Latest news with #ScottishRugby
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Murrayfield Stadium: See all the banned items at the venue
However, some people may have their nights ruined after coming to the venue with an item that is not permitted on the premises. To ensure a hassle-free night, here is everything you need to know about the rules. What items are banned from Murrayfield in Edinburgh? According to the Scottish Rugby website, there are a number of items that are banned from Murrayfield in Edinburgh. Customers are permitted to bring the following items into the Scottish venue: Bags larger than A4 size (unless required for medical or childcare purposes) Alcohol of any kind (customers must dispose of this at bins provided at the entry points) Cans, opened bottles and any kind of glass or metal container Sealed plastic soft drinks or water bottles larger than 500ml Fireworks, flares, smoke bombs and any kind of Pyrotechnic items (possession of these may constitute a criminal offence, with those found with these being referred to police) Knives, weapons and other hazardous items Banners or flags with slogans which are offensive, abusive, racist, homophobic or of a discriminatory nature Animals (except for guide dogs) Golf or large umbrellas Cameras that do not fit comfortably into pockets or handbags Recommended Reading: Tripods, selfie sticks and iPads Other items deemed to pose a risk of injury and annoyance It should be noted that Murrayfield does NOT have bag drop-off facilities, so customers will be required to take their offending items and deposit them in a safe place before entering the stadium.
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Oasis have had 'negligible' impact on Fringe ticket sales
Tony Lankester said advance bookings were currently tracking in line with the 2024 event, which ended up featuring 3746 shows and selling 2.61 million tickets. Read more: However this year's programme has expanded over the last three years to 3834 shows, the second highest tally in the 78-year history of the event, which has been long been the world's biggest celebration of culture. There were widespread fears about the impact of the only Oasis reunion shows in Scotland clashing with the Fringe as soon as the shows were announced days after last year's Fringe had drawn to a close, particularly on the price of accommodation. Two of the three gigs are being held across the second weekend of the festival. Tony Lankester was appointed chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society earlier this year. (Image: Gordon Terris) However the society has also revealed that there is still widespread availability at an official 'Fringe Village' at Queen Margaret University's campus in Musselburgh, as as well as in [[Edinburgh]] University accommodation. Mr Lankester, who is overseeing his first Fringe, has nonetheless urged concert promoters to avoid staging future shows at Murrayfield in August. George Square is one of the busiest areas during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. (Image: Alistair Leith) Although the home of Scottish rugby has been playing host to concerts since the early 1980s, the sold-out shows by Oasis – on August 8, 9 and 12 – and a one-off gig by AC/DC – are the first to clash with Edinburgh's main summer festivals season. Scottish Rugby officials recently set out ambitions to host up to 12 concerts a year at the stadium, which will have a capacity of almost 70,000 for the Oasis shows. Mr Lankester said he had held talks with Glasgow-based promoters DF Concerts, who are working on the Oasis shows, since taking up his post. He said: 'The ticket sales pattern is pretty as much as we would expect by now and is not dissimilar to this time last year. Saturdays are our biggest selling days 'Some of the venues are nervous, because no-one is quite sure how things are going to play out, but in general they are saying the same thing. No-one has raised a red flag with us yet, but by far the lion's share of tickets are sold in August. 'These concerts have had a negligible impact on ticket sales so far. Given the extent to which bookings happen on the day, it will be really interesting to see what happens during the Fringe. 'On balance, I would prefer it if these concerts were not taking place in August, but they are there and they are happening this year. "There are obviously increased concerts for promoters if they put on concerts in August. I don't think it would be their first choice for a time of year to put them on. 'We have done some postcode analysis of the Oasis ticket purchases. Broadly speaking, around half of those people who are coming to those concerts will sleep in their own beds at night. They are either from Edinburgh or are a commutable distance away from Edinburgh. 'Of the other half, some of them will be staying in a commutable area outside Edinburgh. A lot of people going to these concerts will come into town and go back out again. 'DF Concerts said to me that they believe most of the crowds will not extend beyond Haymarket.'I hope some people will be sticking around, will make a weekend of it and will pick some Fringe shows to see. We will have to see how that plays out. I would encourage people not to leave it till the last minute. They should dive into the programme now and pick out a couple of things.' Last year's Fringe attracted the event's fourth highest attendance since the festival was launched in 1947. The Fringe broke the two million ticket sales barrier in 2014, when the official programme boasted 3193 shows. Mr Lankester, who took over as chief executive of the Fringe Society in April, previously said he would like the festival to reach three million ticket sales, which has only been achieved once previously, in the 2019 festival, the last to be staged before the Covid pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020. However, speaking ahead of the Fringe's official launch on Friday, Mr Lankester said: 'I don't think we will get to three million this year. I might be wrong. 'But the path to getting there is not about getting more people to come to the Fringe. It's about getting the people who do come here to buy more tickets. 'The Fringe isn't a brand you need to tell people about. For me, it's about the individual visitor experience, how we maximise the benefits to the Fringe of people being here and maximise their experience of the Fringe. 'If we can get people to move from buying two tickets a day to four tickets a day that would be great. That's how we can grow.' The Fringe Society has insisted there are still affordable accommodations open ahead of the official launch of the festival on August 1, including at the Fringe Village, which has been targeted at people working in the festival. He added: "Queen Margaret University tell us they still have around 80 beds available, which cost £300 a week. They have put a lot of work into creating a really nice community. Edinburgh University also still has beds available, at roughly the same price. There are still viable options available for people who are not coming here for the whole month."
Scotsman
5 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
New Scotland rugby home kit inspired by Murrayfield crowd - how to buy and how much it costs
Sound wave of Scotland chant embossed into jersey Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish Rugby have released the new national team home kit for the 2025-26 season - featuring a sound wave design inspired by the chants of the Murrayfield crowd. Produced by Italian brand Macron, who have been official kit suppliers to Scottish Rugby since 2013, the new strip carries the traditional navy blue as the predominant colour along with the addition of heather purple details. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The design also features two striking graphic elements with a tonal print on the sleeve depicting the sound wave generated by the fans chanting 'Scotland, Scotland, Scotland, Scotland', while the word 'Scotland' itself is embossed repeatedly across the lower back of the shirt. Scottish Rugby's new home kit featuring a sound wave design inspired by the Murrayfield crowd. | Scottish Rugby/Macron The kit is completed by navy blue shorts featuring lighter navy vertical stripes down the sides and purple detailing on the leg hems. The navy socks are finished with a thin horizontal heather purple stripe at the top. The strip, which has the logo of main strip sponsor, Arnold Clark, emblazoned across the front, will first be worn during the upcoming Quilter Nations Series in November, followed by the Men's, Women's and U20s Six Nations Championships in the New Year. Ross Cook, Macron's Senior Technical Sponsorship Manager, said: 'So excited to be unveiling the new Scottish Rugby home kit as a tribute to the unique roar of Scottish Gas Murrayfield and the Hive . Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Darcy Graham models the new Scotland home strip. | Scottish Rugby/Macron 'We've tried to capture the emotion every fan feels as the stadium erupts, interpreting that iconic sound into a striking sound wave design embossed into the fabric of the jersey. 'This jersey doesn't just represent a Scottish team, it echoes a nation's pride.' Scottish Rugby's Lead Creative Designer, Laura Chessar, added: "I am thrilled to unveil the new Scotland home kit. This season's design on our traditional dark navy base with a hint of purple heather on the trim is brought to life with the actual sound wave of home fans chanting 'SCOTLAND! SCOTLAND! SCOTLAND!' illustrated across the players' shoulders and the words across their backs. Scotland women captain Rachel Malcolm models the new 2025-26 kit. | Scottish Rugby/Macron "When you hear the chant, the hairs stand up on the back of your neck and you're transported to the electric atmosphere of Scottish Gas Murrayfield matchday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Designed in-house, in collaboration with macron, I hope it resonates with everyone who wears the jersey."
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Scotland women's captain Rachel Malcolm unhappy with off-field disruption, saying it's 'unfair' on players ahead of Rugby World Cup
Scotland women's captain Rachel Malcolm insisted her players have been put in an 'unfair' position ahead of the Rugby World Cup — with off-field issues threatening to derail their preparations for the competition. Malcolm said news of head coach Bryan Easson's imminent departure had also come as a shock and insisted the timing of it was 'quite upsetting'. Lack of certainty over players' contracts with Scottish Rugby, meanwhile, have been an ongoing issue, which she labelled a 'disruptive' influence. Several Scotland players have been in the dark as to whether they would have their contracts renewed post-World Cup. 'No, it hasn't been ideal prep whatsoever,' admitted Malcolm. 'It has been very disruptive. 'My ethos as a captain is to make my players feel like superwomen. It's to make them feel valued and it's to make them feel like they belong — and the processes which have gone on behind the scenes have definitely done almost the opposite of those three things.' While Malcolm admitted that conversations had continued behind the scenes, she said these had been 'frustrating' and insisted 'we probably haven't had too much sympathy towards our case'. 'I think the timing piece is the most frustrating,' she continued. 'As players, we want to have 100 per cent of our focus on performing for our country at the biggest tournament in our careers, but there's obviously been that distraction piece. 'I think all of us are very passionate that the game in Scotland needs to grow, and all of us are very passionate about being part of that process, but not at the detriment of our performance at the World Cup, which ultimately is the most important part of our careers as players and I think its slightly unfair to put us in a position where that distraction is there.' News that long-serving coach Easson would soon be leaving, meanwhile, has also hit home hard. It was announced by Scottish Rugby last week that Easson would be stepping down, following Scotland's World Cup campaign. Malcolm said this had come as a surprise, insisting she 'hadn't been aware of it too long'. 'It was probably similar timings to you guys (the media) finding out, so it's obviously a shock. I think, for us as players, the timing of it was quite upsetting. 'Having, on a personal level, worked with Bryan for the majority of my Scotland career, and been through some pretty impressive highs and a lot of lows, we've always stuck together and kept true to what we want to achieve. 'I think what we have achieved in that time is pretty spectacular in terms of records here, there and everywhere, I think it's upsetting that he's obviously stepping away from the post, but also I think the opportunity to go and do his career justice at this World Cup is definitely something that is driving us as players.' Malcolm appeared to suggest the decision had been taken out of Easson's hands, saying: 'I don't think much of it was within his control, so obviously Scottish Rugby decided that was the time to do it, and that's when it's done, so there's not much else we can do about that.' Mail Sport understands, however, that it was Easson himself who made the decision to announce his departure sooner rather later — and that he stepped down from the role of his own volition. Speaking to the media ahead of Scotland's Summer Test against Italy this weekend, he said: 'I had a discussion with Alex (Williamson, CEO), maybe three, four weeks ago and with my contract running out, it was felt that it was the right time to move on.' Scottish Rugby, meanwhile, said it had been 'engaged with the Scotland women playing group over many months to work through the contracting process in a timely manner ahead of the Rugby World Cup', insisting they had now 'concluded' contract discussions with all members of the World Cup training squad.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Disruptive' Scotland build-up frustrates Malcolm
Captain Rachel Malcolm says the Scotland players have been put in an "unfair position" by a "very disruptive" build-up to this summer's Rugby World month a source from the Scotland camp told the BBC players were "suffering with their mental and emotional health" as more than half the squad faced uncertainty over their contracts after the executive Alex Williamson said the contract negotiations would be resolved before Scotland's opener against Wales on 23 August, although those discussions remain coach Bryan Easson announced last week he would be stepping down after the World Cup, which Malcolm said came as "a shock" and she described the timing of the announcement, so close to the tournament, as "upsetting".Malcolm said having to deal with numerous off-field issues less than a month out from the event has BBC has contacted Scottish Rugby for comment."I think that the timing is the most frustrating," the 34-year-old flanker said."As players we want to have 1000% of our focus on performing for our country at the biggest tournament in our careers, but there's obviously been that distraction."I think all of us are very passionate that the game in Scotland needs to grow and all of us are very passionate about being a part of that process, but not at the detriment of our performance at this World Cup, which ultimately is the most important part of our careers as players."I think it's slightly unfair to put us in a position where that distraction's been there."My ethos as a captain is to make my players feel like superwomen, it's to make them feel valued and like they belong. And the processes which have gone on behind the scenes have definitely done almost the opposite of those three things, so it's definitely made my job a little bit tougher." Easson departing after 'sticky' discussions Malcolm said discussions with the Scottish Rugby hierarchy to try to resolve the contractual dispute only served to leave her feeling "more frustrated" and the union "probably haven't had too much sympathy towards our case".On the timing of the announcement of Easson's impending departure, Malcolm believes it was taken out of the head coach's hands."I don't think much of it was within his control, so obviously Scottish Rugby decided that was the time to do it and that's when it was done, so there's not much else we can do about that," she said."It's not ideal prep whatsoever. It's been very disruptive."Easson admits the timing of the announcement was problematic, with "sticky" discussions with Williamson taking place in the last month, and refused to be drawn on whether he was leaving the role of his own volition."My contract was up after the Rugby World Cup, we have been in discussions for a long time just to see what's happening and it's been sticky," he said."I'll be honest, discussions have been sticky, and it did take a while and I did have a discussion three or four weeks ago."It was felt that it was the right time to move on. Obviously I'd have preferred the timing to have been a little bit different, but it was just an adult conversation between two people."Professional sport is high-performance sport and I think one thing you do understand as a coach is that you're never going to be in one place for forever."
