Edinburgh Rugby will open its 2014/15 campaign with a pre-season fixture against Leicester Tigers at the Greenyards on Saturday 23 August (kick-off 2pm).
The fixture, which will coincide with a number of community-focused club and school activities in the surrounding area, is the first game on the new season ticket memberships that were also launched today.
Edinburgh Rugby will face the Englishmen for the first time since 2008, when hooker Ross Ford and former stand-off Phil Godman combined to help the team produce a 17-12 Heineken Cup win over the then tournament runners-up at the BT Murrayfield Stadium. The contest is expected to be just as fierce as the Tigers team boasts a number of familiar faces from the international arena, including 2013 British & Irish Lions Manu Tuilagi, Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Tom Croft.
The match will be the club’s penultimate preparation game ahead of the new season, followed by a rematch against last summer’s pre-season opponents, Newcastle Falcons, who will be hosting Edinburgh Rugby in the Borders on Friday 29 August (kick-off time and venue tbc).
Edinburgh Rugby managing director, David Davies, said: “The purpose of taking this friendly out of the city is to support one of our local rugby communities and help to promote Edinburgh Rugby in Borders, however we also have a responsibility to those who come to support us week-in week-out at Murrayfield from elsewhere. Hopefully they’ll be able to take advantage of our free transport offer and join us and the Border rugby community, as we get ready to kick-off the new competitive campaign.”
He added: “I’d like to thank all the Border clubs involved in the tender process for this match for their hospitality and enthusiasm. The opportunity to meet the volunteers who run the game at a grassroots level has been an enlightening and energising experience and one which has reinforced our reasoning for taking this fixture outside of the city.”
The club confirmed they will play all of their competitive 2014/15 home games at the national stadium.
Meanwhile scrum half Sam Hidalgo-Clyne and full back Greig Tonks took time out from training to help launch the 2014/15 Edinburgh Rugby Season Ticket.
Tonks said: “The club are offering a great deal on the new season tickets. There’s a lot of hard work gone on behind the scenes, from both players and staff, which we believe will translate into an exciting season ahead for the supporters.”
Fifteen matches – 11 PRO12 league games and three home tie European Rugby Challenge Cup games, plus the pre-season friendly against the Tigers, are included in the season ticket offer. Prices range from £225 for a reserved adult ticket to £50 for a roving under-18. Deals for senior citizens, students, young people (aged 18-21) and families are also available.
Hidalgo-Clyne added: “Supporters should be sure to buy these great-price season tickets to secure the best seats and get ready to experience an exciting new season.”
For further information and to purchase your season ticket online, go to edinburghrugby.org/season-tickets.
Edinburgh Rugby v Leicester Tigers single match tickets are priced at £10 (adults) and £5 (senior citizens, students and under-18s) and can be purchased online (www.edinburghrugby.org), on the phone (0131 346 5180) and in person, at the BT Murrayfield ticket centre and at Melrose RFC, in advance and on the night.
Edinburgh Rugby pre-season schedule:
Saturday 23 August: Edinburgh Rugby v Leicester Tigers, Melrose RFC, The Greenyards (kick-off 2pm)
Friday 29 August: Newcastle Falcons v Edinburgh Rugby, (venue and kick-off tbc)
