The original Edinburgh District team played the first ever inter-district match against Glasgow District in 1872, winning the match 3–0.
The amateur district team was reformed with professionalism, as Edinburgh Rugby, in 1996 to compete in the Heineken Cup, its best performance coming in the 2011–12 season, when the club reached the semi-final but lost out narrowly to Ulster, 22–19. The quarter-final tie against Toulouse attracted a club record crowd of over 38,000 spectators to Murrayfield. In 2003–04 Edinburgh became the first Scottish team to reach the quarter-finals.[2][3][4]
Following the introduction of professional rugby in 1995, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) considered that Scottish club sides would not be able to compete against the best teams from France and England. The SRU therefore decided that the four district teams were to be Scotland's vehicle for professional rugby and in 1996 the Edinburgh District team was reformed as Edinburgh Rugby to compete in the Heineken Cup. Because of the SRU's significant debt, partly as a result of the redevelopment of Murrayfield Stadium, further reorganisation soon became necessary and the four professional sides were reduced to two. After two seasons as Edinburgh Rugby, the club was subsequently merged with Border Reivers to form a new team known as Edinburgh Reivers.
For the 1999 and 2000 seasons the Scottish Rugby Union and Welsh Rugby Union joined forces, with the expansion of the Welsh Premier Division to include Edinburgh Reivers and Glasgow Caledonians, under the name Welsh-Scottish League. However, further change was imminent and in 2001 an agreement was made between the Irish Rugby Football Union, Scottish Rugby Union and Welsh Rugby Union to create a new competition which would bring in the four Irish provinces. 2001 saw the first incarnation of the Celtic League. In that inaugural season Edinburgh finished in sixth place.
The following season, to coincide with the re-establishment of the Border Reivers, a Scottish League competition modelled on the Tri-Nations was introduced alongside the Celtic League, however this survived for only a single season, Edinburgh becoming the only champions.
Following the reduction of Scotland's professional structure from four to two sides, a further rebranding took place. The Edinburgh Reivers name was replaced by Edinburgh Rugby, with the Glasgow Caledonians undergoing a similar renaming process, as part of a "major revamp"[6] of the professional structure in Scotland.
In the 2003–04 season the team found some success, when it reached the Final of the inaugural Celtic Cup, beating Cardiff Blues and Connacht en route in the quarter-finals[7] and semi-finals[8] respectively. The team's good run came to an end in the Final, however, with a 21–27 loss to Ulster, at Murrayfield. David Humphreys kicked 17 points in the match to earn the Irish province the trophy[9]
For the 2005–06 season, the Edinburgh team found itself looking for a new coach after the departure of Frank Hadden to coach Scotland.[10]Sean Lineen, then Glasgow Warriors assistant coach, was linked with the post[11] before Todd Blackadder acquired the position for the season[12] after a spell as interim coach.[13] During the same season the team nickname was incorporated into the official name, which became the Edinburgh Gunners. The "Gunners" moniker was dropped on 29 September 2006, after the club had become Scottish rugby's first private franchise during the summer. The team name reverted to Edinburgh Rugby. One reason for the change was that the name The Gunners was already a registered Trademark of Arsenal Football Club.[5] Another reason was the wish of the new owners for a re-branding, including a different name and the introduction of a new logo.
In 2006, it was announced that from the end of the 2005–06 season, Edinburgh would become a franchise. Finance would come from a private company headed by businessmen Alex and Bob Carruthers.[14] This was thought to be a saving grace for Border Reivers. The team was thought to be the favourite to be folded, after the Scottish Rugby Union warned that funding problems could force it to scrap one of its Celtic League sides.[15] The SRU was to retain a seat on the new company board and continue to provide development funding and support to the new owners.[14] Following the departure of Todd Blackadder to join the Crusaders coaching setup in Super Rugby, Lynn Howells was appointed as head coach by Edinburgh's new executive chairman, Alex Carruthers.[16]
Funding dispute and return to SRU: 2007
In July 2007, a dispute arose between the Scottish Rugby Union and the owners of the newly franchised Edinburgh team. According to owner Bob Carruthers the SRU owed Edinburgh a six-figure sum which, he said, had not been paid. Carruthers also claimed that SRU had threatened to withdraw funding should Edinburgh continue with legal action relating to the sum.[17] During the dispute, Alex Carruthers resigned along with then managing director Graeme Stirling.[18] The dispute caused much disruption in Scottish rugby at the time, leading to the temporary withdrawal of 12 players from the Scotland squad training for the 2007 Rugby World Cup. This included leading players such as Chris Paterson and Mike Blair[18]
The dispute escalated when, on 9 July 2007, Edinburgh revoked its associate membership of the SRU.[19] This led to doubts about Edinburgh Rugby's ability to fulfil fixtures in the Celtic League and Heineken Cup and, whether or not Edinburgh players were insured for playing at club level. The resignation was withdrawn on 12 July, with Bob Carruthers being quoted as asking to "talk directly to someone" and insisting that the proposed signing of Australia stand-off Stephen Larkham would go ahead.[20] Despite this, the dispute continued, with each party initiating legal action against the other.[21][22] The situation was resolved in August 2007, with the termination of the franchise agreement and the return of Edinburgh to the direct control of the SRU.[23]
Following the return to SRU control, the club coach Lynn Howells was dismissed. The SRU's Head of Player Development was appointed interim coach and Nic Cartwright was appointed as chief executive.[23] Former British and Irish Lions captain Gavin Hastings was subsequently appointed as chairman,[24] stating his "desire and passion to see this game and this club grow". The proposed signing of Stephen Larkham fell through after the SRU was unable to honour the terms of the agreement.[25] This was seen as a disappointment, because the signing had been considered a coup for the beleaguered SRU when it was initially announced.[26]
Following an application process,[27] it was announced on 1 October 2007 that Andy Robinson, the former England head coach, would become the club's new head coach.[28] Edinburgh showed progress under Robinson and performed well at home in the Heineken Cup, posting wins against Leinster[29] and Leicester Tigers[30] and a narrow loss to Toulouse, earning a bonus point.[31] Following disappointing performances by Scotland in the 6 Nations, and Robinson co-coaching Scotland A,[32] there were rumours of Robinson taking a post within the Scotland set-up after helping Edinburgh to climb to 3rd in the Celtic League.[33][34] This progress, however, was counter-pointed by some disappointing results including being shut out by Cardiff Blues at Murrayfield[35] and losing the 1872 Challenge Cup on aggregate to rivals Glasgow Warriors.[36]
On 26 December 2008, a new home record attendance of 12,534 saw the game against Glasgow Warriors.[37] In the 2008–09 season Edinburgh reached their highest position finishing in second place behind Munster.
Andy Robinson left in 2009 to take up the position of head coach of the Scottish national side. Rob Moffat took over at Edinburgh. Michael Bradley was the new manager from 2011 to 2012.
The 2011–12 season saw the introduction of several young players into the squad including début seasons for 21-year-olds Matt Scott and Grant Gilchrist, 19-year-old Harry Leonard and first full seasons for back three players Tom Brown and Lee Jones plus the back row pair Stuart McInally and David Denton. Most of these players would become regular starters for the club and Jones, Brown, Scott, Gilchrist, McInally and Denton were destined for international honours. Domestically the season was not a success, with only 6 league wins out of 22 games, but the 2011–12 Heineken Cup campaign proved to be the most successful in the club's history when it topped Pool 2, including a remarkable home victory against Racing Métro by 48–47[39] and setting up a quarter final against French rugby giants Toulouse by scoring four tries against London Irish. The game against Toulouse in April 2012, was played before a new club record crowd of 38,887 and was closely contested, with Edinburgh holding out for a 19–14 win thanks to an early try from Mike Blair and penalties from captain Greig Laidlaw, setting up a semi-final in Dublin against Ulster. The semi-final was a close match but Ulster triumphed 22–19.
Following increasingly disappointing results and performances in the Pro12 league it was announced in February 2013 that Edinburgh would not be renewing Bradley's contract at the end of the season along with defence coach Billy McGinty. McGinty chose to leave his position with immediate effect with Bradley overseeing the defence until the end of the season. However, in a surprise move just a month later on 6 March 2013 Edinburgh announced that both Bradley and forwards coach Neil Back were being removed with immediate effect and coaches Stevie Scott and Duncan Hodge would take over until the end of the season.
In his final year to early March 2013 the Club lost all six matches in the Heineken Cup and recorded four league victories all season in the Pro12 against Cardiff, Zebre, Connacht and the Ospreys. Edinburgh Rugby accumulated seven losing bonus points in this period highlighting the need for minor adjustments to change the sides fortunes on the pitch.
In the remaining five matches on the season Edinburgh won three, recording victories against Ulster, Zebre and Gwent Dragons to finish the season in 10th place in the Pro12 one place higher than the 2011–12 season.
Solomons' first season at the club was treated largely as a rebuilding period, with several players departing and replacements coming in. The league campaign culminated in an eighth-place finish.[41]
2014–15 saw Edinburgh again finishing eighth, albeit with ten points and three victories more than the previous season. While the pre-season target of a top six finish wasn't achieved, there were other reasons to consider the campaign a success. The first came over the festive period when the team beat Glasgow Warriors over two legs to win the inter-city 1872 Cup for the first time in six seasons. After going down 16–6 in the first encounter at Scotstoun Stadium, the Murrayfield men turned the tables with a 20–8 victory in the return leg, with Tim Visser notching two first-half tries, to bring the trophy back to the capital for the first time since 2009. As the season reached its final stages, Edinburgh's excellent European form took them to within touching distance of more silverware.
Solomons left the club in September 2016 following a poor start to the season. Assistant coach Duncan Hodge was placed in temporary charge, and ultimately held the reins for the remainder of the campaign.[42]
By finishing top of their European Rugby Challenge Cup group (containing the French Top 14 pair Lyon and Bordeaux as well as English Premiership team London Welsh) they progressed to the knockout stage, where they were seeded fifth. They went on to beat fourth seed London Irish 18–23 in the quarter finals at the Madejski Stadium. In the semi-finals they thrashed the Newport Gwent Dragons an impressive 45–16 in front of a home crowd of over 8,000 at Murrayfield, making them the first Scottish team to ever reach a European final. They faced Gloucester in the final at the Twickenham Stoop on the 2 May, losing 19–13.[43]
Under Richard Cockerill: 2017–2021
In February 2017, the club announced the appointment of former Leicester Tigers and Toulon Head Coach Richard Cockerill for the following season.[44] Cockerill led the team to the play-offs of the 2017–18 Pro14 season, the first time the club have qualified for the end-of-season series since its introduction. Their season ended following a tight away defeat to Munster.[45]
In addition, wing Duhan van der Merwe, prop Rory Sutherland, and flanker Hamish Watson have all toured with the British and Irish Lions in South Africa, with each one becoming a Test Lion in the first test match of the series, a 17–22 win for the Lions against the Springboks. However, in July 2021, Cockerill left Edinburgh by mutual consent. Former Scotland captain and Lions scrum-half Mike Blair has been appointed as the head coach for the 2021–22 season, Edinburgh's first in the new United Rugby Championship.
Under Mike Blair: 2021–2023
Following a frustrating season, Edinburgh announced the immediate departure of head coach Richard Cockerill by "mutual consent" in July 2021 with Mike Blair (who was at the time part of the Scotland International set up) announced as the new head coach later that month. Blair's appointment coincided with new signings including Scotland international James Lang, South African Henry Immelman and Argentine utility back Emiliano Boffelli. Blair's appointment also saw the departure of longtime attack coach Duncan Hodge.
Blair's first game in charge was a 10-26 pre-season friendly loss to Newcastle Falcons; their first game in the new Edinburgh Rugby Stadium (since renamed the DAM Health Stadium for sponsorship reasons). Edinburgh made a good start to their first United Rugby Championship campaign and also the European Challenge Cup, where they beat Saracens 18–21 away in the first round.
In February 2023, Blair announced he would step down as head coach at the conclusion of the 2022/23 season [46]
Under Sean Everit
Sean Everitt was recruited in July 2023 as "Senior Coach" to replace Blair for the 2023/24 season. [47]
Stadia
Edinburgh Rugby have played at a number of grounds over the years including Meadowbank Stadium, Meggetland Sports Complex and most recently Myreside. It was recognised over the years by fans and players alike that Edinburgh have lacked a true Home Ground with BT Murrayfield often criticised for providing a poor atmosphere due to being largely empty for most games.
On 31 May 2018, Edinburgh Rugby announced a new proposed 7,800-seater Edinburgh Rugby Stadium to be built on the training pitches at Murrayfield. The stadium cost Scottish Rugby an estimated £5million.[48] The stadium was completed on 16 February 2021.[49]
In December 2023, Edinburgh launched a women's team to compete in the Celtic Challenge, a cross-border competition that is designed to develop players for the Celtic nations, starting in the 2023–24 season.[50][51][52]
Plain background indicates teams that earn a place in the 2024–25 European Challenge Cup. Q: qualified for play-offs.H: home field advantage secured for quarter-and semi-final. h; home field advantage secured for quarter-finalX: cannot reach play-offs.E: qualified for Champions Cup.
(cc) denotes the team co-captains, Bold denotes internationally capped players. * denotes players qualified to play for Scotland on residency or dual nationality. ST denotes a short-term signing. L denotes a player on loan at the club. Players and their allocated positions from the Edinburgh Rugby website.[57]
(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players. * denotes players qualified to play for Scotland on residency or dual nationality. ST denotes a short-term signing. Players and their allocated positions from the Edinburgh Rugby website.[58][59]
The East leagues cover the Edinburgh & District and the Scottish Borders area. They play at a level below that of the National Leagues structure. Winners of the league may progress to the National League.
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. Now marketed as Scottish Rugby, it is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873. The SRU oversees the national league system, known as the Scottish League Championship, and the Scottish National teams. The SRU is headed by the President and Chairman, with Mark Dodson acting as the Chief Executive Officer. Dee Bradbury became the first female president of a Tier 1 rugby nation upon her appointment on 4 August 2018.
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.
Border Reivers, originally known as "Scottish Borders Rugby", and also known as The Borders, were one of four professional rugby union teams in Scotland, alongside Edinburgh, Caledonia Reds and Glasgow Warriors.
Glasgow Warriors are a professional rugby union side from Scotland. The team plays in the United Rugby Championship league and in the European Professional Club Rugby tournaments. In the 2014–15 season they won the Pro12 title and became the first Scottish team to win a major trophy in rugby union's professional era. The side is known for its fast, dynamic and attacking style of play, using offloads and quick rucks. Defensively the club prides itself on its 'Fortress Scotstoun' where the club play at home.
Murrayfield Stadium is a rugby union stadium located in the Murrayfield area of Edinburgh, Scotland. The stadium is owned by the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) who has its headquarters based at the stadium, and is the national stadium of the Scotland national rugby union team. With a seating capacity of 67,144, it is the largest stadium in Scotland, the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, and the twenty–second largest in Europe.
Daniel Arthur Parks is a professional rugby union coach and former player who played as a fly-half.
The South of Scotland District is a Scottish amateur rugby union team which plays in the amateur Scottish Inter-District Championship. It draws its players from the South of Scotland, mainly the Scottish Borders where there has always been a proud tradition of rugby union. Historically the South team played matches against touring teams visiting Scotland from abroad, and also competed in the Scottish Inter-District Championship. After rugby union became a professional sport in 1995, the team was replaced in 1996 by the new Border Reivers team based in the same geographical area as the South and who wore the same colours as the old team.
Rugby union in Scotland is a popular team sport. Scotland's national side today competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup. The first ever international rugby match was played on 27 March 1871, at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh, when Scotland defeated England in front of 4,000 people. Professional clubs compete in the United Rugby Championship, European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup, while the Scottish League Championship exists for over 200 amateur and semi-professional clubs, as does a knock-out competition, the Scottish Cup. The governing body, the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), is one of the ten first-tier member nations of World Rugby.
The 2006–07 Celtic League was the sixth Celtic League season and the first with Magners as title sponsor. The season commenced on 1 September and was completed on 12 May.
Tim Visser is a Dutch rugby union player, who played as a winger for the Scotland national team and for English club Harlequins.
The 2007–08 Celtic League was the seventh Celtic League season and the second with Magners as title sponsor. The season began on 31 August 2007 and finished on the weekend beginning 10 May 2008. Some disruption to fixtures occurred as a result of the 2007 Rugby World Cup, which took place during September and October 2007.
Caledonia Reds were a Scottish rugby union team. They participated in two seasons of the Heineken Cup. They evolved from one of the traditional four amateur districts of Scotland, North and Midlands, in 1996.
Rugby union in Scotland in its modern form has existed since the mid-19th century. Scotland has one of the oldest rugby union traditions and has introduced various innovations including rugby sevens.
The 2011–12 Pro12 League was the 11th season of the rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, the second with its current 12-team format, and also the first with RaboDirect as title sponsor.
The 1872 Cup – also known as the 1872 Challenge Cup – is a men's rugby union tournament contested every year between the two Scottish professional clubs, Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby.
The 1996–97 season was the first in the history of the Glasgow Warriors as a professional side. The Warriors rugby union provincial side was created by turning the amateur provincial side Glasgow District into a professional outfit. During this season, the newly professional side competed as Glasgow Rugby.
The Scottish Inter-District Championship is a rugby union competition between regional sides in Scotland. Established in 1953, the tournament went through several formats.
The 1998–99 season is the third in the history of the Glasgow Warriors as a professional side. During this season the young professional side competed as Glasgow Caledonians.
The Welsh–Scottish League was a rugby union league in Scotland and Wales jointly implemented by the Scottish Rugby Union and the Welsh Rugby Union from the 1999–2000 season onwards. It was a precursor to the Celtic League and lasted three seasons, being disbanded after the Celtic League was set up.
The 2007–08 Ulster Rugby season was Ulster's 14th season since the advent of professionalism in rugby union, and their fourth under head coach Mark McCall. They competed in the Heineken Cup and the Celtic League
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