A few years ago, I was fortunate to spend a glorious month traveling around the picturesque Scotland, courtesy of Rotary International’s Group Study Exchange Programme.
As I was a sports administrator at the time, I was treated to the behind-the-scenes goings-on at world-famous sports venues such as The Links at St. Andrews’ Old Course, Turnberry Golf Course, Glasgow Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium as well as the home of Scottish football (Hamden Park) and Scottish rugby, the impressive Murrayfield Stadium.
Sevens legends Cecil Afrika & Fabian Juries getting to grips with Scottish culture in Edinburgh
During my month-long Scottish sojourn, I also had my fair share of sailing the Firth of Clyde, some of the finest Scottish single malts and was even introduced to the sport of curling.
I have to admit that I have had a singular love-affair with Scotland since then and, if the Chinese proverb is to be believed, it came as no surprise that I developed a pre-occupation with the sport given to the world by the Scottish town of Melrose:
Rugby Sevens.
The International Rugby Board (IRB) this week announced that Glasgow will host the penultimate round of the HSBC Sevens World Series. The announcement sees the tournament move from Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium to Glasgow’s Scotstoun Stadium for the penultimate round of the Series on May 5-6, 2012.
The move of the event from Edinburgh comes as the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) looks to continue to grow Rugby throughout the country, using the world-renowned festival atmosphere of Sevens to reach out to new Rugby fans from the Glasgow area and beyond.
IRB Vice Chairman Bill Beaumont, who was in Glasgow for the announcement, said that Glasgow was perfectly positioned to grow the appeal and popularity of Sevens in the country that invented the sport.
“Scotland is the home of Sevens and today’s announcement represents a further boost for the sport as we count down to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and Rugby’s return to the Olympic Games stage in Rio in 2016,” said Beaumont.
“We are confident that the Scottish Rugby Union’s vision and dedication to deliver an outstanding HSBC Sevens World Series event in Glasgow will be rewarded with a tournament that that the city, the Union and the global Rugby family will be proud of.”
Sevens fans will agree with me that, Edinburgh or Glasgow, the Scottish-leg of the HSBC Sevens World Sevens will continue the proud Scottish tradition of not only being the founders of the game, but of hosting one of the best and biggest Sevens festivals on the circuit.
The Scotland-leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series takes place at the Scotstoun Stadium between 5-6 May 2012.
See you in Glasgow next year… or as they say on the Cape Flats:
Stiek yt, jou bang ding!
For the latest Sevens news, add @BlitzBokke on Twitter
19/12/2011 at 9:34 PM
Great to hear my home town of Glasgow is getting the Scottish leg of the IRB sevens!! You Bokke who are going there will have a treat!!…don’t go expecting sunshine in the sky, but my fellow Glaswegians if nothing else will give you a great welcome…funny, friendly people. A few bits of Glaswegianese to help you understand English, Glasgow style
‘Awrite?’ …..A form of initial greeting loosely translated as ‘Are you alright?’ sometimes enhanced to
‘Y’awrite Big Yin?’ A ‘Big Yin’ is anyone over 1.5 metres tall and is a term of endearment
‘Lendus a tenner’ – request for a ten pound note, interest free, never to be returned…request should be ignored
‘Lendus a fiver’ – diminuative of lendus a tenner
‘Hauf ana hauf’ often heard in a hostelry – ‘half pint of beer and a whiskey
chaser
‘Where ur you fae?’ – which country are you from
If you tell them you are from South Africa some of the locals may inform you they have relatives there and ask if you know them – eg
‘Ma uncle emigrated tae Johannesburg. He’s a plumber, dae ye ken him’ His name is most probably not ken; that is a shortened form of ‘know’
Any Bokke need help in translations or help with local Glasgow culture, get in touch. Awrite?
20/12/2011 at 10:24 PM
Thanks for the reply and kind offer Stuart. I’ll let the Boys know…