Hearts 3 Rosenborg 1. What a great way to start an article on sports in Edinburgh!
Thursday, 17 August, 2023, Tynecastle, Edinburgh:
Heart of Midlothian roared back from 3-1 down on aggregate after 5 minutes of last night’s Europa Conference League Qualifying Third Round 2nd Leg match. The Edinburgh side won 3-1 on the night and 4-3 overall against Norway’s Rosenborg.
Before kickoff, many trusted sites in the UK offered odds of 3/5 on the Norwegians to progress. Cammy Devlin’s 92nd minute winner upset the form book and means at least another 2023 night of European football in Edinburgh.
There’s still lots more sport to come in Edinburgh too. Stick with us while we run through some of what you can enjoy live in the city for the rest of 2023.
Fresh from Thursday’s win, Frankie McAvoy’s Hearts side will be back in European action on Thursday, 24 August. Hearts host PAOK of Greece in the Europa Conference League Playoff 1st Leg at Tynecastle. The winners of this home-and-away tie will cement a place in the Group Stages. There’s lots at stake, so get your tickets in early and show the lads some support!
On Saturday, 26 August, fans of Edinburgh’s other Scottish Premier League team, Hibernian, will make their way to Easter Road. Hibs take on Livingston in a Scottish Premier League fixture kicking off at 3 pm.
Big international rugby returns to Murrayfield Stadium on the same Saturday. The National Rugby Union side will be warming up for the World Cup in France. Scotland takes on Georgia, starting at 5.30 pm, and Gregor Townsend will be looking to use the fixture to fine-tune his side. It’s not long before Scotland’s crunch World Cup opener against South Africa at Stade Vélodrome on 10 September.
Live football dominates Edinburgh sports during September. Hearts fans will be active in the city early on, with Scottish Premier League matches at Tynecastle against Motherwell (02/09) and Aberdeen (16/09). Thereafter, Hibs supporters will be at home. The Hibees turn out at Easter Road against St. Johnstone and Dundee on 23 and 30 September respectively.
The first Edinburgh derby of the 2023/24 SPL season takes place on 7 October. Put on your colours and head to Tynecastle for the 3 pm kick off between Hearts and Hibernian. There’s more than three points at stake in these fixtures, so let’s see which team heads home with the bragging rights.
The champions will be in town in October too. Hearts and Hibs host Celtic on consecutive Saturdays – Hearts at Tynecastle on 21 October, and Hibernian at Easter Road a week later. Both fixtures start at 3 pm.
Edinburgh’s October sporting calendar ends later on 28 October. Edinburgh Rugby takes on South Africa’s Lions in the United Rugby Championship at the Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, with a 5 pm kick off.
Edinburgh’s sports is all about rugby and football in November. There’s Wednesday night football action early on – both Hibs and Hearts are at home in the SPL (7.45 pm) on 1 November. Hibernian hosts Ross County at Easter Road, while Hearts welcome Livingston to Tynecastle.
Hearts fans head back to Tynecastle three days later. Dundee is the opposition in a 3 pm SPL fixture on 4 November. The following Saturday, Hibs and Easter Road host league action against Kilmarnock, also at 3 pm.
The URC returns to Murrayfield a few hours after the Hibs match ends. Edinburgh play Connacht Rugby from Galway, starting at 7.35 pm.
South Africans return to Edinburgh the following week on November 17 when Edinburgh take on The Bulls in the URC. Again, it’s a 7.35 pm kick off, so let’s provide some welcome vocal support for Edinburgh Rugby!
24 November sees more URC action at the stadium, with Benetton from Italy visiting. The next day Hearts play St. Johnstone in the league at Tynecastle, starting at 3 pm.
Rugby Ball (Image: pexels.com)
The year may be drawing to a close, but there’s no let-up in December’s Edinburgh sporting events. Hibernian kicks off the month in the SPL at Easter Road against Aberdeen on 2 December. Hearts then entertain Rangers at Tynecastle on the 6th. The Hibs match kicks off at 3 pm and Hearts play from 7.45 pm.
Snooker fans, it’s your turn from Monday, 11 December with the start of the all-day, all-week Scottish Open. The final takes place on Sunday, 17 December. Lovers of the game can head to Meadowbank Stadium to catch all their favourite big names in action.
With the SPL nearing its midway point, leave the snooker for a few hours to watch Hibs play Rangers at Easter Road on 16 December. Or head to Murrayfield to catch Edinburgh playing Castres in the European Rugby Challenge Cup. The choice is yours – both fixtures begin at 3 pm.
Hearts’s penultimate home SPL fixture of the year is against St. Mirren on 23 December. The final Tynecastle match of 2023 happens a week later against Ross County. Both matches start at 3 pm. Wedged between these is the second Edinburgh derby between Hearts and Hibs, at Easter Road on 27 December. Hibernian will want to make its final 2023 home fixture count!
Finally, as Hearts vs. Ross County kicks off on 30 December, so too does some major rugby. It’s the Scottish derby URC game between Edinburgh Rugby and the Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield. When the final whistles blow on these fixtures, an entertaining year of Edinburgh sports will close. Roll on 2024!
