Lockhead is said to be a keen follower of Scottish rugby

Sir Moir Lockhead is to be the next chairman of the Scottish Rugby Union.

The former chief executive of transport operator FirstGroup will replace Allan Munro when the current chairman steps down in June after six years in post.

He was selected by a panel led by SRU president Ian McLauchlan, who welcomed the appointment in an SRU statement.

"Having met and spoken to Sir Moir in recent weeks, I have been struck by his passion for Scottish Rugby," said the former Scotland captain.

"And by his desire to build on the strong foundations and achievements overseen by Allan Munro.

"Sir Moir brings a wealth of business experience, which I have no doubt will prove invaluable in the years ahead."

It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be joining Scottish Rugby Sir Moir Lockhead

Sir Moir led the employee buyout of Grampian Regional Transport in 1989 before helping the new firm grow from a business with about 500 workers to more than 130,000.

Lockhead, who will take up his post at the SRU's annual meeting on 25 June, described his appointment as a "great honour".

"Scottish rugby is in great shape both on and off the park with the national team currently ranked seventh in the world and the sport growing at grassroots levels throughout the country," he said.

"It is undoubtedly an exciting time to be joining Scottish Rugby and to assist in taking forward the fine work established by chairman Allan Munro and his board."

Munro said he would be working with his successor over the coming months "to ensure a seamless transition".

"It has been a real privilege to be the chairman of Scottish Rugby, to work with so many talented and committed people and to have played my part overseeing significant success both on and off the field of play," he added.

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