GLASGOW WARRIORS V FRI 28 AUGUST, 7.35PM | BT MURRAYFIELD 1 We’re delighted to be Power Edinburgh Rugby’s main & Passion sponsor. Offices in EDINBURGH, GLASGOW, KELSO AND FALKIRK 2 EDINBURGH RUGBY Official Programme WELCOME DOUG STRUTH us with huge challenges - and I Hello, and I hope you’re all am sure this will also be the case keeping safe and well in in many of your own personal circumstances. Throughout these difficult times. lockdown, one of our main Well – where to begin! After six priorities was to stay engaged as months and 175 days of life much as possible with you all, without live rugby, the Guinness and to hopefully lift your spirits PRO14 returned to BT Murrayfield during those difficult times. A huge last weekend and what better amount of work therefore went way to mark the occasion than by into this – be that through unique beating Glasgow Warriors to lift and personal video messages the 1872 Cup for the third straight from our players, taking you down season – and, in the process, memory lane through re-runs of secure a home Semi-Final for the our classic games, keeping our first time in the club’s history. Podcast going, holding online Two amazing achievements for events and quizzes, or picking the club. All-Star XVs and providing regular insights from our players Since my last programme notes and coaches (including some from our game against Cardiff club legends). Blues in February, the whole world has undoubtedly changed. Your level of support and COVID-19 continues to present willingness to back the club during this period of lockdown has truly 3 amazed me – and I was delighted they need to your support. I’ve got that we were able to repay that no doubt that you will make your faith with such an impressive presence felt as you get behind the performance on our first game team and also represent the tens back last weekend. of thousands of other members of the Edinburgh Rugby family who I have seen first-hand how hard our cannot be with us! coaches and players have worked in the build-up to this month’s It does feel like that in these return to rugby, and those levels of trying circumstances caused by fitness, hunger and desire certainly COVID-19, this weekend’s match showed as we pulled away in is about more than just rugby. It’s the final 15 minutes to secure a symbol of resilience. It’s about the hard-earned win. A special getting back on our feet, never mention must go to our two new giving up and taking the fight to debutants Andrew Davidson and the opposition. These are all traits Nathan Chamberlain, who both that I see in this club, our players made their first appearance for the and our supporters – I think you club. We hope it’s the first of many will agree? and look forward to watching No one is more disappointed you both pull on the jersey in the than me that you all can’t be at seasons to come. BT Murrayfield in person to get Tonight’s match sees us welcome behind the squad this weekend, a limited, restricted and socially however that doesn’t mean you Nathan Chamberlain distanced crowd to BT Murrayfield can’t be part of #OurHomeSupport! – marking the first professional So please, wherever you are come rugby fixture in the UK to host kick-off, let’s show our colours, fly a crowd since the beginning of your flags and make sure we’re the COVID-19 pandemic. The decked out in blue and orange. primary objective of this pilot is You can still do your part from to demonstrate a safe pathway home and make sure our players to hopefully allow larger crowds – via your own social channels in due course. Hosting this pilot – know that you’re getting right is therefore not just a huge behind them. Let’s flood Twitter, step forward for sport, but for Facebook and Instagram with Scotland as a nation. I’m delighted support and positivity – you can that it’s Scottish Rugby and truly make the difference! Edinburgh Rugby who are working collaboratively with the Scottish government to lead the way in this As always, enjoy the match! area – and I know that those fans who are lucky enough to be at the game will not let us down here. DOUGLAS STRUTH If you are one of the 600 or so Edinburgh Rugby fans that successfully purchased Managing Director tickets for tonight via the ballot system, then welcome back to #ALWAYSEDINBURGH BT Murrayfield! I’m delighted that we will have some supporters cheering on the boys this Andrew Davidson weekend, as now more than ever 4 EDINBURGH RUGBY Official Programme OUR HOME SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT BeOUR part ofHOME the journey SUPPORT OUR HOME SUPPORT 5 CASTLECASTLECASTLE CLUBCLUBCLUB CASTLECASTLECASTLE CLUBCLUBCLUB CASTLE CASTLE CLUBCLUBCLUB & Castle CASTLECASTLEClub Juniors CASTLE CLUBCLUBCLUBON SALE NOW edinburghrugby.org/memberships CASTLE6 CASTLEEDINBURGH RUGBY Official Programme CASTLE ONE-ON-ONE WITH RAMBO On hair though, I can’t see past Club captain Stuart McInally Murray McCallum for worst lid… chats lockdown life, growing He came back to training with really shaved sides and a bleach out his hair and looks blonde top. That works for people back on a decade in the like Darcy, but it really doesn’t work for Muz… Scottish capital. How was lockdown life for First things first, what’s going on you? Apart from training hard – with your hair… growing it out in obviously – what kept you busy? lockdown? When golf was allowed again, I I’m going to keep it a big longer! played quite a few rounds and I didn’t get it cut for the whole of have been really enjoying it. lockdown – for probably about four or five months – and I was Some of the boys are playing really quite enjoying just having long well. Mark Bennett went through hair to be honest. 18 holes with me at just three over par, which is particularly I’ve been into the hairdresser impressive. I played with John once to have a bit of a tidy up, but Hardie recently too, and he was a I’m loving it – don’t know what pretty similar level. you think? 7 they’ve been up to. Everyone has and look at some of those key had pretty different lockdown moments and everything. experiences. I’ve always just been extremely But really, the majority of boys grateful to play for this club, my were just trying to keep their hometown city, and whenever I In terms of other golfers, Damien heads down, do their own training sign my new contracts, it’s always Hoyland is definitely the worst. He and stay ready. We all got back into a privilege to represent the team plays to about 50 over par, but he training at BT Murrayfield quite I’ve supported my whole life. refuses to stop playing golf. He just quickly and it wasn’t long until It’s just pretty cool really and I still repeatedly asks to play with me guys were already complaining feel just lucky to be here. I just want and I’ve lost reasons to say no. It about the Watt Bike. Well, to try and become an even better took us four hours to go around 9 mainly Bill! holes the other day! player and try and win something Amazingly, this September with the club. We’ve never won the How was coming back into marks 10 years since you made league, so it would be awesome if training with the boys after so your debut for the club. Do you we could continue to make a push many months off? Same chat or ever look back at that decade for that. like the first day of school? and think about what you’ve You know what it’s like, you just achieved as a player? pick up where you left off… all the I’m not really one to look back. old craic! It was good, catching up I’ll probably do that when I retire with the boys and hearing what 8 EDINBURGH RUGBY Official Programme Dentons. Now the world’s largest global elite law firm.* dentons.com © 2018 Dentons. Dentons is a global legal practice providing client services worldwide through its member firms and ailiates. Please see dentons.com for Legal Notices. *Acritas Global Elite Law Firm Brand Index 2013-2017.9 Edinburgh rugby full page final 19-8-20.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2020 09:36 Page 1 Official Property Advisors to Edinburgh Rugby 10 EDINBURGH RUGBY Official Programme WARRIORSNEW at Scotstoun ahead of rugby’s It may be the same season, return. but the completion of On the field, too, it was a new- the 2019/20 Guinness look squad that came back to Scotstoun in mid-July to train PRO14 campaign marks under their new boss for the first the beginning of a new time. Experienced heads including DTH van der Merwe, Jonny Gray, chapter in the story of Tim Swinson and Callum Gibbins Glasgow Warriors. all said their goodbyes to the Warrior Nation during rugby’s The suspension of rugby in mid- suspension, as did fellow Warriors March saw the Dave Rennie Rory Hughes, Matt Smith, Nick era draw to a close earlier than Frisby, Siua Halanukonuka and planned, with the New Zealander Andrew Davidson.