Dundee has lost one of its greatest sporting icons with the passing of Richard ‘Dick’ McTaggart at the age of 89.
A true legend in the boxing world, he was one of Scotland’s most decorated athletes, winning an extraordinary 610 out of 634 matches—an achievement that remains unmatched in British boxing.
Born in Dundee’s Dens Road area on October 15, 1935, his journey into boxing began in his early teens after his father encouraged him and his brothers to channel their fighting spirit into the ring.
In 1948, he joined the Dundee Boxing Club and quickly began to make his mark. He attended St John’s High School but left at 14 to work at the Alex Munroe butcher shop in the old Overgate. It was that same year he won the Belmont Youth Club boxing trophy, setting him on the path to greatness.
McTaggart’s boxing career flourished when he joined the Royal Air Force in 1953, where he began to take the sport more seriously. He won the RAF championship in 1954 and dominated military boxing, winning the Armed Forces Championship four times. His incredible success led to his selection for Great Britain’s team at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, where he made history.
On December 1, 1956, McTaggart won gold in the men’s lightweight boxing final, defeating West Germany’s Harry Kurschat. He returned home to Dundee as a national hero, greeted by enormous crowds lining the streets all the way from the station to his family home.
That same year, he was awarded the Val Barker Trophy for the most outstanding boxer at the Olympics—an honour no other British boxer has ever received.
Following his Olympic triumph, McTaggart continued to shine. He won gold at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, claimed a bronze medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome—where he also had the honour of being Team GB’s flag bearer—and competed once more at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. His success extended beyond the Olympics, as he won five British Amateur titles and gold at the 1961 European Championships in Belgrade.
After retiring from competitive boxing in 1965, McTaggart turned to coaching, a role he cherished throughout the 1970s and 80s. His dedication to the sport was recognised with an MBE in 1985, induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
He was also awarded an honorary degree by Abertay University in 2010 and, in 2023, received the Team Scotland Lifetime Achievement Award.
Despite spending his later years in Troon, McTaggart’s heart remained in Dundee. He was the city’s most decorated Olympic athlete, the only Dundonian to win gold at Olympic, Commonwealth, and European levels, and an inspiration to generations of boxers.
His passing marks the end of an era, but his legacy as one of Scotland’s greatest sporting heroes will live on.
Comments