Rugby Plus at the Royal Highland Show

We are looking forward to having a Rugby Plus stand at this year’s Royal Highland Show 20-23rd June. The annual show is Scotland's farming and countryside showcase. Each year more than 1,000 exhibitors, 4,500 livestock, and close to 185,000 visitors descend on the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston so it is set to be another fantastic event for the Rugby Plus team. 

This year we will have a theme each day so come along daily for something different and get the chance to meet the team. We will be on hand to chat about our full range of rugby products and to enjoy a bit of banter as well. 

Thursday - Opening

Friday – Scrum Magazine

Saturday – Samurai

Sunday – Canterbury

We will have a number of signed rugby jerseys at the show which will be involved in a free raffle. Simply ask at our stand for more details and be sure to check out our Rugby Plus facebook page and twitter account for more information on the jerseys and regular updates from the show. 

There is also currently a Canterbury Giveaway competition on our facebook page. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning a great prize is like us here.

If you wish to contact us before the event then please do so on 01224 647347 or home@rugbyplus.com

Queensland Reds and Lions Tour So Far

Then Lions will face Queensland Reds at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane on Saturday 8th June hoping to make it 3 wins from 3 after a convincing eight try, 29-8 win over the Barbarians in their opening match and another well fought 69-17 win over Western Force.

They were however dealt a massive injury blow as prop Cian Healy was forced to leave the tour with an ankle injury picked up in the win over Western Force. London Irish Prop Alex Corbisiero has been called up as cover for Cian. There was also other injury news today as Jonny Wilkinson has had surgery on a groin injury effectively ending any chance of a late call up to the squad.

Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie is set to name his strongest possible side against the Lions who will be prepared for a more difficult match than the previous 2 wins. The Reds were the last team to beat the Lions with a famous 15-11 win in 1971.

There will however be noticeable absentees as 7 of the Reds have been called up to the Wallabies squad. Most of the pre match discussion has been on how the talented Quade Cooper performs at fly-half after his clash with Aussie coach Robbie Deans has left him cast out of the Australian set up. So keep an eye on Quade. Here are the squads for tomorrow’s fixture.

Reds: 15 Ben Lucas, 14 Rod Davies, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Anthony Faingaa, 11 Luke Morahan, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nick Frisby, 1 Ben Daley, 2 James Hanson, 3 Greg Holmes, 4 Adam Wallace-Harrison, 5 Ed O'Donoghue, 6 Eddie Quirk, 7 Beau Robinson, 8 Jake Schatz. Replacements: 16 Albert Anae, 17 Sam Denny, 18 Jono Owen, 19 Radike Samo, 20 Jarrad Butler, 21 Jono Lance, 22 Mike Harris, 23 Dom Shipperley

British and Irish Lions: 15 Stuart Hogg, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Jonathan Davies, 11 Tommy Bowe, 10 Owen Farrell, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Matt Stevens, 4 Richie Gray, 5 Geoff Parling, 6 Dan Lydiate, 7 Sam Warburton (c), 8 Toby Faletau. Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Dan Cole, 18 Adam Jones, 19 Paul O'Connell, 20 Justin Tipuric, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Jonathan Sexton, 23 George North

WIN 1 of 5 iPad minis with the Canterbury ‘How Do You Wear Yours’ footwear campaign

Rugby Plus has long been a proud supplier of leading sportswear brand Canterbury of New Zealand. We therefore thought it apt to promote the launch of an exciting Canterbury social media campaign, which showcases their new Spring/Summer collection of casual footwear.

The campaign, named ‘How Do You Wear Yours’ asks people to share images of their Canterbury casual footwear and upload them via Twitter or Instagram for the chance of winning one of five iPad Minis. Focussed around the #HowDoYouWearYours hashtag, the campaign will run until 31st July, with a series of captivating images showcasing the footwear range.

The casual footwear collection is inspired by the rich New Zealand and rugby heritage of which Canterbury is renowned. For the Spring Summer season, the styles are lightweight and relaxed to enhance comfort during the warmer months. The inner taping, colourful linings and variety of laces highlight the attention to detail evident across all designs. The stand-out styles include the Taruranga and Hamilton, both heavily influenced by the unique Uglies concept developed exclusively by Canterbury.

To share your picture and be in with a chance of winning your very own iPad mini, Tweet @canterburyNZ or Instagram @canterburynz using the hash tag #HowDoYouWearYours. Rugby Plus stocks an excellent selection of on and off-pitch Canterbury footwear on our site an in our Aberdeen store. Our extensive range of other Canterbury stock ranges from sporting equipment to kidswear, womenswear, baselayer, jerseys and much more. We have so much to choose from! 

To celebrate our partnership with Canterbury and our stand at the upcoming Royal Highland Show (20th - 23rd June), Rugby Plus is currently running a brilliant Facebook competition, giving away Canterbury kit to a lucky winner every week for the next four weeks. Simply like our Facebook page to be in with a chance of winning!

Rugby Plus: Showing Our Support for Local Rugby

Rugby Plus was delighted to support the second annual Deeside RFC 2013 Mini Rugby Tournament last Saturday. As Deeside RFC’s equipment suppliers, Rugby Plus provided match day balls. All the children involved gave it their all and it was great to see so many kids in the north-east enjoying the sport. We were so impressed by the camaraderie, dedication and spirit of these young people, and look forward to next year’s tournament.

A team of spirited youngsters from Deeside RFC

This weekend, Rugby Plus will be supporting a Charity Rugby Afternoon at Kirkcaldy Rugby Club.

Saturday afternoon kicks off with a clash between Fife’s foremost Senior Rugby Clubs, Howe and Kirkcaldy in an under-21 fixture. This age grade seldom play together in Club rugby, so the gang at Rugby Plus look forward to seeing players coming through from under-18 level to play with and against players who have made this step in the previous three seasons.

The feature game is an Invitational fixture with players from a variety of Clubs from Premier 1, (AGSFP, Dundee High, Heriots, Boroughmuir and Stirling County) and Cartha QP, Murrayfield Wanderers, Kirkcaldy, Howe, Morgan and Dunfermline to the more local regional Clubs Glenrothes, Fife Southern and Kinross. The game is being refereed by Scotland’s top official Neil Paterson. Rugby Plus is proud to be an official supporter of the game, alongside the SRU and SCRUM Magazine.

An afternoon of first-class rugby awaits! Let’s just hope the Scottish weather holds. We hope to see you all there!

Receive a free scarf with any order in celebration of the Heineken Cup Final!

To celebrate this weekend’s Heineken Cup final, Rugby Plus is giving away a FREE Heinekin scarf to anyone who places an order on our website this week. Hurry, while stocks last and let Rugby Plus help you show you support in style!

Rugby Plus is giving away a free scarf with every order to celebrate this weekend's Heineken Cup Final and Amlin Challenge Cup final this weekend - don't miss out!

The Heineken Cup final is set to be a nail-biting match, with star-studded line-ups of ASM Clermont Auvergne and Toulon both fighting it out to win the coveted cup. Kick off is at 5pm on Saturday 18^th May at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. With Clermont and Toulon both in the final, France is already assured of seven places in next season's tournament. However, that seventh place is very much up for grabs. Check out Rugby Plus' range of French kit here.

Meanwhile, on Friday 17^th May from 5pm in the RDS Arena, Leinster Rugby will be competing for their fourth European title, while Stade Francais Paris are determined to snatch Amlin Challenge Cup as their first European winning breakthrough. The trophy has seen 12 different winners since 2007, and the 2013 tournament is guaranteed a new winner. Hooker Laurent Sempere has identified triple Heinekin Cup champions Leinster as hot favourites to win, but anything can happen after the whistle is blown. Here at Rugby Plus, there is no doubt that we will be glued to our televisions.

You can purchase tickets to the Heineken Cup final here or by telephone on the following numbers:

Republic of Ireland: 0818 220812
UK: 0844 248 5101
International: 0044 161 372 2010

Remember to complete your Rugby Plus website orders this week, to receive a free Heineken scarf with any order (stock permitting). Alternatively, to make enquiries about our rugby products and our bespoke kit design services, please give us a call on +44 1224 647347 and Rugby Plus' expert customer service team will be delighted to help.

Rugby Plus: Congratulating Glasgow 7s Champions & Competition Winner Callum Murray

Rugby Plus leading man David Brown was out and about last weekend soaking up the atmosphere (and the beer!) at the 2013 Emirates Airlines Glasgow 7s in Scotstoun stadium. Dave watched on as South Africa emerged winners of the cup, beating series champions New Zealand 28-21 in round 8. He was even lucky enough to congratulate the champions first hand!

Rugby Plus' Dave Brown congratulates South Africa on a stellar victory

Other winners of the day were USA winning the Plate, Australia winning the Bowl and France winning the shield. Scotland came a disappointing third in a difficult category, taking the victory in their first game against Portugal 26-5, losing to England 29-7 then suffering painful defeat at the hands of defending champions New Zealand, who won 28-0.

Dave was thrilled to have the chance to catch up with Callum Murray, the lucky winner of our most recent Facebook competition, over the weekend. In association with the SRU, Rugby Plus gave Callum two tickets to last weekend’s tournament. Callum, a physical education student based in Stirling, had a blast, and it was a real treat for the Rugby Plus to meet such a dedicated young rugby fan. We look forward to updates from Callum as he embarks on an IDEALS (International Development Through Excellence and Leadership in Sport) initiative in Zambia in the summer, introducing touch rugby to children out there.

Dave and Callum enjoying a pint!

On 26^th May, Callum is running in the Edinburgh half marathon – look out for him in his Rugby Plus t-shirt. Lots of luck from all of us at Rugby Plus Callum!

Lathallan Rugby 7s this Saturday 27th April

Rugby Plus is proud to supply sports kit to Lathallan School, located on the Scottish coast in Brotherton Castle. This Saturday 27^th April, we are really looking forward to attending their third annual Rugby 7s tournament. There will be three competitions throughout the day – P7s, U16s and U18s, and competitors from Moray to Fife are scheduled to play, all competing to take home the coveted Cup! Participating teams include: Lathallan, Montrose, Strathmore, Carnoustie, Deeside, Albyn School, Aberdeen Wanderers, Moray, Robert Gordon College, Blairgowrie, Waid, Kirkcaldy and Madras College.

Last year's victorious U16s Lathallan team

Last year Lathallan team won the U16s tournament so will be defending their trophy. This year, it’s anyone’s game, and is set to be a high-octane competition. Hopefully the great Scottish weather will hold out, and, with free admission, it should be a great day out for the whole family. Why don’t you join us this year? Over 500 spectators and teams are set to show, enjoying the acres of grounds offered at Lathallan.

Excitingly, they will be joined by some famous celebrities from the rugby world. This year SRU internationals and Glasgow Warriors Niko Matawalu, Jonny Gray, Moray Low, Ruaridh Jackson and Chris Cusiter will cheer on the teams.

Rugby Plus is also thrilled to announce that the Chairman of the Scottish Rugby Union Sir Moir Lockhead will be attending, as will Ian McLauchlan. Alan Lawson unfortunately can't make the event, but will be part of the planned evening excitement  for the 50th Reunion Dinner for the class of 1963.

The Lathallan Pipe Band will open the tournament at 10.30am, and the final is at 3.30pm. With four pitches it is set to be a fast-paced day of rugby action. Hope to see you there!

As one of the UK’s first specialist rugby shops, Rugby Plus stocks a vast range of kit items for international teams across the globe, and offers a bespoke tailor-made kit service to school, amateur and Sunday League teams. Check out the fantastic selection of sports kit available on our website, or contact us directly  on +44 1224 647347 to discuss your team’s kit needs. We would be delighted to be of assistance! You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter. If you are in the Aberdeen area, please pop into the Rugby Plus shop on George Street in the city centre, and our friendly customer service team will be happy to help.

Look forward to seeing you all at Lathallan tomorrow!