HE was known as the voice of rugby - and now a new play is to portray the full story of the man behind the voice.

The life, times, tribulations and achievements of Bill McLaren, the celebrated Scottish rugby commentator, are to be brought to the stage in a new play which has been backed by arts funders Creative Scotland.

The "remarkable" McLaren, and his life in and outside the commentary booth, is to be brought to life by the experienced sports writer Rob Robertson, once of The Herald, and Borders-based theatre company Firebrand.

Robertson said the play will be first performed in Hawick, where McLaren, who died in 2010, was born and lived.

Robertson's play has been helped in its writing by McLaren's family and friends, and his charity.

The Edinburgh-based journalist and playwright said: "After re-reading Bill’s biography it struck me that his remarkable life deserved to be told on stage.

"Also who better to put it on than Firebrand Theatre who are based in the Borders and where better to stage it than his beloved Hawick where it will receive its premiere next year?

"Bill’s story excited and inspired me as it was one that was full of personal highs and lows that was not known to the vast majority of people as he was a very private person."

Robertson said that McLaren was not only the voice of rugby union, but one of the great sports commentators ever to take up a microphone, alongside John Arlott in cricket, Harry Carpenter for boxing, motor racing;s Murray Walker and horse racing's Peter O'Sullevan.

He added: "Go anywhere in Britain, to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, anywhere that rugby is played in some form and they will know the name of Bill McLaren but there is a lot more to him than being just a rugby commentator.

"He is a man who fought bravely in the Second World War seeing action at Monte Cassino [in Italy].

"At a later stage of his life after he returned to Scotland he nearly died from TB and was nursed back to health once he got out of the sanatorium by his loving wife, Bette.

"She is featured heavily in the play, as she was a massive part of his life."

The play also addresses the personal life of the commentator, including the death of his daughter Janey at the age of 46.

Robertson said: "That was a tough scene to write and I like to think I have handled it with delicacy.

"It is obviously the most emotional scene in the whole play.

"Bill was a respected PE teacher who taught the likes of Tony Stanger, who scored the winning try for Scotland in the famous 1990 Grand Slam match at Murrayfield.

"Obviously rugby and the Borders play a big part in the play. Bill had a trial for Scotland but any dreams of a Scotland career ended when he had his battle to overcome TB.

"Although he had his dream shattered he never lost his love for the game or for the people - especially the youngsters - who played it."

The play, still in development, has been given £52,600 by Creative Scotland.

Robertson's first play was Journey to Gothenburg, a play about the boat that took Aberdeen FC fans to the 1983 European Cup Winners’ Cup final.

Richard Baron, the director of Firebrand, said: “Bill’s devotion to the values and disciplines of team sport both as top player, world-renowned commentator and inspirational school teacher, along with his dramatic wartime experiences and his later triumph over life-threatening illness, make his journey and important lasting legacy of interest not only to the rugby fan but to anyone fascinated by the story of one of Hawick and Scotland’s humblest and greatest cultural ambassadors."

In total, £857,510 of National Lottery funding has been awarded to 39 recipients through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund, including individual artists, musicians, writers, theatre makers, festivals and organisations working across the arts, screen and creative industries.

Projects supported in November include a retrospective from sculptor Karla Black; new work from multi award-winning choreographer Thomas Small, singer-songwriter Carly Connor, author MacGillivray, BAFTA winning animator Will Anderson, games maker Niall Tessier-Lavigne and sound artist Mark Vernon, amongst others.

Robertson added: "I would like to think as well as being a celebration of Bill’s life the play also shows him as someone who had to come to terms with the horrors of war, the death of his daughter and his own life-threatening battle with TB.

"As well as Bill there will be some famous rugby voices heard at various stages of the play as many of the greats of the game and famous commentators wanted to contribute."

"It is nearly 19 years since Bill died and he is fondly remembered throughout the world.

"Hopefully this play will help add to his legacy and be a piece of powerful piece of work that stands up to scrutiny as a play in its own right."