Featured image credit: Scottish Rugby
Scottish Gas has taken on naming rights to Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium as part of a wide-ranging sponsorship deal with Scottish Rugby.
Scottish Gas will replace telecommunications company BT as the naming-rights sponsor of the 67,000-capacity stadium. BT had sponsored Murrayfield since October 2014.
The stadium will now officially be known as Scottish Gas Murrayfield. The five-year deal will see Scottish Gas work with Scottish Rugby to tackle carbon emissions across the country, starting at Murrayfield and the surrounding area.
The deal with Centrica-owned Scottish Gas will also see Edinburgh Rugby’s home stadium rebranded as Hive Stadium. Hive is a leading smart energy platform and will replace healthcare company DAM Health as the sponsor of the 7,800-capacity stadium, which is located adjacent to Murrayfield. DAM Health had signed a five-year deal for the rights in September 2021.
Scottish Rugby said the deal with Scottish Gas, which will involve more than 130 clubs in all five playing regions of Scotland, could reduce energy consumption by over 50%. A central initiative of the partnership is a £2m (€2.3m/$2.6m) joint investment in the Club & Community Net Zero Fund, with clubs to receive free tailored energy efficiency advice and access grants from the fund to help pay for improvements.
It is hoped Murrayfield will act as a leading example for energy efficiency, with Scottish Gas to provide support and advice to the stadium in order to identify and potentially fund future infrastructure projects.
Scottish Gas will also become the new front-of-shirt sponsor for Scotland’s women’s national team, which plays its home matches at the newly-named Hive Stadium.
Chris O’Shea, chief executive of Centrica, said: “By partnering with Scottish Rugby, we are supporting communities across Scotland to reduce their carbon footprint and save money on their energy bills, supporting the Scottish Government’s net zero ambitions.
“Our Club and Community Net Zero Fund gives clubs a much-needed boost, making rugby greener as a sport and freeing up more resources to develop the grassroots game. We are particularly excited about our partnership with Scotland Women.”
Mark Dodson, chief executive of Scottish Rugby, added: “Scottish Rugby is starting out on an important journey towards becoming even more energy efficient and is ready to take on its responsibility and play its part in the country’s transition to a lower-carbon future.
“This deal is therefore important in both a sporting and societal context. Unquestionably, it helps to futureproof rugby in Scotland for the next generation through significant investment and also the contribution and impact Scottish Gas will be having within our community clubs. Our vision, at the time of cost-of-living challenges for clubs and households, is to provide meaningful support and funding to clubs and communities throughout Scotland.”
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