MY SCOTS JERSEY ISN'T JUST A PROP

Hepburn on his heritage and Dark Blues debut

- David Barnes

ALEC HEPBURN might have been born Down Under and won England caps but his Scottish heritage warms the very soul of the game north of the border.

The prop made his Dark Blues debut off the bench in the wonder win over Wales on Saturday and became an instant hero.

But despite his more recent past, Hepburn's lineage is part of the Scottish rugby fabric.

The 30-year-old explained: "My great-great uncle was a First World War veteran and started a whisky company which employed a lot of ex-servicemen.

"It was called Red Hackle which was the flower they wore in their hat in their regiment.

"They managed to amass a bit of money from it and when he sold it in 1959, he passed on the proceeds to a few good causes.

"Some went to Glasgow Zoo, some went to Glasgow University and then some went to the SRU for Murrayfield's undersoil heating.

Even with that significant contribution in his backstory, Hepburn's Scotland recruitment has raised eyebrows.