This investment from the Scottish Government is designed to build upon the success Scottish Rugby has already achieved in growing the game in recent years.
Through Scottish Rugby initiatives, including the Cashback scheme launched in 2008, the game’s governing body has delivered in partnership more than 60,000 school, club and street rugby sessions attended by over 1.15 million participants, and has assisted in creating a 26% increase in registered club and school players.
Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Kenny MacAskill, announced the increased funding during a visit to Musselburgh Rugby Club while standing alongside Gordon McKie, the chief executive of Scottish Rugby.
“Rugby is one of Scotland’s most popular sports,” said MacAskill. “Just look at the interest in the current RBS 6 Nations campaign. Everybody wants to see our teams and players succeeding at the highest level, and that can only happen with investment at the grass roots to support every tier of the game.”
The minister added: “In addition to making funds available to help clubs improve their facilities, the support we’ll give ensures the opportunities are there for young people across Scotland who want to give rugby a go. Scottish Rugby is to be congratulated for its role in making that happen.”
Investment at the heart of the game
MacAskill is adamant this investment will go right to the heart of the game’s grass roots, and make sure Scottish Rugby’s better placed to get more young people involved and give them the chance of becoming the next generation of rugby stars.
“By taking funds from the ill-gotten gains of crime and putting it back into our communities,” said MacAskill, “we’re making those communities safer.”
Scottish Rugby will channel GB pound 2.4 million of the funding towards its successful national network of jointly-funded development staff who provide playing and coaching opportunities across all of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.
The remaining GB pound 1.25 million will be made available to local rugby clubs with a track record in growing the game at junior, youth and adult levels.
Clubs will be able to apply for awards of up to GB pound 50,000 to invest in new or upgrading existing facilities, with priority given to projects that – in the main – target young people. This fund will be administered by SportScotland.
Powerful role played by sport in youngsters’ lives
Gordon McKie said: “Sport plays a powerful role in improving the quality of life for young people, including their health and well-being, and assists in building stronger and safer communities.”
He continued: “For a number of years, we have promoted the importance of the grass roots game and the need for supporting the development of club rugby facilities in Scotland. As a governing body we have, in recent years, increased our investment in grass roots rugby, including facilities support, and I’m delighted by this latest announcement.”
“Through exceeding all of our Cashback for Communities targets in recent years, we have secured this important funding boost so that tens of thousands of young people in every local authority, including areas of urban and rural deprivation, will have the opportunity to take advantage of rugby and coaching opportunities in schools, clubs and local neighbourhoods.”
McKie stated that the investment in local club facilities will complement the planned club facilities support recently announced by RBS as part of its ongoing sponsorship of Scottish Rugby, and is further great news for the game north of the border.
Cashback for Communities
“I would like to thank the Scottish Government for its continued support of Scottish Rugby, and look forward to seeing the benefits across the country’s grass roots game in the years ahead.”
Cashback for Communities is a programme of diversionary activities for young people to increase the opportunities they have to develop their interests and skills in an enjoyable, fulfilling and supported way.
This latest contribution takes the Scottish Government’s commitment to the CashBack for Communities programme to over GB pound 30 million, all of it drawn from proceeds of crime, with over 300,000 young people having participated in a wide range of activities across Scotland.
