Melrose Sevens announce Aberdeen Asset Management as title sponsor

The deal is for one year at present but includes an option for a second year and, with the sponsorship quoted as involving “a significant five-figure sum” it represents an increase on recent agreements.

The tournament, which will take place next year on 14 April, will be called the Aberdeen Asset Management Melrose Sevens and further establishes Aberdeen’s commitment to supporting rugby and Scottish sport in Scotland and around the world.

John Reed, the Melrose RFC president, acknowledged that after years of promoting some of Scotland’s top brands through their tournament, attracting sponsors to sevens in order to retain its unique appeal had become more difficult in recent times. He was, therefore, delighted when AAM, the current team sponsors of Edinburgh Rugby, agreed to become the latest big name to take over the title rights of the world’s oldest tournament.

He said: “Melrose Rugby Club are delighted that Aberdeen Asset Management, a global investment management group, have chosen to sponsor the 2012 Melrose Sevens.

“As a club, we are delighted that such a prestigious company, with a track record of supporting Scottish rugby through Edinburgh and London Scottish, have chosen to give backing to our world-famous tournament to be held at The Greenyards, 129 years after the abbreviated game was invented here in Melrose.

“We believe they will be a valued part of not only the tournament itself but the fantastic atmosphere which has helped establish the day as an integral part of the Scottish sporting calendar.

“Melrose Sevens has become a huge undertaking to run and sponsors such as Aberdeen Asset Management are a vital and integral part in allowing us to host the biggest rugby event in Scotland outside Murrayfield.

“I sincerely hope that Aberdeen Asset Management enjoy their experience in partnership with Melrose RFC and as club president I would like to thank them most sincerely for their support.”

Next year will be the 129th playing of the Melrose Sevens and will see the hosts and holders seeking to retain the title in an extended tournament with guest teams from across the world. The identities of those invited sides are still being kept a secret with final arrangements still being tied up, but the club has promised to push the boundaries further in 2012 with representation from another new country to be represented.

Previous years have included Randwick and Manly from Australia, Bay of Plenty from New Zealand, University of Free State and Stellenbosch from South Africa alongside teams from the USA, Ireland, Portugal and Fiji as the tournament works with the SRU and IRB to play a part in promoting sevens to a more global audience.

The tournament is broadcast live throughout the Saturday afternoon by BBC Scotland and reaches across the world, and Martin Gilbert, chief executive of Aberdeen Asset Management, and a passionate rugby supporter, said that the opportunity to become involved with the historic event was too good to turn down.

“Aberdeen Asset Management is proud to be associated with such a historic and much loved tournament,” he said. “The Melrose Sevens attracts teams from not only Scotland but from all parts of the world with players keen to perform in the town where the Sevens game was born. It is a special day for players and supporters alike and it is great to be involved.”

The deal follows hard on the heels of new SRU chief executive Mark Dodson stating that he wanted to promote Melrose and Scotland more in future as ‘the home of sevens rugby’, and he is currently in Dubai speaking with organisers of the HSBC World Series and the Dubai event to glean ideas on how he can further promote Melrose and Scotland, and help the development of sevens rugby.

AAM follows on from QUBE GB, a locally-based telecommunications firm, who stepped in as team sponsors last year when it looked as if the tournament would go ahead without a main sponsor, and they will remain on board as media centre sponsors this year. The global pharmaceuticals business ProStrakan, which is based in Galashiels, also remains a sponsor, following their backing of the club’s academy during the season.

Other clubs across Scotland are hopeful that the SRU’s new support for the abbreviated game may also provide an uplift for their tournaments.

Gala have announced a new pool format for their event which kicks off the Borders spring circuit the week previous to Melrose and the SRU has invited clubs across Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Caledonia rugby regions to contact it if interested in forming a series of tournaments similar to the Borders’ ‘Kings of the Sevens’.

The aim is to use sevens in the same way the IRB is now doing, to stimulate interest in and growth of rugby generally.