Edinburgh to take on McGeechan's Wasps

EDINBURGH Rugby will kick off the new season at home to star-studded London Wasps in a glamour friendly.

The clash, at Murrayfield on Saturday, August 23, comes at the end of a busy week of cross-border sporting relations with Scotland and England's cricketers meeting at Raeburn Place on the preceding Monday.

Following what is sure to be a stern examination by former European champions Wasps, the Capital outfit will then head for coach Andy Robinson's former club, Bath, for a friendly on Friday, August 29.

An encounter with Wasps, whose coaches, Ian McGeechan and Shaun Edwards, are expected to be named today as mentors to the 2009 British and Irish Lions, will evoke memories of one of Edinburgh's most celebrated European Cup victories.

Back in 2005, Edinburgh edged out the Londoners 32-31 with a late try from Simon Webster.

Currently Wasps lie second in the Guinness Premiership heading into this weekend's play-offs while they have seven players included in the England squad bound shortly for New Zealand including Tom Palmer, who was educated at Boroughmuir and played for Edinburgh Schools.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh Rugby's stunning end to the Magners Celtic League campaign, culminating in successive away wins over Welsh opposition, is being reflected in a mass uptake of season ticket renewals.

Less than a week into the summer break more than 60 per cent of last year's sales have already been achieved, according to bosses.

The Capital outfit, who enjoyed a best-ever fourth-placed finish in the table, had 1020 season ticket holders in 2007-08 but according to chief executive Nic Cartwright sales are set to boom.

Cartwright said: "We have been really pleased with the level of sales achieved to date.

"We have a summer full of work and ideas ahead and we will be looking to encourage as many people as possible to sign up to our club as we build for the new season, but to have over 650 already signed up after only a week was beyond our expectation."

One player set to return is 32-year-old second row Ben Gissing who summed up the successes at the end of a season which saw him miss only one match.

"The attention to detail has probably made the biggest difference to our results. It was really good to finish with a win and everyone is really excited about what we can achieve next year."