Sport: Knighthood for Lions coach McGeechan

(PA)

Already recognised as the Lion of all Lions, Ian McGeechan is now a knight of the Queen's realm. Critics may ask which rank of honour the Scottish rugby union coach would have received if his British and Irish collective had actually won the three-Test series against South Africa in the summer, but that would be to ignore his contribution to the most famous touring team in the game.

This morning's New Year Honours List states that the 63-year-old has been made a Sir "for services to rugby". But everybody who knows an oval ball from an Easter egg realises this should read "for services to the Lions". While the former geography teacher achieved much as a player and a coach with Scotland (most notably leading the country to the Grand Slam in 1990, a success which won him an OBE), it is what he achieved with the red-shirted eclectic which has defined his reputation.

McGeechan, who was actually born in Leeds, played on two Lions tours (1974 and 1977) at fly-half and centre, and coached on five more. He was head coach on a record four occasions, winning his first Lions Test series in Australia in 1989 and his third in South Africa in 1997. Defeats did come in New Zealand in 1993 and then this year, although such was the general sense of foreboding going into the showdown with the current world champions that the 2-1 loss felt more like a victory.

"This honour couldn't have been achieved without the backing of my wife, Judy, and my children, Heather and Rob," said McGeechan in a statement. "I want to dedicate this to them. Rugby has been a huge part of my life for over 40 years and to have achieved everything I have with Scotland, in club rugby and with the Lions has been an immensely rewarding and enjoyable experience."

McGeechan is only the second Briton to be awarded the highest honour "for services to rugby". There is continued resentment in Wales that Gareth Edwards – widely recognised to be among the three best players in history – has yet to be knighted, but nobody would begrudge the softly spoken character known as "Geech". In contrast to Sir Clive Woodward, he is almost unanimously popular within rugby union and beyond.

It is seen as a good Honours list for sport. Jenson Button, the Formula One world champion, is awarded an MBE, while Ross Brawn, who led the Brawn GP team for which Button raced, has been honoured with an OBE. Jimmy Armfield, the former Blackpool and England right-back, has been made a CBE for his community work in Lancashire, while the England women's cricketer Claire Taylor and the world champion gymnast Beth Tweddle have also been awarded MBEs.

The same honour has been bestowed on the Scottish golfer Catriona Matthew, who made headlines by winning the Women's British Open just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter. However, there is no knighthood for Ryan Giggs, the Manchester United winger. The 36-year-old, who has won 11 Premier League titles, was the surprise winner of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year earlier this month, and an online petition was launched which was backed by his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, and even a couple of front-bench politicians.