aving won half a century of
international caps and represented
Scotland at the 2003 and 2007
Rugby World Cups, Gavin Kerr’s days at the
top of the game were brought to an abrupt
end by a neck injury.
Nine years has passed since Kerr was forced
to call time on his playing days on medical
advice, but he’s embarking on a new chapter
in the Capital, having taken on a new role
as Associate Directorwith Allied Surveyors
Scotland in June. Kerr spoke exclusively to
SCRUM, and revealed he began looking at
options for his career post-rugby
on signing for the now-defunct Border
Reivers.
“I wanted something where I could do
potentially work within a team environment
and within the property market. I had an
interest in the more technical side so that’s
where the Building Surveying and Project
Management came from. That’s when I
embarked on a four-year degree through
college of estate management, at the
University of Reading.
“I got my first year exams out the way,
second year was the 2007 World Cup year,
so I had another year of exams then which
was a challenge as I had to sit my exams
during the World Cup.”
Guy Richardson, the former national team
manager, ensured Kerr was able to sit those
exams during the 2007 World Cup, and
having successfully negotiated them, with
the Borders struggling, and after a spell at
Edinburgh Rugby, Kerr found himself on the
move once more, to Sale Sharks.
“A company called Bluemantle Property is
run by Jim Caldwell and initially I got some
work experience with them,” he explained.
After Kerr discovered his playing days were
being brought to an end earlier than he’d
have liked, he spoke again with Caldwell,
“About two weeks later I had an offer about a
graduate position with Jones Lang La Salle,”Kerr said, while aware that it was going to
be a great change from travelling the world
playing international rugby.
“Going from playing rugby up here at a top
level and having a good lifestyle, I went from
there to basically starting at the bottom. That
was a massive change,” he said.
From there, positions with Savills and CKD
Galbraith followed before Kerr embarked
on another journey, to the University of St
Andrews, however that only lasted a number
of months with Kerr unable to relocate or
commit to the travel from his home in
the Borders.
And in June, his latest move, to Allied
Surveyors Scotland, where his work is
split between Selkirk and Edinburgh. Kerr
explained more about his day-to-day remit.
“It’s varied, from building surveys, schedules
of condtion, contract administration,
it could be anything: project management,
project monitoring it very much depends on
what comes through the door.”
Alongside this Kerr now coaches Jed-Forest
RFC and feels that coaching has helped in
his transitionfrom professional sport.
Chris Highton, Director and Vice-Chairman
of Allied Surveyors Scotland, commented:
“We helped guide Gavin in his early days
of transition from sport to surveying. He
returns to us with a wealth of knowledge,
experience and contacts across the property
industry.”H
KERR EXCITED BY NEW ROLE WITH
ALLIED SURVEYORS SCOTLAND
Playing for Scotland against Irleand in
Dublin, Chris Paterson and Gavin Kerr
(left) stop Andrew Trimble in his tracks62 • WWW.SCRUMMAGAZINE.COM • ISSUE 116 2019RUGBY WORLD CUP - SCOTLAND PREVIEW