Edinburgh and Scotland scrum half Mike Blair and Billy Boyd, star of Lord of the Rings, announced a partnership between Princess Anne’s charity, The Princess Royal Trust for Carers and Boroughmuir RFC to create the new Capital Sevens tournament.

Boroughmuir RFC, recently crowned Premier Division One champions have revamped last year’s hugely successful Boroughmuir Edinburgh Sevens in a ground breaking initiative.

As well as bringing together the 16 best teams from the Lothian area, including the professional Edinburgh Rugby team, the tournament will raise funds to help carers who are looking after disabled or seriously ill relatives.

Recognised as a club with deep roots in its community, Boroughmuir proposed this move aware that the issue of caring for a loved one is something likely to touch us all at some point in our life. 

David Brown of Boroughmuir said: “Boroughmuir is more than just a rugby club. We think of ourselves as part of the community and believe we have an important role to play, doing all we can to assist and support local people.

“1 in 8 of us cares for a relative, or maybe even a friend, who could be suffering Alzheimer’s, be diagnosed with cancer or maybe even have a child who was born disabled. There are hundreds of people who are carers, in our community and indeed in this rugby club.

“The Princess Royal Trust for Carers do a fabulous job supporting carers and we feel they deserve our backing.  We thought it over and hit upon this idea and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers Capital Sevens was born.

“We think using the tournament to support a charity fits perfectly with our ethos as a community rugby club.”

Billy Boyd, an official Ambassador for The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, has been involved with helping the charity since meeting carers at a recognition night 18 months ago.

“I remember meeting some carers and hearing about their lives. Some of it really shocked me. These carers are often devoting their whole life to looking after someone, giving up everything to be there 24 hours a day in some cases.

“And yet many weren’t getting any support, or certainly not enough. I just think that these people who do so much for others deserve some support that will help them to carry on.

“I’m delighted to be launching this new tournament and am sure that the Capital Sevens will grow to become a top rugby tournament, whilst doing so much to help carers.”