Rugby sevens internationalists from around the world were welcomed at a reception fit for a king in the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle this evening (27 May).
 
Representatives from each of the sixteen international sevens teams playing in this weekend’s Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival were given an official welcome at Edinburgh Castle from Sports Minister Shona Robison, alongside tournament ambassador and 1984 grand-slam hero Jim Calder.

Supporters are encouraged to take advantage of the ADVANCE purchase ticket offer which includes a £35 family ticket offer for two adults and two children (£15 saving per day!)

Scotland 7s with Shona Robison MSP

Canada 7s coach, Shane Thompson, said: “Coming to Edinburgh is great. I love this city and our team enjoys being here.
 
“With the history here it's so unique and being in this room tonight makes you realise how far back Scottish history goes.
 
“Being from Canada, I guess we're still a young country compared to Scotland. There aren't too many castles in Canada so it's pretty cool to be up here.
 
“The artefacts and paintings on the wall, and the incredible drive up here make it all very unique and pretty exciting.”
 
Calder added: “It was an honour to be invited by Scotland's Minister for Public Health and Sport, Shona Robison MSP, to host the welcome reception for the 16 teams competing in the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival.
 
"The castle is an imposing landmark in Edinburgh and a true symbol of Scotland. It was great to see the reaction of our visitors for the weekend's event as they enjoyed one of the castle's great rooms, as well as a fitting parade of the pipes and drums.
 
“I think if Ned Haig [the creator of rugby sevens] were here today to see all of these quality international sides back in Edinburgh for the climax of a global series he would be a very proud man indeed.”
 
Sports Minister Shona Robison added: “I am looking forward to seeing some fantastic sevens rugby this weekend at Murrayfield and would like to wish everyone taking part the very best of luck. I especially hope the Scotland side can continue their impressive end of season form in front of a home crowd. It is fitting that the last event in this year’s IRB Sevens series will be played here in Scotland, where sevens began.
 
“Hosting events like the IRB Sevens shows the rest of the world all we have to offer and, in this year of Homecoming, will hopefully attract more sporting events to this country in the future. Looking ahead to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, where sevens will feature, Scottish sport has much to be excited about.
 
“This Government recognises the importance of encouraging Scots to participate in sport and physical activity. Governing bodies like the SRU are vital in this process. The SRU has put in place ambitious targets to increase participation and I am delighted that we have a close positive working relationship with Scottish rugby to support them in offering more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to take part in rugby.”

Scotland 7s squad to compete at the final tournament in the IRB Sevens World Series in Edinburgh (30 and 31 May): Scott Forrest (Ayr)* CAPTAIN, Mike Adamson (Glasgow Warriors), Roddy Grant (West of Scotland)*, Colin Gregor (Glasgow Warriors), Allister Hogg (Edinburgh), John Houston (Edinburgh), Greig Laidlaw (Edinburgh), Sean Lamont (Northampton), Hefin O’Hare (Glasgow Warriors), Colin Shaw (Glasgow Warriors), Jim Thompson (Edinburgh), Andrew Turnbull (Edinburgh)

* = Member of Scottish Rugby’s Contracted National Academy

Edinburgh Pool C: Kenya, England, Canada, Scotland

Scotland 7s’ Pool C fixtures on day one (Saturday 30 May) of the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival: England v Scotland (kick-off 12.09pm), Kenya v Scotland (3.13pm), Canada v Scotland (6.56pm)

Ticket prices

Adult one day advance ticket - £15 (£20 on the day)
Family one day advance ticket - £35 (two adults & two children) - £50 on the day
Senior one day citizen - £10
One day student and under-18 - £10 and £5

Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival broadcast schedule
A live ten-hour broadcast on day one begins at 9.30am, with coverage on a combination of Sky Sports 1, Sky Sports Xtra and via the interactive service (activated by pressing the red button). 

BBC RADIO SCOTLAND (810MW)
Saturday:  Interviews throughout the day with a round up on the evening’s Sports Report (6.50pm)
Sunday:  1-7pm

RADIO BORDERS

The Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival is the eighth and final leg of the IRB Sevens World Series. It will be held at Murrayfield on 30 and 31 May 2009.
Tickets for each day of the Emirates Airline Edinburgh Sevens Festival - priced at £15 for adults, £10 for students and senior citizens and £5 for under 18s – are available to by logging onto www.scottishrugbytickets.com by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0871 200 1511 (open 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday) or in person from the Murrayfield Ticket Centre, 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.
The Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s is the last major event happening at Murrayfield, the home of Scottish Rugby, in May

Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 May: Rugby League’s Magic Weekend
Sunday 10 May: Scottish Hydro Electric Cup Finals Day
Saturday 23 May: The Heineken Cup Final
Saturday 30 and Sunday 31: Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival

Scottish Rugby has worked extensively with event partners Event Scotland, Visit Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council, to fully promote the world-class events coming to Murrayfield to ensure that everybody attending is fully aware of what Edinburgh as a city has to offer both the resident and the visitor.

Event Scotland - 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.

Visit Scotland – www.visitscotland.com
VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.

The organisation has three key roles:
1. To market Scotland to all parts of the world to attract visitors
2. To provide information – and inspiration – to visitors and potential visitors so they get the best out of a visit to Scotland
3. To provide quality assurance to visitors and quality advice to the industry and partners to help the industry meet and strive to exceed customer expectations

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.
Our picture shows community interaction from last year's Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s Festival.