Andy Robinson and Rob Moffat today paid tribute to Gavin Kerr after the former Scotland and Edinburgh prop announced he has retired from the game because of a long-standing neck injury. The 33-year-old front row, who came through the ranks at Berwick and Jed-Forest and also saw service with Leeds, Border Reivers and Sale Sharks, enjoyed success at both international and pro-team level, and is still thought of fondly by two of his one-time coaches.
Robinson, under whose command Kerr worked at Edinburgh between 2007 and last April, hailed him as a “top professional” who had been major factor in the team’s progress during this period. The Scotland head coach said: “I'm truly sorry to hear that Gavin has been forced to retire. He was a pleasure to coach at Edinburgh, and made a significant contribution to any number of memorable results such as the Heineken Cup wins over Leicester Tigers and Castres.
“He was also a valued member of the Scotland set-up for a good number of years and maintained a high standard of performance. On behalf of everyone involved with the national team, I'd like to wish him every success in whatever he chooses to do next."
Edinburgh head coach Moffat echoed the praise of Kerr’s consistency. He said: “Gavin was always a player you could rely on. In his time at Edinburgh, he had the respect of his colleagues both as a player and as a person. It’s a real shame he’s had to make this decision, but a player’s health must always come first and Gavin will know his own body. I’d like to thank him for all his efforts and wish him all the luck in the world for the future.”
Kerr won 50 caps for his country between 2003 and 2008. He made his debut as a replacement in a Six Nations match against Ireland at Murrayfield, and won a first start against South Africa in Durban. He made three appearances in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, scoring his only Scotland try against the USA, and featured in every game of the campaign four years later. Between the match against New Zealand in November 2005 and the pre-World Cup clash with South Africa in August 2007, he started every Scotland test, packing down on the left side of the scrum for the historic wins over France and England in February 2006.
