1996 squad members to be honoured on special kit during Friday’s EPCR Challenge Cup contest at the Hive.
Edinburgh Rugby will wear a special jersey paying tribute to three former players in their EPCR Challenge Cup clash with Toulon on Friday night.
Scott Hastings, Ally Donaldson and Graham Dall were all part of the club’s first ever European fixture against Bath back in 1996. Hastings and Donaldson, both captains during their time with the capital outfit, passed away this year while flanker Dall sadly died in May 2025.
Each player will have their initials and heritage number printed on the 13, ten, and seven jerseys in a nod to the contributions they made during their times wearing those shirts. All three players have left an indelible mark on rugby in the city as players and as men in the wider rugby community.
Gavin Hastings, Scott’s brother and Scottish rugby legend, said: “Rugby is a very close community, and I think rugby players have a great affinity for one another. Ally and Scott were both deeply committed to improving the lives of people they came in contact with. I’ve lost a brother, and a guy I had huge amount of respect for, and it’s tough.
“But rugby honours their former players well, and I think this is a lovely gesture to wear the numbers and initials of both players in their European games this season.”
Katie Donaldson, Ally’s daughter, added: “We’re really honoured that Edinburgh Rugby are paying tribute to our dad, because rugby was such a big part of dad’s life and our family’s life, and we’re really excited to see the strip at a European game.”
Scott Hastings, who was Edinburgh Rugby’s first professional club captain, left behind a legacy as a Scottish rugby great. The centre earned 65 Scotland caps between 1986 and 1997, and went on two British & Irish Lions tours.
Donaldson made a huge impact on the rugby landscape in Edinburgh, captaining the club in 1997 before achieving success as a coach with Currie. Dall, who started against Bath in 1996, was a Scotland-A international who balanced his playing career alongside working as an orthopaedic surgeon in the NHS at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose.
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