Record gate for 1872 Cup first leg at Murrayfield

Ticket sales for Sunday’s opening 1872 Cup match between Edinburgh and Glasgow at BT Murrayfield are poised to pass the 20,000 barrier after surpassing the previous record attendance.

Edinburgh Rugby's Dougie Fife (left) joins John Hardie to preview their side's festive derby with Glasgow Warriors. Picture: SNS

Sales figures are expected to be at around the 17,000 mark this morning, which is already more than the biggest ever crowd for the inter-city fixture, which was 15,810 at the national stadium last season for the second leg on 2 January.

Sunday’s match, which kicks off at 3.05pm, will be played in front of a bigger crowd than the sell-out 17,000 attending the Hearts v Celtic football match at nearby Tynecastle, which starts at 2pm.

Edinburgh’s previous biggest home attendance this season was 4,981 at the Munster match in the Guinness Pro12 last month but the 1872 showdown has become an increasingly popular feature of the festive sporting calendar. The SRU marketing departments have pushed the game hard, including a Glasgow Warriors social media campaign to “#turnBTMurrayfield
Blue”.

Holders Edinburgh host the Guinness Pro12 champions before the sold-out return at Scotstoun on 2 January. Edinburgh v Glasgow is the oldest club fixture in world rugby.