‘He helped save my life that day’: Will Greenwood and Thom Evans lead tributes as legendary Scotland doctor James Robson confirms he will retire after the Six Nations

Doctor James Robson's quick thinking saved Will Greenwood's life during the Lions tour of South Africa in 1997 when he nearly choked to death.

He was back in the spotlight when Scotland international Thom Evans almost broke his neck against Wales in Cardiff in 2010.

The Scot's compassion for all the players he dealt with and his pioneering work in the field of concussion earned him respect and friends around the world.

Now, after 30 years as Scottish Rugby's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Robson will retire at the end of the 2024 Guinness Six Nations.

He was involved with Scotland first as a physio and then as a team doctor before becoming Chief Medical Officer for Scottish Rugby in 2005. He recently completed his eighth and final Rugby World Cup, having only missed 1999 due to medical commitments to other Scottish teams.

England World Cup winner Will Greenwood was saved by Robson after being knocked unconscious and swallowing his tongue during the Lions tour in 1997

As well as being a pillar of the Scottish rugby community, he was also involved in six British and Irish Lions tours from 1993 to 2013, a testament to the respect he received in international sport.

World Cup winner Greenwood even credited him with saving his life when he was knocked unconscious and swallowed his tongue when he hit his head on a hard pitch in Bloemfontein during the 1997 Lions tour. Dr Robson managed to keep his airways open and helped administer emergency treatment to him in the locker room.

“Thanks never seems enough,” Greenwood said of the doctor's actions that day. “I have no hesitation in repeating, with the information we received after that injury, that he saved my life.”

Scotland winger Evans thought he would die, or at least be paralyzed for life, when he was injured during a tackle against Wales, with doctor Robson's actions helping to save him.

In an exclusive interview with Mail Sport at the time, he said: 'I fell to the ground and immediately lost all feeling in my body. I knew I was in real trouble, but then the pain came.

'A few seconds later, Dr Robson and Lisa, one of the physios from my club, Glasgow Warriors, were by my side. James grabbed me and held me in the position I had fallen in, slightly on my side. He later told me that if he had moved me even a millimeter, my neck would have been broken and I would have died. He helped save my life that day.”

The medic, who also helped the legendary Doddie Weir when he was knocked out of the 1997 Lions tour after a horrific tackle injured his knee, said he had enjoyed his time in rugby.

“This has without a doubt been one of the most difficult decisions of my life,” he said. 'I have always wanted to do my job as well as possible and this role has been my life. I have often said that caring for the players is like caring for a second family, and none of this would have been possible without the support I have had from my own family, through my wife Christine and daughters, Eleanor and Emma.

Thom Evans, pictured with fiancée Nicole Scherzinger, praised Robson's actions after he was seriously injured in a tackle against Wales in 2010

Evans credits Robson, center, with saving his life after holding him in the position he fell in to prevent him from breaking his neck

'Rugby is a fantastic sport and has earned me a huge amount of money, which I have hopefully been able to repay over the years. It is vital that we continue to care for everyone who plays our great game, at every level, and I know there are many people in the rugby world working hard to ensure they do that.

'I have given the sport and Scottish rugby everything I could over the last thirty years and am incredibly grateful for the wonderful experiences and lifelong friendships it has given me. I will certainly miss being on the sidelines at Murrayfield and feeling the energy of the crowd.”

In recent years, Dr Robson's knowledge has been called upon to support the promotion of concussion awareness and research studies to develop player welfare initiatives, both in Scotland and internationally.

He was a leading advocate of the national concussion policy 'If in Doubt, Sit them Out', launched in 2014, which has now been adopted as policy across the UK.

He also helped develop rugby's first Brain Health Clinic, in partnership with the Brain Health Trust, based in Murrayfield, which invites former international players for a brain health check.

He was inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame in 2017 in recognition of his services to the sport and was awarded an MBE in the 2018 New Year's Honours.

Scottish Rugby will now commence a recruitment process to separately appoint a new Chief Medical Officer and team doctor for Scotland.

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend led tributes to Robson as he announced his retirement

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend led the tributes to Doctor Robson as he announced his retirement. “He made us a better team and remains a brilliant team doctor, loved and respected by us all,” Townsend said.

“From a personal perspective, it will be an emotional day as James makes his final appearance as team doctor for Scotland. James was on duty when I won my first cap 30 years ago and he has helped me enormously throughout my playing career. He has since become a trusted colleague, providing excellent service, guidance and support during my time as coach of the national team. We will do everything we can to make his last tournament with the team as fun and successful as possible.'

While it is understood there is no direct correlation between his retirement and the apology made by Scottish Rugby to the Cattigan family in relation to the death of their daughter Siobhan, he is believed to have been personally injured by some of the allegations made against him .

Scotland Rugby chairman John McGuigan met privately with Siobhan's parents before declaring his organization 'should have managed this tragic situation better'.