2) Sir Bill Gammell (Scotland) – £38.7m
Gammell is a businessman and former Scottish International rugby player. A tall winger, he earned five caps, before following his father into business.
He has over 35 years’ experience in the international oil and gas industry and was awarded a knighthood in 2006 for services to industry in Scotland. Sir Bill, who is an ex-Scotland rugby internationalist (1977-1980) is Chairman of the Winning Scotland Foundation and Chairman of Genius Gluten Free. He was also an Independent Director of Glasgow 2014 Limited and a member of the British Olympic Advisory Board.
In 2006 he founded Winning Scotland Foundation to mobilise efforts to raise aspirations and self-belief amongst young people in Scotland. The Foundation’s vision is ‘to help all young people in Scotland achieve their personal best’ and over £7 million has been invested to date.
1)Simon McDowell (Ireland) – £41.8 M
Retired Irish rugby player, Simon McDowell and family has a net worth of $54 million as of May 2012, according to the Sunday Times Rich List. A keen rugby player until injury forced him to hang up his boots in 1990, McDowell, 43, played for North Ireland Football Club from 1987 until 1990 before turning to refereeing, making his debut in 2002. McDowell was a referee at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
He spends 1,000 hours a year keeping fit for his onfield duties and also runs Kilwaughter Chemical Company. It started in 1939 as a quarry and mineral processor. In 1989 the company moved into mixing rendering products for concrete. The Co Antrim-based operation is owned by the McDowell family and made £4.1m profit on £18.1m sales.