Tag: Gregor Townsend

Gregor Townsend launches Barnardo’s fundraiser

We are more used to seeing him sitting high up in the coach’s box at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on matchday, but Scotland Rugby Head Coach Gregor Townsend yesterday swapped one lofty position for another as he ascended the iconic Forth Bridge to help launch a much-loved Barnardo’s fundraiser.

The charity’s ‘Your View’ event – now in its sixth year – affords members of the public one of the most sought after and unique experiences in Scotland; namely the chance to ascend 361 feet up the historic bridge and enjoy an uninterrupted 360-degree panoramic view of the Edinburgh and Fife coastline.

This once-in-a-lifetime experience has brought joy to thousands and raised vital funds for the work of Barnardo’s Scotland.

Gregor Townsend said: “I have long admired the work that Barnardo’s Scotland undertakes to support thousands of children, young people and their families across the country, so it is a pleasure to be a part of the launch of this year’s Your View event.

“Standing on top of the world-famous Forth Bridge has been a superb experience – the views are amazing – and I would encourage people to take this rare opportunity to climb the bridge. As well as enjoying this bucket-list moment, you will also be contributing to the work of Barnardo’s as it continues to do so much to help young people all over Scotland.”

Your View 2024, which is run in conjunction with Network Rail and Balfour Beatty, will take place from Friday, 20th to Sunday, 22nd September, with tickets going on sale at 10am on Thursday (20th June).

To date, more than 5,200 visitors have experienced the event and there have been no fewer than ten marriage proposals on the vertiginous viewing platform.

Best of all, though, the event has raised more than £325,000 to fund the work of Barnardo’s Scotland. To find out more, or to book tickets for the event, please visit: www.barnardos.org.uk/events/your-view-forth-bridge.

Martin Crewe, Director of Barnardo’s Scotland, said: “Your View is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event for those lucky enough to secure a ticket. Not only is it a never-to-be-forgotten experience for those atop the iconic bridge, it is also a crucial fundraiser for Barnardo’s Scotland as we continue to support children, young people and their families throughout the country.

“We cannot thank Gregor Townsend enough for his support for the event and the wider work of our charity. I must admit that it was one of the more surreal moments of my career to be alongside the Scotland Rugby Head Coach more than 350 feet above the Firth of Forth!”

Martin Crewe added: “As I am often reminded, tickets for Your View sell out very quickly indeed, so I would urge all of those keen to attend to sign up as quickly as possible. And, who knows, we might even get to enjoy another Your View wedding proposal this year!

“Your View would not be possible without the generosity of Network Rail and Balfour Beatty, and I wish to thank both organisations and our wonderful volunteers for making this special weekend happen.”

Colin Hardie, Construction Superintendent for Balfour Beatty, said: “At Balfour Beatty, we are committed to giving back to the communities we serve. The Your View event is one example of how we do just that, raising valuable funds to support disadvantaged children and families in Scotland.

“It has been an honour to work alongside Barnardo’s Scotland once again, to offer members of the public this memorable experience on one of the most iconic, unique and admired structures in the world – the Forth Bridge.”

Also featuring over the weekend will be the famous ‘Briggers’. The Briggers are a Forth Bridge research and presentation group of volunteers based in South Queensferry. Named after the bridge workers, the group was formed to identify the names of the 73 men and boys who died constructing the Forth Bridge, they provide details on the history of the bridge and the people involved in its construction.

In the past year, Barnardo’s has provided essential support to more than 11,500 children, young people, parents and carers in Scotland through more than 150 specialised community-based services and partnerships across the country.

The charity works to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life.

To donate, volunteer or fundraise, please visit www.barnardos.org.uk/get-involved/raise-money.

Degrees of Triumph: Gregor Townsend receives honorary degree

Scotland rugby’s head coach, Gregor Townsend, has received an Honorary Degree from Heriot-Watt University in recognition of his global impact on the sport.

The former fly-half was presented with the academic title of Doctor of the University during the Winter Graduation Ceremonies being held at the Edinburgh Campus this week.  

Mr Townsend collected his scroll from Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University, in front of fellow graduands, gathered within the main lecture theatre at the James Watt Centre.

Afterwards, he said: “I feel very humbled to receive this honorary degree.

“Heriot-Watt University has a close personal connection as its campus in Galashiels is situated right beside where I started and finished my playing career, and also where my mum used to work for a number of years in the library.

“Now, in my role as national team head coach we spend the majority of our time with our players at the world-class facilities at Oriam, in the heart of the University’s main campus. I would like to thank Oriam for their continued support and relationship with Scottish rugby and to everyone at Heriot-Watt for this award.”

Gregor Townsend is a revered figure in Scottish and international rugby having amassed 82 caps for his country.

His senior rugby career began in 1990 with his local side, Gala RFC before going on to play club rugby in England, France, Australia and South Africa.  

He was the first player to compete in all four of rugby’s professional club competitions – the Celtic League, the English Premiership, the French Top 14 and Super Rugby – and was a mainstay for Scotland throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. His exceptional ability on the field, which included a Five Nations title, as it was known then; resulted in a call-up for the 1997 British & Irish Lions squad and in 1999 he received an MBE for services to rugby.

After retiring from playing, Mr Townsend worked for the Scottish-based charity, Winning Scotland Foundation before embarking on a coaching career. He started out as an assistant coach with the Scotland team in 2009 then was appointed as Head Coach of Glasgow Warriors in 2012.

In 2017, he was appointed Scotland Head Coach.

The squad regularly attends the Edinburgh campus to train and benefit from the first-class training facilities provided by Oriam, Scotland’s sports performance centre.

Passing on his congratulations is Ross Campbell, Executive Director at Oriam, who said: “Oriam has always aimed to celebrate and support outstanding individuals who make a difference in the world of sports and Gregor Townsend is a prime example of such excellence.

“He rightly deserves his place as one of Scotland’s greatest ever sportsmen and we are proud to play our part in making available our outstanding training facilities to him and his players.

“This honorary degree is not only in recognition of Gregor’s past achievements but also acknowledges his ongoing dedication to the sport. Everyone at Oriam wishes him well and continued success in influencing the next generation of athletes.”

Professor Sir Geoff Palmer said: “Gregor’s honorary degree is in recognition of his remarkable contributions to rugby over many years. His ability to lead and inspire others has left an indelible mark on the sport and this award reflects the deep respect for his achievements and continued positive impact.”

Heriot-Watt and Oriam now offer yearly sports scholarship programmes, designed to embed a high-performance training environment into a sports scholars weekly schedule. This includes the Club Performance programme which allows students to study at Heriot-Watt while receiving specialist support to advance in either football or squash.

In addition to accessing world-class training facilities, scholars on this programme receive a 40% reduction on their university fees. While the scholarships are initially for a 12-month period this can be extended to cover a student’s entire time at university based on their performance.

To find out more about all programmes or to apply visit the website.

A total of 12 graduation ceremonies are being held at the University’s Edinburgh campus between the 2nd and 5th of December marking the academic achievement of students from the School of Social Sciences, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, School of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, School of Energy Geoscience Infrastructure and Society, and the School of Textile and Design. 

Scotland coach Gregor Townsend helps send 4.5 million poppies on their way

Scotland national rugby head coach Gregor Townsend MBE visited Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory (LHPF) yesterday to be a part of the Poppyscotland ‘National Uplift’ – a special occasion to mark the day that the 4,500,000 poppies begin the journey to the four corners of the country ahead of the 2017 Scottish Poppy Appeal. Continue reading Scotland coach Gregor Townsend helps send 4.5 million poppies on their way