Rugby World: Do you have any hidden talents? 

Duncan Weir: I was a footballer when I was younger and played for a few SPL youth teams, including Celtic – but I am a big Rangers fan.

RW: Any phobias? 

DW: I don’t have any real fears but I couldn’t eat all the weird stuff on I’m A Celebrity!

RW: Who’s the biggest joker you have met? 

DW: Jon Welsh is known as the comedian in the Glasgow squad. Not only does he look a bit like Kevin Bridges, his gags are the same.

Bridges apart: Does Glasgow’s Jon Welsh look like Kevin Bridges?!

RW: Have you played any practical jokes? 

DW: At Glasgow there are two big changing rooms and one season there were a few pranks being played between them. My changing room was going in and stealing the other boys’ clean boxers for after training, so by the end of the year we had a few pairs. We then hung them up in Scotstoun by a few pieces of string for the other changing room to fight over!

RW: Any nicknames? 

DW: Meatball. When I first joined Glasgow my dad always made his famous meatballs for me, which I ate a few times at training. I was carrying a bit of puppy fat back then so the name stuck with me!

RW: What do you do away from training? 

DW: I’ll do coaching when I get the chance. It’s hard to find the time with a busy schedule.

RW: Who’d you like to be stuck in a lift with? 

DW: It would have to be someone funny to make light of the situation, so a comedian. Peter Kay.

RW: Your biggest waste of money? 

DW: Two years ago a few of the Glasgow boys were playing tennis quite often for recovery on days off. I decided I wanted Rafa Nadal’s expensive racket for Christmas but since I got it I used the racket only twice and I’ve ended up giving it to my uncle, also Duncan, who plays every week.

RW: Who would be your three dream dinner-party guests? 

DW: Ally McCoist, Mark Wahlberg and Keith Lemon. It’s a mixed bag of people that I think would be really funny to get in one room. There’s a childhood hero in McCoist and there’s the inspiration behind the show Entourage.

Dinner date: McCoist makes Weir’s list of dinner party guests

RW: What really winds you up? 

DW: When I play really badly at golf. Ugh, it’s frustrating… but when you nail a shot it’s great. And Stuart Hogg. He also really winds me up!

RW: Who’d play you in a film of your life? 

DW: Simply because he is a good actor, it would have to be that man Leonardo DiCaprio.

RW: How do you avoid boredom in international camps? 

DW:  We’ll sometimes change room-mates twice a week and where we stay in Edinburgh we’re allowed to head to the shops or for a coffee to clear our heads. We’ll hit up the cinema too.

Wind up merchant: Weir & Hogg celebrate another Six Nations victory – over Ireland

RW: How are your team meetings? 

DW:  Everyone will be switched on, but if Johnno (Scott Johnson) asks you a question and you get it wrong he can have a joke with you. You have to get used to some of his Aussie sayings and take some stuff with a pinch of salt, but we can all laugh.

RW: Have you any Six Nations superstitions? 

DW: I wear the same game pants for every match I play and I do the same kicking routine.

RW: Who’s Scotland’s brainiest player?

DW: Dr Geoff Cross or Rob Harley would put their hand up. They’ve read a lot of books. If I’ve got a question about anything I go to Rob – I’m not one for books!

Duncan Weir on how to kick the perfect drop-goal…

This was published in the April 2014 edition of Rugby World. Click here to see what’s in the current issue.