Scott Cochrane (Secretary, ballast and philanthropist)
Kalimera (Greek for Good Morning)
Welcome to the beginning of another year at WRFC. All praise be to Muzza
As part of a drive by the committee to really engage and have an open-door policy we have been tasked with writing a little bit about ourselves, opening up about our past, dark corners included, so that members can see that we to put on our pants on like everyone else one leg at a time.
This story for me begins in 1979 where I was born into a little-known Greek enclave called Loch Mykonos nestled at the foot of the Scottish Highlands. With my umbilical cord cut, the Ouzo was corked and my father Iain Stelios Cochrane declared “as props are the rock stars of the rugby world, you my son are forbidden to jink, run, pass or get into space at any point in your life”. So, from the outset I was to bear the weight of the scrum and world on my shoulders and have been molded by it ever since.
Given my Greek Orthodox church upbringing I had a pretty normal life similar to most Scottish kids, rugby in the winter, highland games in the summer and a fight or flight reaction whenever the old enemy is mentioned. The Battle of Cullodden took place not a stone’s throw from Loch Mykonos. As wee’ans, we were brought up on the tales of fearless warriors in skirts and how Anglophobia and heart disease was a birth right.
I skirted through school and at 32, if not a little weathered and worn down, I graduated high school and found myself in Aberdeen at the height of oil; where the roads were paved with black gold and if you got your head down you wouldn’t get swept up as an offshore tiger. The possibilities were endless, a different woman on each arm every night of the week, we were at that time recession proof. With these possibilities I threw caution to the wind and bought a 325 convertible BWM with red leather seats (see photo below) for those long Aberdonian summer the perfect family car for when the snow come the sales man assured me. It was 72 hours later when the first snows of summer came that I realized that I had made a massive mistake and that the back wheels of my car were on top of a concrete bollard. At this point I knew that I would have to rethink my life choices.
Frugal as I am, I decided I wasn’t hanging around with a car loan and extensive repair costs. I did what any self-respecting Greek would do, so I put my hands in the air and asked someone else to pay for it, so with that I jumped a plane (easy jet) and headed for Singapore as it is famed for its low tax.
I have been here now for 3 years with the Wanderers, I have a baby due next month (conceived with Finn Russel’s amazing pass in the Calcutta Cup burning brightly in my mind) and have been assured that my out look on life will improve after its born (I’m not holding out much hope). I look forward to getting some silver ware back into the Wanderers cupboards, we the committee are working tirelessly behind the scenes to continue the success this club has had to date and look forward to the upcoming season. In the words of Mike Pence in his New York Times article “I will be your lodestar”.
Regards
Scott Cochrane
Detective Chief Ruck Inspector