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Rugby: Edinburgh to play Quins at Myreside

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Published Date: 01 July 2009
By BILL LOTHIAN
EDINBURGH Rugby will break new ground with a friendly against Guinness Premiership runners-up Harlequins to launch the new season. And, as revealed in the Evening News, Edinburgh will take the fixture, on Saturday 22 August at 3.00pm, to a Premiership ground – the Myreside home of Watsonians.
International back-row forward Ally Hogg believes the friendly against Quins, who have qualified for the Heineken European Cup and whose stars include England and Lions winger Ugo Monye, will be ideal preparation for Edinburgh as they bid to go on
e better than the runners-up spot they achieved in the Magners League last season.

Hogg said: "We are looking forward to playing Harlequins.

They throw the ball about like we do and it should be an entertaining game for the supporters.

"In terms of preparation, I'm sure it will stand us in good stead for the season ahead and help us to see where we are in terms of overall sharpness and fitness levels."

Last season, Edinburgh kicked off with a friendly victory over then English champions Wasps in front of 4,250 at Murrayfield and, this time around, they could be parading their talents for the first time in front of a new coach.

Edinburgh's vice captain believes that glamour warm-up matches against high-profile opposition are beneficial to the growth of the club.

He added: "I didn't play in the friendly against Wasps last season, but it was a good spectacle for the fans.

"We've put in some hard work in pre-season and everything is building up towards the start of the new campaign. Hopefully, with a new head coach on board, we can improve on what we achieved last season."

The Harlequins game could potentially be the first opportunity for Edinburgh supporters to see summer signings, Ross Samson, Steve Jones, David Young and Tim Visser in action.

Ticket prices will be £20 for adults (£15 if pre-purchased); concessions (students and senior citizens) £10, and Juniors (under-18) £5. Season Ticket holders can get free admission to the match.

Edinburgh will also face Newcastle Falcons in a warm-up match away at Kingston Park on Friday, 28 August (kick-off 7.45pm) before the start of the Magners League season.



The full article contains 381 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 01 July 2009 11:13 AM
  • Source: Edinburgh Evening News
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh rugby
 
1

jdships,

Edinburgh 01/07/2009 12:10:59
" Ticket prices will be £20 for adults (£15 if pre-purchased "

That price for a "friendly" !!!
I know the SRU are short of cash - but !
Certainly won't be for me !!
2

Fat one,

Edinburgh 01/07/2009 12:31:10
What a joke, who wants to pay £10 to see Edinburgh, I have turned down more free tickets to see Edinburgh than I can remember!
3

JT,

01/07/2009 12:44:25
I have a season ticket and was hoping to go along with a friend up here on holiday but at £20 for her ticket -stuff that! Thats really stupid of the SRU but we really shouldnt be that surprised. Im sure that a couple of years ago when we played Tonga (International team) prior to the world cup we werent charged at all! This is not how to incourage new fans to Edinburgh or Scotland Rugby.
4

Alistair Macintosh,

01/07/2009 12:58:53
The good decision: Not playing at Murrayfield. Get some atmosphere for a change.

The bad decision: Killing the crowd size with £20 entry.

Usual SRU, one step forwards, two steps back.
5

AlastairS,

01/07/2009 13:01:06
Instead of complaining I suggest you all get season tickets which are very good value.
6

Grass Roots Rugby,

Edinburgh 01/07/2009 13:29:48
Hopefully this is the start of the SRU recognising that Murrayfield is not appropriate for Edinburgh matches.

These should all be played at Goldenacre or Myreside where atmosphere can be generated.

Despite the price, I'm going to vote with my feet and go along to this match.
7

The Borderer,

01/07/2009 14:27:23
Why do people continually feel they should tell others to go and buy season tickets! I'm not an Edinburgh fan so why should I be told to be a season member, its the same with people saying vote with your feet!
I would have liked to go to the friendly but will not be stumping up £20, its complete greed by the SRU! £5tops with £2 into the stand or something along those lines.
8

Monstro,

01/07/2009 15:56:08
Christ what a bunch of dour negative ninnies. £15 to watch Edinburgh play one of the top GP sides, come on, its not that bad, Heriots et all charge £10 on a Saturday to watch their utter dross on show, not umpteen full internationals and a couple of Lions!! Bet the reverse fixture would cost just as much!!!
Then of course you will be complaining why Scottish Rugby is never a success, typical! The team don't set the ticket prices and are deserving of more.

I agree that we need to get out of Murrayfield pronto, but there is no easy solution at present?

#2 Your various comments point to you not even being Scots and your knowledge of the game is questionable, so why would you go see Edinburgh?


9

JBA,

01/07/2009 18:28:16
Seems no one wants to go to Myreside. Switch the game down to Netherdale, probably get a bigger crowd. The SRU have the pitch in tip top condition. Oh I forgot the big bairn McKie wont let them.
10

jdships,

Edinburgh 01/07/2009 19:58:29
8 Monstro,

The walk up price is £20
You talk about other peoples knowledge of the game!
Have you ever played in a pre saeson "friendly" ?
I have played in Scotland, New Zealand and Australia and can assure you no one ever was "breaking a leg" for a win in a friendly : neither will they be in this game.
As to who we watch that has nothing to do with success/failure of a Scottish team it is simply an individuals choice and for me it is club rugby not a "manufactured" pro team .
Have no problem likewise with my pals who follow Edinburgh - that is their choice !!
11

Blind Pew,

01/07/2009 20:36:06
Monstro I agree, by the time in the season that this game gets going it will be around 75% in intensity and should be a good fixture for the price.

#10 being pedantic about price is hardly enforcing knowledge of the game! You may have played amateur pre-season, but pro games are designed to intensify as they go, as will this game? Pro rugby is here to stay, support it better and the whole of Scottish rugby will benefit. But no, keep your moaning blinkers on and pay £10 to watch Premiership clubs look after number one. If pro rugby had been in their hands god help us and your supportive comments just reinforce this!
12

Colt,

01/07/2009 23:32:45
Monstro/Blind Pew - your attitude is exactly that of the SRU namely that people should feel obliged to support their teams. The experiment has failed so badly that after more than 10 years trying that approach the teams get 3000 people on average. The connection with the clubs is shot but this is blamed on those terrible clubs who are providing an environment for thousands of kids, adults and even spectators to enjoy this wonderful game. Just maybe it is the pro team approach that is the problem.

Pro rugby has been such an incredible failure in Scotland it beggars belief. It is a product and in Scotland it is a product people don't want. It costs more now to run the pro teams than it did in 2005 when there were 3 of them. That is after TV, sponsorship deals, ticket sales etc so how exactly is the product working? Things are getting worse.

Maybe some clubs have something more than the rugby on the field, and if so SRU should sit down and try to work out how to create that or piggyback on it but don't hold your breath, blind arrogance will not let them.

And as for having to justify opinions based on nationality and/or knowledge of the game, jdships you should not feel you have to state your case in those terms. Apparently spectators or supporters need to justify their views in order for their comments to be valued yet ticket prices are the divine right of the SRU to set and we should accept that unquestioningly.

Don't tell me I have to or should support anyone. Rugby is now a commercial world and I will buy the product that I think is best value not the one where someone tells me I should be going.
13

jdships,

Edinburgh 01/07/2009 23:39:51
11 Blind Pew

You say " being pedantic about price is hardly enforcing knowledge of the game!"
Where did I mention price having anything to do with knowledge of the game ?
Of course "pro" rugby is here to stay that goes wwithout saying.
My point is Scottish pro teams are "manufactured".
Players are told which team they will play for .
They are not "Clubs" as in England/Wales/France
Please don't be so arrogant . If I choose to follow club rugby that is my choice I don't criticise anyone who pays to see Edinburgh as that is their choice .
As it happens I have a relative who plays pro rugby in Premier League 1 in England and he certainly agrees re the "breaking a leg" in pre season friendly's
14

jdships,

Edinburgh 01/07/2009 23:47:38
12 Colt

Thank you for a common sense post !!!!
I agree totally with every word you have written.
Rugby Union is the greatest game in the world and I look back with great pleasure on the fact I was able to play the game for over thirty years during which time I made/kept friends from all over the world.
Never played at the highest level but did get the odd run out with the Coptimists and Scottish Wayfarers
That is what club rugby is about for 99% of those who play the game - pleasure/friendship.
15

DesW,

02/07/2009 07:50:59
Two points here,

The Welsh clubs ARE manufactured as they are the product of amalgamating real club sides.

£15 is great value for a pro team match, is it not about time we laid the ghost to rest on the pro team issue? Where did all the money go in the amateur game BTW, the money raised from the Melrose 7's certainly didn't get shared amongst the union? We need to move on and not live in the past.....
16

The Borderer,

02/07/2009 08:07:00
DesW £15 isn't bad for a competative match but for a friendly its a bit steep in my opinion!

Can you explain your comments of the Melrose 7's money? The SRU have virtually no involvement in it and Melrose use the income to fund the club through the season!
17

Monstro,

02/07/2009 08:11:47
That is the whole point, nobody disputes the benefit's of the club game, I have been a club man for 30 years, but the pro game could not have been run by our premiership clubs, they only care about themselves full stop. How many premiership players learned their trade from early years at other junior clubs and how much have they ever fed back???

We need to move on and if we want SCOTTISH rugby to succeed then we need to support our pro teams! Edinburgh has more of a potential for a club atmosphere than many, being and 'exisiting' team with a long and proud history not say a NG Dragons, but it needs to be embraced.

18

TomS,

Bristol 02/07/2009 08:24:52
Rather astonished to hear an asking price of 20 quid for a pre-season match. We should be encouraging families and groups to go en bloc to support Edinburgh but this could be £100 for mum dad and the kids. Good marketing principles suggest that you should be "capturing" your clientele with a few loss-leaders. Get them in by hook or by crook on a nice summers evening, then they might just get sufficiently hooked to freeze their backsides off at the usual Murrayfield Friday night. I thought that one of (the only?) positive attribute about McKie was that he a was a good business man. Not much evidence of that here I am afraid.
And why, a few weeks away from their first matches have Edinburgh not yet appointed a coach? It all seems a bit professional in name but amateur in execution.
19

royco,

02/07/2009 14:47:26
The Pro teams need to earn their corn and the idea of getting in free is a non-starter.

£10-12 for the stand, £5-6 for the terraces would be about right for a pre-season friendly if we want to encourage people to come along. (Which we DO!). £20 is well over the top and will put many off. Pricing is a key element of marketing, a body of knowledge and disciplines that the SRU unfortunately just does not have a clue about.

 

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