Murrayfield can host Hearts and Hibs in one weekend says rugby chief

Pitch is in ‘outstanding condition’

Hibs hosted Barcelona at Murrayfield in a pre-season friendly in 2008. Picture: SNS

SRU chief executive Mark Dodson says talks over hosting Hibernian and Hearts matches at BT Murrayfield are still at an early stage but he is confident that the pitch could withstand two games in a weekend.

Scottish football is looking to get back and the SRU has made it clear it is open to making the country’s largest stadium available to interested parties.

“These are at early stages but we’re very lucky having the estate around BT Murrayfield,” Dodson said.

“We’ve got lots of room and we’re practised at putting on big events. We have the biggest stadium in Scotland and it’s only natural that, if you’re going to have to be socially distant, the bigger stadium you have, the more chance you have.

“We’ve had conversations with Hibs and Hearts – they are at an early stage. Our intention is to work with the government and play a role in getting sport back being played. If BT Murrayfield can become a bio-bubble where we can safely get games played, we’re very happy.”

Dodson added: “They want to get playing football as soon as they possibly can safely. We offer them an alternative and that is a step forward for sport in general across the nation.

“Our [hybrid] pitch is designed to take multiple games. Our view is that it could do games on Saturday and Sunday, or Friday and Saturday. The pitch would easily be able to withstand that. We know the pitch is in outstanding condition and we think it could cope with pretty much anything you throw at it.”

Dodson added that the easing of restrictions on the construction should see work resume on the new stadium for Edinburgh Rugby which is being built on the national stadium’s back pitches.

“We’re hopeful we can continue,” he said. “It’s over halfway through construction. We have to go through some health and safety procedures, but I think it would be our ambition to complete the stadium, for several reasons.

“One is we’re in the middle of a project with contracts, secondly we think it’s a revenue-earner for Edinburgh, and thirdly the supporters have waited long enough for a new stadium. So our view would be that’s something we would try to conclude.”