Mike Campbell-Lamerton

He left the Army in 1985 and became bursar at Balliol College, Oxford, later being elected an Emeritus Fellow of the college. He also took a close interest in the fortunes of the university rugby club, whose president he eventually became. He was elected a Knight of Malta, the organisation which raises funds for Catholic charities. In 2001 prostate cancer was diagnosed, an illness he endured with great fortitude until his death on 17 March 2005, aged 71.

Campbell-Lamerton received a MBE in 1974, then an OBE in 1979.

After the tour he retired from playing rugby. In 1972 he was appointed to coach the British Combined services team.

Campbell-Lamerton, would not have been out of place in the modern game: he was a big man, at 6 feet 5 inches, weighing more than 17 stone, yet athletic enough to play No. 8 as well as his accustomed position in the second row. But the qualities which served him best on the difficult tour of New Zealand as captain of the 1966 Lions were his commitment and willingness which did so much to sustain a struggling tour party.

He played for the Blues Trial side against the Whites Trial side in 1962 and 1963.

His debut for Scotland came against France at Colombes on 7 January 1961. He went on to gain 23 Scotland caps as he appeared in the next five seasons, twice as captain in 1965. He was picked for the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa, playing all four internationals at number eight. But when the Lions team was selected for the 1966 tour, he was 32, no longer captain of his country and the leadership was expected go to Alun Pask, the outstanding Welsh No. 8. Massie says that "You would have had no doubt that he [Mike Campbell-Lamerton] could push in the scrum, and with him and Frans Ten Bos together it achieved a solidity and power that had long been lacking." Campbell-Lamerton was 6 ft 5 inches and 17 stone.

In 1956 Campbell-Lamerton met and married Marie-Christine (née Cottrell) while stationed in Gibraltar. They had three sons: Jeremy, (born 1959) who also played lock for Scotland five times in the 1986–7 season, Michael Patrick (born 1958), Ian Anthony (born 1962) and a daughter Clare Josephine Margaret (born 1961).

He was educated at Ottershaw School near Chertsey, Surrey. National Service took him to the Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) in 1952, the start of 33 years' service in the Army during which he served in Korea and Cyprus.

Colonel Michael John Campbell-Lamerton OBE (1 August 1933 – 17 March 2005) was a Scotland international player. He was also a British Army officer.

Campbell-Lamerton was born on 1 August 1933 at the Royal Naval Hospital in Valletta, Malta, the elder of two sons of Lieutenant-Commander Robert Campbell-Lamerton, and his wife, Margaret. His father was killed in action in 1943 on North Atlantic convoy duty.