Edinburgh Rugby to be home at last as club legends break ground on new stadium

Oct 23 • General News • 1233 Views • Comments Off on Edinburgh Rugby to be home at last as club legends break ground on new stadium

Edinburgh Rugby has now broken ground on its new 7,800 capacity stadium as club legends Andy Irvine, Allan Jacobsen and Tim Visser joined Managing Director Douglas Struth at a ground breaking ceremony on the back pitches of BT Murrayfield.

With construction now underway on the new stadium – which is set to be ready for the start of the 2020/21 season – the group was also joined by Edinburgh Rugby’s youngest squad member, Jack Blain, and children from nearby Roseburn Primary School as the club looks to the future in its new home.

Jacobsen – the club’s record appearance holder – and Visser – Edinburgh’s all-time top try-scorer – have both called on capital supporters to fill the new stadium in numbers as today’s ceremony signalled the beginning of a new era for the club in the professional game.

Jacobsen – who made a record 286 appearances for the club between 1999 and 2013 – said: “I was thinking today how many grounds I played in with Edinburgh during all those years! So to get a stadium built, right here at BT Murrayfield, is going to be great.

“It’s not just brilliant for the players, but for the fans too. Just to have one home, that will have a tight, smaller atmosphere will be fantastic. I’m really looking forward to coming down to watch.”

Visser – who scored a record 60 tries during his five seasons in the capital – said: “It’s the perfect time for the club to make that move to a permanent, new home.

“It’s definitely going help the club build a great atmosphere and just having that one place where the club can continue to build its identity will make a massive difference.

“I’m really looking forward to coming down on a Friday night with Chunk, having a couple of beers and hopefully watching a few big wins! It’s a really positive step for the club.”

Edinburgh’s move to a new purpose-built stadium is underpinned by record Season Ticket Membership sales in 2019 and former Edinburgh, Scotland and British & Irish Lions fullback, Andy Irvine, can’t wait to see the capital faithful get behind their team on the back pitches of BT Murrayfield from next season and beyond.

Irvine, said: “It’s a hugely exciting time to be an Edinburgh Rugby supporter and I’m really looking forward to getting the behind the team in what will be a brilliant new home for the club.

“It’s clear that we’re moving in a really positive direction, both on and off the pitch. I’ve obviously been involved for a number of years, so to see the club now build a permanent home is really special.”

Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director, Douglas Struth, added: “It is wonderful to see both the heritage and the future of this club come together today to celebrate this milestone.

“I’ve recorded my thanks before to the people who have put in a huge amount of hard-work to get us to this point in the project.

“We can all now look forward to watching our new home take shape over the coming months, ready for the start of next season when we will be able to truly say that this club is Home at Last.