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'{{For|the American football player|Michael Blair}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2012}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Mike Blair | image = Mike Blair.png | caption = | birth_name = Michael Robert Leighton Blair | nickname = Blade | school = [[Edinburgh Academy]] | university = [[Durham University]] <br> [[Edinburgh University]] | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|04|20|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]] | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{height|m=1.80}} | weight = {{convert|85|kg|stlb|abbr=on}} | ru_position = [[Scrum-half (rugby union)|Scrum-half]] | ru_amateuryears = | ru_amateurclubs = [[Edinburgh Academicals RFC|Edinburgh Academicals]]<br/>[[Boroughmuir RFC|Boroughmuir]] | ru_amupdate = | ru_nationalteam = [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]]<br/>[[Scotland A rugby union team|Scotland A]]<br/>{{nowrap|Scotland U21}}<br/>{{nowrap|Scotland U19}}<br/>{{nowrap|[[Scotland national rugby union team (sevens)|Scotland Sevens]]}} | ru_nationalyears = 2002–12 | ru_nationalcaps = 85 | ru_nationalpoints = (35) | ru_ntupdate = 18 November 2012 | ru_clubyears = 2002–12 <br> 2012–13 <br> 2013–15<br>2015- | ru_proclubs = [[Edinburgh Rugby|Edinburgh]] <br> [[CA Brive|Brive]] <br> {{nowrap|[[Newcastle Falcons]]}}<br/>{{nowrap|[[Glasgow Warriors]]}} | ru_clubcaps = 157 <br> 24 <br> 34 | ru_clubpoints = (78) <br> (5) <br> (15) | ru_clubupdate = 12 November 2012 | ru_sevensnationalyears = | ru_sevensnationalteam = | ru_sevensnationalcomp = | ru_sevensupdate = | other = | occupation = | family = | spouse = | children = | relatives = [[David Blair (rugby player)|David Blair]], Alex Blair }} '''Michael Robert Leighton Blair''' (born 20 April 1981 in [[Edinburgh]]) is a Scottish [[rugby union]] player. He plays professional [[rugby union]] as [[Scrum-half (rugby union)|scrum-half]] for [[Newcastle Falcons]] and represented [[Scotland national rugby union team|Scotland]] 85 times, as well as the [[British and Irish Lions]], before retiring in January 2013 aged 31. He formerly played for [[Edinburgh Rugby]] from 2001 to 2012 and Brive in 2012-2013. ==Early life== He attended the [[Edinburgh Academy]]. ==International== Blair's international debut came on 15 June 2002 against [[Canada national rugby union team|Canada]] and scored his first try for his country in the same game. Blair was a member of Scotland's 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cup squads. He was injured playing for Edinburgh against the [[Llanelli Scarlets]] in January 2007 and required surgery on his shoulder which prevented him from playing in the entire [[2007 Six Nations Championship]]. Blair was made captain of his country for the first time against [[Ireland national rugby union team|Ireland]] in the [[2008 Six Nations Championship]] and for the next 12 consecutive games. At the 2008 Six Nations, he captained his squad to a 15-9 victory over England at Murrayfield to win the 2008 Calcutta Cup. He captained the national side 14 times in total. Blair made his 50th appearance against [[Argentina national rugby union team|Argentina]] in 2008 (2nd test). Blair was Edinburgh Player of the year in 2006 and 2008, Scotland Pro Team Player of the Year in 2008, and Scotland Player of the Year in 2008. He was nominated for the [[IRB Player of the Year]] in 2008, and is the only Scot to have ever been nominated for this award. That year he was included, at number 12, in a list of the 50 best rugby players in the world by The Independent newspaper. Having been left out of the original Lions touring squad to [[2009 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa|South Africa]] in 2009, Blair was called up as a replacement for the injured [[Tomás O'Leary]] on 11 May, starting against The Presidents XV and the [[Southern Kings]] and coming off the bench against the [[Sharks (rugby union)|Sharks]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8018225.stm|title=Blair replaces O'Leary for Lions|date=11 May 2009|work=[[BBC Sport]]|accessdate=11 May 2009}}</ref> Mike was included in Scotland's [[2011 Rugby World Cup]] Squad. He scored the first try in the team's first match against [[Romania national rugby union team|Romania]] on 10 September, a 34-24 victory to Scotland. He started against [[England national rugby union team|England]] later in the tournament winning his 75th cap. Blair earned his final cap before retirement against South Africa in November 2012. He got 85 [[Cap (sport)|caps]] for his country. He is Scotland's most capped scrum-half of all time. ==Club== Blair spent the 2012–13 season playing in France with Brive helping them to gain promotion back to the Top 14. Blair then returned to the UK to play for the Newcastle Falcons in the [[English Premiership (rugby union)|English Premiership]]. In the 2014/15 season, along with [[Allister Hogg]], Blair became assistant coach of Ponteland Rugby Club. ==Personal== He has 3 brothers, [[David Blair (rugby player)|David]] played fly half for Sale Sharks and [[Edinburgh Rugby]] between 2007 and 2011, Peter, an accountant, and youngest brother Alex is taking a break from professional rugby, after requiring an operation on his back (he played for Edinburgh Rugby in 2010–11), to study sports science at Edinburgh college. He is married with two children. ==References== {{Reflist}} 2. http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/news-comment/the-50-best-rugby-players-in-the-world-2008-1331516.html?action=gallery&ino=12 ==External links== *[http://www.scotlandrugbyteam.org/content/view/160/86 Scotland profile] {{Scotland Squad 2011 Rugby World Cup}} {{Scotland Squad 2007 World Cup}} {{Scotland Squad 2003 World Cup}} {{British and Irish Lions 2009}} {{CA Brive squad}} {{Use British English|date=September 2010}} {{Persondata | NAME =Blair, Mike | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = Scottish rugby union player | DATE OF BIRTH = 20 April 1981 | PLACE OF BIRTH = [[Edinburgh]], Scotland | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Mike}} [[Category:1981 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Scottish rugby union players]] [[Category:People educated at Edinburgh Academy]] [[Category:British and Irish Lions rugby union players from Scotland]] [[Category:Rugby union scrum-halves]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Edinburgh]] [[Category:Edinburgh Rugby players]] [[Category:CA Brive players]] [[Category:Scotland international rugby union players]] [[Category:Boroughmuir RFC players]] [[Category:Edinburgh Academicals rugby union players]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Edinburgh]]'