Local rugby club, The Boroughmuir Banshees, had a once in a lifetime opportunity to train with Scottish internationalist Pierre Schoeman.
The programme was launched by Scottish Building Society when it became the main club partner of Edinburgh Rugby and sees youth rugby teams apply for a training session with various rugby stars.
Held on Monday 6 May, the team were put through their paces by the loosehead prop alongside Glen Young, lock, Harri Morris, hooker and Sarah Denholm, fly half from Scotland and Edinburgh Rugby women’s team.
Training at Hive Stadium, they were joined by Howe of Fife under 18’s girls team, Muntly under 15’s boys club and Falkirk Rugby Club under 15’s for an incredible opportunity to train with their heroes.
Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland, prop, Pierre Schoeman said: “It was an incredible day out and it was great to see all the teams come along to Hive and give their all in the training sessions.
“There are a few players who I will need to keep my eye on in the coming years. This might be the first of many games they play here at Edinburgh!”
“I would like to thank Boroughmuir Banshees for all their effort and wish the girls all the best in their upcoming games”.
Paul Denton, chief executive, Scottish Building Society said:“When we first launched this programme back in 2022 we wanted to give youth teams a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience to train with rugby players who are at the top of their game.
“We have now held three sessions with 10 teams joining Edinburgh Rugby stars for an inspiration level of access to elite athletes that would otherwise not be possible.
“We at Scottish Building Society hope all four teams had a fantastic day and thank them and of course Pierre Schoeman and the rest of the Edinburgh Rugby players for hosting this session for us.”
A partnership between Scottish Building Society and Edinburgh Rugby to help school children learn maths and get active outdoors has hit a landmark target.
175 school kids have now gone through the ‘Tackle Maths’ programme.
It helps school pupils aged between 8-12 years-old gain practical maths skills by using rugby and real-life examples to show just how important maths is in everyday life.
From measuring the length and breadth of the pitch, working out the capacity of the stadium and estimating the height of the posts, all mathematical challenges have been designed to encourage pupils to think about maths lessons in a different way.
Launched by Scottish World Cup hero Blair Kinghorn, the programme helps to show children that maths skills can be learned and utilised in many different ways.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive, Scottish Building Society said:“When we started this programme our aim was also to help at least 175 children to see maths can actually be fun.
“We are delighted to have achieved this ahead of schedule and look forward to getting even more kids involved.
“Having a practical learning environment coupled with a rugby professional showing pupils how they use maths and why it is important gives them a different perspective of learning and inspires.
“As the main club partner of Edinburgh Rugby, we want to utilise our position to give back to communities and Tackle Maths has proven to be one of the most impactful programmes we have ever run.
“This is a fantastic achievement and I hope it will continue to inspire kids to think differently about learning, both in and out of the classroom
Douglas Struth, Managing Director, Edinburgh Rugby said: “Edinburgh Rugby is at its heart a community rugby club – working in partnership with Scottish Building Society to deliver this programme to over 175 school kids is a fantastic achievement for both organisations.
“This programme is all about getting kids out of the classroom and learning in a practical manner. Inspiring and promoting learning is values both organisations share so it is very encouraging to see it take off so successful in its first full year.”
The first ever Scottish Building Society Festival took place this weekend with over 100 players competing in the event which celebrates inclusive rugby.
The festival brought together five clubs from across Scotland to play in a tournament, for all ages and abilities.
Edinburgh Inclusive Rugby Team, Fife Clan, Borders Clan, Strathmore Clan and Ayrshire Clan all played in a round-robin tournament.
Inclusive Rugby involves both able bodied players and those with a physical or learning disability, playing in one unified outfit.
Scottish Building Society, as the primary partner of Edinburgh Rugby, hosted the festival at Hive Stadium with the players also being invited along to the Edinburgh Rugby v Connacht match that same evening.
Paul Denton, CEO of Scottish Building Society said: “When we became the main partners with Edinburgh Rugby, we wanted to use our platform to create more opportunities for people to get involved in rugby.
“The festival was born from this value, and it was incredibly encouraging to have over 100 players come along and play in our first festival celebrating inclusive rugby.
“Rugby is a sport for everyone and using our platform we want to create more opportunities to make the game more accessible and inspire more people to get involved.
“Our hope is that people see this festival and for next year we can get even more players along to celebrate inclusiveness and the sport we love.”
Edinburgh Rugby Community Manager, Ruaridh Pye said: “It was a hugely inspiring day hosting the first ever Scottish Building Society Festival here at Hive Stadium.
“Five clubs from across Scotland coming together to celebrate what rugby means is very special and we hope it will inspire those interested in rugby that this is truly a sport for everyone.
“It was such a heartwarming day, and having the players come out at half time of our match against Connacht and receive the cheers from the crowd was a special moment.”
Edinburgh Rugby and Scotland star Darcy Graham presented Hawick Ambulance Station with a donation of £500 and a signed match jersey to thank the hero Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) staff who saved his brother’s life after a horror crash.
Aged 17 at the time, Clark Graham was involved in an accident near the village of Ashkirk in the Borders, north of Hawick, which left him in a coma for three-and-a-half weeks.
Graham, who is now preparing for the Rugby World Cup in France, previously donated £500 to the Hawick station – donated on behalf of the club’s sponsors Scottish Building Society – after winning the team’s Player of The Month last September.
He was once again chosen as Edinburgh’s April’s Player of the Month this year and chose the ambulance service as the beneficiary.
Graham visited Hawick Ambulance Station on Thursday (May 18) to thank Gary Brown, Hawick-based Paramedic, and Jenny Braithwaite, Paramedic who is based in Melrose, who was working at Hawick at the time.
After the call was taken by Iona Walker, Gary and Jenny (pictured with Darcy) were the first crew on scene and rushed Clark to Borders General Hospital, fearing the worst.
Graham said: “It means so much to me and my family. Without the Scottish Ambulance Service and what they did that night at Clark’s accident, he wouldn’t be here, so it’s an easy one for us to give back to them to just kind of say thank you. The quick decisions they made that night thankfully saved Clark’s life.
“It was very emotional meeting the crew. It’s kind of hard to put into words what to say to them. It’s an easy one to for me to pick. It’s not just my family they’ve helped, it’s so many other people’s families and lives they’ve saved from them just doing their job.
“Day to day, it’s what they are here for and we kind of take it for granted almost. Having the ambulance service, having the NHS, everything, we are very lucky to have these services just on a phone call.”
Brown, who has been with the Scottish Ambulance Service for 14 years, said it was “fantastic” of Darcy to donate to SAS, and added: “It was great to meet Darcy and hopefully we can meet Clark soon. The money will be donated to the station, so it will stay in Hawick.”
He said the money will directly benefit the patients the ambulance service attends to.
Speaking of the accident, Brown said: “I remembered it had started snowing that night and there was a light covering over the road. We were the first crew on scene and quite clearly the car Clark had been driving had gone through two fences and into a tree.”
Brown was the first to inspect the vehicle, and after seeing the wreckage of the car – which had suffered “massive damage – feared the worst for who was inside. He added: “Clark was unconscious and obviously very, very ill.”
After assessing the scene, Gary and Jenny realised he needed to be transferred to hospital immediately. Clark was initially taken to Borders General Hospital, before being transferred to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Gary said after he was handed into the care of hospital clinicians, he didn’t think would make it.
Two additional crews staffed by Susan Angus, Technician, and Lee Myers, Paramedic, both of Melrose Station, and Suzanne Little, Advanced Paramedic at Melrose, and Mark Neil, Practice Placement Educator. Malcolm Landells and Rhona Dunn from SAS’s SORT East team were also sent along with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to the scene of the accident. A second passenger, less critical than Clark, also required medical treatment.
Scottish Building Society has donated over £7000 the past two seasons to a range of causes, and Graham said it was great to see first-hand the staff who will benefit and how it will help the community and patient care. The money will used for patient care and is determined by the staff on how it is best spent to help the community.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Building Society added: “We’re very proud to donate to Scottish Ambulance Service in Hawick for the second time.
“It’s a charity which we know is very close to Darcy’s heart, and we are very aware of the lifesaving work they do across the Borders. It’s great to have their work highlighted and supported in this way.”
Entries are now open to junior teams across Scotland to win the chance to be put through their paces by Scotland international Hamish Watson at DAM Health Stadium in 2022.
Scottish Building Society has launched a search for a deserving under-18 rugby team to win a bespoke training session from Edinburgh Rugby star, Scotland international and British & Irish Lion, Hamish Watson.
One lucky under-18 squad will receive a specially tailored training session from Watson at Edinburgh Rugby’s newly constructed DAM Health Stadium early next year, with the competition open to junior rugby teams across Scotland, including school sides, established rugby clubs or local community teams.
Led by Watson, with assistance from the Edinburgh Rugby community team, the winning squad can look forward to a masterclass from the back-row star, with the entirety of the session taking place on DAM Health Stadium’s artificial surface.
To enter, all teams need to do is complete this form detailing why they should win the session, sharing details on their team, their ambitions for the season ahead and what they’d like to get out of the session.
Entries must be in by Saturday 8th January 2022.
The winning team will be contacted directly to organise the session that will take place at a time/date TBC in early 2022.
The competition celebrates the partnership between Scottish Building Society and Edinburgh Rugby, which is supporting rugby throughout Scotland.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer for Scottish Building Society, said: “We are excited to be able to offer one team the opportunity to train with one of Scotland’s best players and to gain first-hand experience of his legendary carrying and skills at the breakdown.
“As a mutual we are committed to giving back to our local communities so it’s fantastic to be backing grassroots rugby in this way. I already know some of the great work rugby clubs right across the country are doing both on and off the pitch and I’m really looking forward to seeing the entries as they come in.”
(Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)
Edinburgh Rugby star, Hamish Watson, added: “I’m really excited to launch this initiative with Scottish Building Society and I can’t wait to welcome a deserving Junior side to DAM Health Stadium in 2022.
“I absolutely loved getting tips and picking up skills from pro players when I was young kid, so it’ll be great to give something back and hopefully the boys or girls take something out of the bespoke session.
“I’d encourage any junior side to enter this competition where they’ll get the opportunity to train like the pros at the brand new home of Edinburgh Rugby.”
Scottish Building Society, the world’s oldest building society, has today been announced as Edinburgh Rugby’s Main Club Partner in a deal that will last for the next four seasons.
The partnership is the biggest agreement of its kind in the history of both organisations and follows a successful back of shirt deal which has been in place since 2020.
The partnership will see Scottish Building Society feature on the front of the capital side’s home and away match jerseys, and training shirts, as well as having prominent branding within Edinburgh Rugby’s brand-new purpose-built stadium, located in the grounds of BT Murrayfield.
As part of the agreement, Scottish Building Society will also be increasing its work in local communities with involvement in Edinburgh Rugby’s community programmes, including disability inclusive rugby and homeless rugby programmes.
The partnership will also see the two organisations working together to develop a family zone to enhance the match-day experience at the new 7,800 capacity stadium.
This substantial investment in Edinburgh Rugby continues Scottish Building Society’s ongoing commitment to Scottish sport which has included sponsorship of the Scottish Women’s Premier League as well as support for both Heriot’s Rugby and the Southern Knights.
Paul Denton, Chief Executive Officer for Scottish Building Society, said: “Scottish Building Society is the world’s oldest building society so we wanted to work alongside a partner with a proud heritage that shared our values.
“As a mutual building society, Edinburgh Rugby’s core principles of honesty, discipline and togetherness were the perfect fit.
“The club’s focus on supporting and integrating with its local community was central in our decision to support them and dovetails perfectly with our own approach of giving back and we are excited to start supporting Edinburgh Rugby’s fantastic initiatives in order to further enhance the impact.
“With Edinburgh Rugby set to move into its new home and celebrate its 150th year during the course of this sponsorship, it is certainly going to be a really exciting time and we’re incredibly proud that we will be part of that journey.”
Douglas Struth, Managing Director at Edinburgh Rugby, said: “We’re thrilled to announce Scottish Building Society as our new Main Club Partner. They are a recognisable brand and leader within their industry, who have a clear and historic association with the city of Edinburgh.
“Having already been part of the club’s sponsor family for a number of seasons, Scottish Building Society have played an integral role in the club’s journey to date – they now back us ahead of what is set to be a momentous, inaugural year in the club’s new home.
“With record-breaking Season Ticket numbers and the hugely exciting United Rugby Championship launching this September, today’s partnership announcement provides us with further momentum heading in to the 2021/22 campaign.
“This is going to be a hugely exciting partnership for all connected to Edinburgh Rugby and it’s an association that we’re immensely proud of too.
“We can’t wait to kick-off the new season in our brand-new home, and represent the Scottish Building Society brand around the world as we compete in both the United Rugby Championship and European Challenge Cup.”
Edinburgh Rugby welcomes Peter Vardy Group into the club’s Partner Family, as Scotland’s leading motor dealership become the Official Car Partner of Edinburgh Rugby.
The four-year deal will see the Peter Vardy BMW logo feature on the upper sleeves of both the team’s home and change Macron match jerseys as the capital side compete in the newly formed United Rugby Championship and European Cup.
Edinburgh-based Peter Vardy BMW will also provide the capital side with pool vehicles utilised by club staff and players, including the Edinburgh Rugby Community Team.
The announcement comes on the threshold of a new era of professional rugby in the Scottish capital, with the upcoming launch of the United Rugby Championship and the long-awaited opening of the club’s new 7,800 capacity stadium – Edinburgh Rugby’s first-ever permanent home.
Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director, Douglas Struth, said: “We’re delighted to announce Peter Vardy Group as the Official Car Partner of Edinburgh Rugby.
“It is an extremely exciting time for the club – with the completion of our new purpose-built home and the launch of the United Rugby Championship – so to have Peter Vardy Group join us on this journey is a great vote of confidence that we are moving in a bold and positive direction.
“Having already joined Scottish Rugby’s Sponsor Family earlier this year, it has been brilliant to see, first-hand, the Group’s enthusiasm for rugby in Scotland.”
Peter Vardy, Chief Executive, said: “Following our support of Scottish Rugby earlier this year, it seemed a natural development for us to back the game at a local level.
“We have been hugely impressed by the commitment of Edinburgh Rugby to nourishing community involvement and the active participation of young people throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.
“We recognise that this is a landmark year for the club and we are delighted to play our part in helping make it as successful as possible.”
Scottish rugby 7s star Jamie Farndale has been awarded a first class honours degree after a nine-year academic journey which he has combined with a career in elite international sport.
The 27-year-old got the best of both worlds thanks to Edinburgh Napier’s Dual Career approach which allows talented athletes to balance their studies with a hectic sporting schedule.
Now he has graduated with a BA (Hons) degree in Business Management after also competing in under-20 World Cups, playing for Edinburgh Rugby, captaining Scotland 7s and finishing top try scorer at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Jamie, who is also Director of Rugby Players Scotland, a company established to represent professional players, said: “The university I was supposed to go to told me I had to choose between university or rugby, but at Edinburgh Napier lecturers have gone massively out of their way to accommodate me.
“Training or competing abroad almost always clashed with lectures, tutorials and exams, and I had to work hard to catch up, and even had to re-sit entire modules due to missing exams.
“What made a difficult task possible was the eagerness to help which I experienced. Lectures were recorded so I could catch up in the evenings, some academics met with me to provide one-on-one tutoring, and others set me different exam assessments to cover times when I was abroad.”
Former Edinburgh Academy pupil Jamie, who was a Scottish Schools Cup winner at U15 and U18 level, has gained a reputation as a potent attacking threat from the wing, despite suffering an early career leg break. He is also an accomplished piper.
During his part-time studies at Edinburgh Napier, in 2017, he scored the winning try for the national 7s team with the clock in the red to enable them to complete an amazing comeback from 21-0 down and become the first Scotland side to beat a team from New Zealand.
In the following year’s 7s World Cup in San Francisco, he again scored a try after the full-time hooter to seal a 31-26 comeback win over Kenya before running over 100 metres to score the try in extra time that saw Scotland beat France.
Jamie said: “Having been able to study towards a degree while playing at the highest level instead of having to wait to complete my studies first has given me such a head start and allowed me the best chance in my rugby career. I am forever grateful to everyone at Edinburgh Napier.
“I hope I still have three or four years left of professional rugby but I will use the time I put into studying to try to get involved in some work-based projects, perhaps in sustainability. Long term, I may look to continue my studies with an MBA or maybe some professional qualifications such as a CA.”
Dr Stephen Robertson, lecturer in Edinburgh Napier’s Business School, worked closely with Jamie during his time at the University and supervised his dissertation.
He said: “Jamie was often on the other side of the world, and working with him over the years taught me what is possible with remote learning. As a second year he used lecture recordings originally created to support dyslexic students to stay up to date with his class and actually finished with the highest scores.
“What Jamie has achieved in his studies is outstanding. What he’s achieved on the field is incredible. That he’s managed to do both at the same time says a lot about his focus, attention to detail and work ethic.”
Children and young people at Edinburgh’s Sick Kids hospital were treated to a Christmas surprise from some famous faces when players from Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby joined them on a video call.
Players including Christoph Berra, Craig Gordon, Ryan Porteous, Martin Boyle and Grant Gilchrist took time out from their busy training schedules to Zoom with some of their biggest fans, tell festive jokes and answer all their Christmas questions.
The Zoom calls brought lots of smiles and laughter to the wards, thanks to revelations including Christoph Berra confessing that he is receiving a mop from his mum this Christmas and Ryan Porteous and Martin Boyle treating one young fan to a rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
The footballers and rugby players would usually visit the Sick Kids to meet children and their families in person in December, which is unfortunately unable to happen this year due to Covid restrictions.
The Zoom calls were organised by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports the Sick Kids and works hard to make Christmas magical for those visiting the hospital every year.
Fiona O’Sullivan, Arts Programme Manager at ECHC, said: “The hospital visits from Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby are always a huge hit with the children and young people so it’s a real shame these weren’t able to go ahead this year.
“However, we would like to say an enormous thank you to the players for taking time out of their day to chat with some of the children and young people via Zoom. Some of the kids are massive football and rugby fans so it really made their day to meet their favourite players.
“Christmas is a very special time of year and we work hard to ensure no child or young person misses out on the magic of the festive season. This year has been harder than ever for those at the hospital, so we are incredibly grateful to Hibs, Hearts and Edinburgh Rugby for continuing to support us and for spreading so much joy and Christmas cheer with the calls.”
ECHC runs a living advent calendar throughout December, which sees a different door in the hospital opened each day to reveal a surprise visitor or activity.
The advent calendar activities are limited this year by restricted visiting; however, the charity is determined to make this Christmas as magical as possible for children and young people, with everything from a silent disco, a festive cinema experience and a visit from a real ballerina.
Edinburgh Rugby can confirm that The City of Edinburgh Council has now granted a Building Warrant to enable the club to begin construction on a purpose-built 7,800 capacity stadium on the back pitches of BT Murrayfield.
Edinburgh has worked closely with both Scottish Rugby and The City of Edinburgh Council over recent months on the detail of the plans. This outcome allows construction on the stadium to start in Autumn this year, with a view to it being ready for the club play in its new home from the beginning of the 2020/21 season.
Until then, the club will continue to play home fixtures on the main international pitch at BT Murrayfield for the entirety of the 2019/20 season whilst the stadium is constructed.
This is underpinned by the coming season’s Season Ticket Membership sales having already reached record levels, as supporters continue to back Richard Cockerill and his squad ahead of the new campaign in growing numbers.
Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director, Douglas Struth, said: “While this has clearly been a difficult process and more drawn-out than we had envisaged, we are delighted to have now been granted a Building Warrant by The City of Edinburgh Council.
“This now allows us to move forward with what is clearly a pivotal and game-changing project for the club.
“I’d like to thank all those who continue to work proactively within the project as we now move into a build-phase, as well as The City of Edinburgh Council for concluding the Building Warrant process with us.
“I’d also like to thank the club’s supporters for their continued patience throughout this period and for buying Season Ticket Memberships in such numbers.
“With Season Ticket Memberships having already hit a record high ahead of the 2019/20 season, coupled with today’s hugely positive news regarding the stadium, I believe this is a really exciting time to be an Edinburgh Rugby supporter and I would urge our fans to get behind the team over the coming season as we prepare to move into our new home.”
