What's New

• 29 March 2010

  Melrose Sevens 2010 to Launch on YouTube

  

  The Gibraltar Asset Management Melrose Sevens is being officially ‘launched’ this week on YouTube, underlining how the digital age is transforming club rugby.

  The one-minute clip, written and performed by Borders-based poet Ian W Landles, was created to develop the tournament’s on-line reach using a new channel.

  The home of rugby sevens is also hoping that its Facebook site will provide a platform to help promote the Scottish Borders to the rest of the UK and the world.

  Melrose rugby club now has some 4,000 friends signed up to its Facebook page from the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Russia, Hungary, Tonga, Korea, Samoa, France, South Africa, the USA, Canada, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Turkey – even as far as Alaska and the Dominican Republic.

  Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said:  “Social media has, in recent years, become one of the most powerful tools for driving events and we have seen a huge increase in the number of events using social media to speak to their followers and to allow their fans to speak to each other.  It’s a great way of connecting people with similar interests and passions and can, when used correctly, help to promote an event globally and at very little cost.

  “The Melrose Sevens is a prime example of an event which has really harnessed the power of social media to raise its profile and also the profile of 7’s rugby, of Melrose and the Scottish Borders to an audience around the world.  This year’s event looks set to be a huge success once again.” 

  Category: National Events
• 29 March 2010

  Glasgow Bids to be Crowned the Ultimate Sports City

  

  Glasgow has been named alongside the likes of London, New York, Sydney and Vancouver as one of the world’s top-25 sporting destinations.

  SportBusiness, the world's leading supplier of information, media and marketing services to the sports industry, announced the shortlist of cities which will compete for the Ultimate Sports City of 2010 award, with Glasgow selected for the first time.

  Reigning champion Melbourne, which also won the award in 2006, is expected to be challenged by the likes of London, Moscow, Sydney and Beijing. However, the judging is split into cities by population size, giving Glasgow a chance against the likes of Doha, Lausanne, Valencia, Vancouver, Manchester and Monte Carlo – all of which have less than one million inhabitants.

  The shortlist was comprised by analysing the locations of over 2,000 sports events and federations globally between 2006 and 2014 and awarding points according to the importance of the event or federation.

  The final results will be announced at the SportAccord Convention in Dubai next month where the prize of Ultimate Sports City 2010 will be presented to the winning city.

  Category: Industry News
• 25 March 2010

  Edinburgh 7s announce the perfect partnership

  

  As Scotland prepare for the Hong Kong Sevens this weekend (the sixth in the eight-leg IRB World Sevens Series), the Series finale, the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s, has announced the perfect partnership with Scottish rugby's most famous half-back pairing.

  Borders sevens exponents Roy Laidlaw and John Rutherford joined forces in 35 tests for Scotland - which at the time was a world record for any international half-back pairing - and have now teamed up with the international sevens weekend as the build up for the two-day tournament began in earnest.

  Laidlaw, who was the Scotland sevens team manager during the 2002 Commonwealth Games, said: "Growing up in the Borders sevens was always in important part of your rugby but when I was involved with the national sevens team I really had my eyes opened to what was happening around the world.

  "There's a real party atmosphere so groups of friends and families can come along and have good time while on the pitch there's a real, international-standard competition."

  Against a backdrop of carnival carousing, the eight-leg Series comes to a climax at the birth-place of rugby sevens, Scotland, on 29 and 30 May where 16 countries from around the world compete over two-days at Murrayfield Stadium.

  Rutherford added: "It's party time and that's the way it should be - it should be a celebration and is fantastic for Scotland to get the last leg in the Series.

  "I'm a big fan of sevens and the IRB Series, it's a terrific spectator sport. I think that anyone who comes along will be blown away by the athletisism and physicalty of these sevens players."

  Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer at EventScotland, the national events agency, said: "Last year the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival attracted thousands of rugby fans to the city and generated more than £3 million for the Scottish economy. This year, we are expecting the event to be just as successful as rugby fans from across the UK flock to the city to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy this festival of rugby.

  "Edinburgh has an unrivalled reputation as a destination for sport and the Edinburgh Sevens Festival is part of an impressive line up of rugby events taking place throughout the coming months. We look forward to welcoming the fans."

  Category: International Events