Scotland 7s internationalists gathered at the Omni centre at the top of Edinburgh's Leith Walk today to kick-off the countdown to the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s (the final leg of the IRB World Sevens Series) which starts at Murrayfield at the end of May.

A huge 60-foot visual is printed across the Omni Centre and pictures a massive sevens ball smashing through the glass front to encapsulate the high octane action.

2 days! 16 Nations! 44 Matches! One great weekend!

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

Scotland 7s top try-scorer, Andrew Turnbull, said: "The Edinburgh 7s is a great opportunity to mix the elite game with a weekend-long party that takes over the stadium and all of the Murrayfield back-pitches.

"There's a great buzz around the ground and hopefully a big crowd can push us on to success in the tournament."

Fancy dress is often the order of the day as thousands of merry-makers from worldwide enjoy the international event, complemented by a massive club rugby tournament on both days, meaning the whole stadium grounds, inside and out, are taken over by sevens hysteria in the summer sunshine.

Scotland will open their Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s account against Wellington winners Fiji before taking on Adelaide finalists USA and world champions Wales on day one of the sevens (Saturday 28 May).

Currently placed third in the Series, defending Edinburgh 7s champions Fiji provide a fantastic start to Scotland 7s' Pool D action on Saturday 29 May as Scotland bid to continue the run of consecutive successes on British soil over the south-sea islanders - having beaten them 19-14 at Murrayfield in 2008, and 12-7 in London in 2009.

Tickets for the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s are available now for just £15 for adults (advance purchase offer), £10 for students and £5 for under-18s at www.edinburgh7s.com and the 24-hour ticket hotline (0844 335 3933) - tickets are also available on the day.

EMIRATES AIRLINE EDINBURGH SEVENS POOLS

SCOTLAND’S DAY-ONE SCHEDULE (the full fixture schedule is available on www.edinburgh7s.com)
Fiji v Scotland (kick-off 12.09pm)
USA v Scotland (kick-off 3.13pm)
Wales v Scotland (7.01pm)

The Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s is the eighth and final leg of the IRB Sevens World Series. It will be held at Murrayfield on 29 and 30 May 2010.
Tickets are available at www.edinburgh7s.com by calling the 24-hour Ticket Hotline – 0844 335 3933 or in person from the Murrayfield Ticket Centre, Gate A, Roseburn Street, Edinburgh (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday).
Rugby Sevens will be one of the showpiece events of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Ticket prices
Adult one day advance ticket - £15 (£20 on the day)
One day student and under-18 - £10 and £5
Senior citizen one day - £10
Family one day advance ticket - £35 (two adults & two children)
All tickets are ANY DAY tickets – valid for either day of the event
Tickets for the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s are available to buy on match day

SCOTTISH RUGBY has worked extensively with event partners EventScotland and the City of Edinburgh Council, to fully promote the world-class events coming to Murrayfield and ensure that everybody attending knows what Edinburgh as a city has to offer both the resident and the visitor.
 
EventScotland - www.eventscotland.org
EventScotland is working to make Scotland one of the world’s leading event destinations. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors.

City of Edinburgh Council - www.edinburgh.gov.uk
A capital like no other – 450,000 people. One city. Countless opportunities.
Edinburgh is known across the world as Scotland’s festival capital, business capital, and culture capital. The city is home to the Scottish Parliament and some of the most iconic landmarks on the planet. Nearly half a million people call the city home, and we serve each and every one of them, making sure the city is a great place to live, work and enjoy.
Edinburgh is a unique city, a vibrant city, a growing city, an evolving city. It’s a city that’s at the heart of Europe and the heart of a nation.