SRU spreads word as world series moves to Glasgow

SEVENS rugby is to be used by the SRU in the same way it is by the IRB to spread the rugby gospel with confirmation that the HSBC Sevens World Series is to be moved from Edinburgh to Glasgow.

The world series first came to Scotland in 2007, when the SRU controversially decided to switch plans for the series to finish at Melrose, the home and inventor of sevens, to Murrayfield. The capital has hosted the tournament for the past five years, but it has been a major struggle to grow the daily crowds into five figures in the 67,000 bowl and has incurred significant losses.

After much positive work with Glasgow City Council over the past two years to develop rugby, the SRU confirmed yesterday that, following the decision to move Glasgow Warriors out of Firhill and to Scotstoun next summer, they will also move the sevens showpiece to the refurbished west-end sports venue for two years from 5/6 May 2012.

Temporary stands will be erected to swell the capacity to over 15,000 and, under the new SRU leadership, there will be a major drive to improve the customer experience, with live entertainment and a programme of rugby development throughout schools and clubs in the west.

Former England captain Bill Beaumont, now the IRB vice-chairman, latched on to the new message the SRU and Scottish Government are working hard to cultivate, that Scotland is the ‘home of sevens’, and insisted that the shift to Glasgow would help the global push of rugby in the lead-up to both the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland’s largest city and the Rio Olympics 2016.

The SRU President Ian McLauchlan was pleased to welcome the sevens bandwagon to his home city, the former Jordanhill prop insisting that it would increase the potential to inject fresh excitement in rugby in an area dominated by two football teams.

“When the HSBC Sevens World Series comes to Glasgow it will be an incredible atmosphere,” he said, “a festival atmosphere, and we plan on putting on a party for this city in conjunction with our partners in Glasgow. There will be world-class players here but the crowd makes the sevens. We want everyone in Glasgow to be part of this party, whether you’re a die-hard rugby supporter or just curious about what all the fuss is about. What you will see is an exhibition of world-class rugby that few places in the world get to enjoy.

“I’d also like to thank all our partners, especially the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, for securing this event in Glasgow. I know we will all be working flat out to put on a real show in the coming years.” The political dimension has been significant and the enthusiasm shown by Glasgow City Council, with crucial support from Sportscotland and Eventscotland, is at the heart of the move with a continued drive in rugby development, playing numbers and supporters across the west of Scotland the end-goal for the SRU.

Tickets went on sale yesterday at the early-bird price of £10 – half for concessions - until the end of the RBS Six Nations (17 March). More info: www.glasgow7s.com and on Twitter @Glasgow7s.