With apologies to Robert Southey, here’s a yarn that’s as captivating as Goldilocks and the three bears. A couple of years ago a Trinity teenager was buying his season ticket to watch Edinburgh Rugby. Today, 19-year-old Alex Blair is helping Edinburgh Rugby launch their season ticket for next season . . . when his boyhood dream comes true and he will be a member of the club’s playing squad.
Blair is signing professional terms with Edinburgh today and will become part of a squad which also includes his brothers, Scotland scrum-half Mike; and Scotland A stand-off David. The siblings were joined at Murrayfield today by international lock Scott MacLeod (he of the golden hair) to launch Edinburgh’s season ticket deals for 2010/2011.
Are you sitting comfortably . . . then let the season ticket sale begin
“I’m really excited about joining Edinburgh. When I was drafted into the East of Scotland area institute of sport from the Edinburgh under-16 team I remember speaking to the coach who told me the news. He had a poster of the Edinburgh pro-team with him and I told him that I wanted to play in that team,” Blair said.
“It may sound clichéd but that’s something that I meant genuinely. It’s a very serious commitment but it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do and that I’m prepared to make sacrifices for.
“I’ve been a season ticket holder and I’ve always come along to Edinburgh games, to support the team as well as Mike and Dave, and it means a huge amount to me to join Edinburgh.
“It’s coming up to the end of my second year in the National Academy and I’ve learned a lot from it and from playing for Edinburgh Accies in Premier 1. But I am particularly excited about the new challenge of playing professionally,” he explained.
Edinburgh head coach Rob Moffat is pleased to have the youngest Blair on board. “I’m delighted that Alex Blair has signed for Edinburgh. He is an exciting young talent with a lot of potential. Alex now has to prove himself at pro-level and also be given the opportunity to do so,” he said.
Blair, Scotland under-20’s top points’ scorer and starting stand-off during their recent international programme, acknowledges being part of a competitive family has been part and parcel of his rugby development.
“From a young age I’ve thrown the ball about in the back garden with my brothers – dad’s maybe a bit old to keep joining in – but we’d probably still go out and do it now.
“I’ve not played competitively with my brothers. I was supposed to play against Dave last season when he was affiliated to Selkirk and I was playing for Edinburgh Accies but Dave was selected for Edinburgh that weekend. There’s obviously going to be a lot of competition but the main task for me is to prove that I’m ready to step up and play for Edinburgh,” he added.
Elder brother Mike, Edinburgh’s captain, said: “It’s an important day for the Edinburgh team today as we launch our season tickets for next season and, of course, it’s a proud day for me and my family.
“We’re still aiming for the Magners League play-offs this season but I know from the time that I made my debut for Edinburgh eight years ago that the club has grown both on and off the field and we’re hungry to make further strides.
“We’ve got a vital game against Ulster here at Murrayfield on Sunday and we owe it to ourselves and our supporters to make up for what happened at Newport last weekend.
“Our crowds are growing and, as players, it’s a key factor for us, to go out and represent our support and our city and give them good reason to come and be part of our club.
“The season tickets are great value, especially when you consider there are two extra Magners League fixtures with the entry of Italian teams next season and that they also include matches in the Heineken Cup.”
David Blair welcomed his younger brother to the club. “I am pleased for Alex. We’re competitive as a family, whether it’s rugby, tennis or table-tennis, and Alex joining Edinburgh is sure to increase competition here too and that’s a good thing,” he said.
Edinburgh Rugby’s Chief Executive Nic Cartwright said: “We’ve recorded a 60% increase in our crowd in the last two years and we are closing in on our immediate target of average attendances of 5000 this season.
“But we all feel we have a long way to go and are determined to encourage more supporters to come along and sample the fun, friendship and top-class rugby, all in a safe, family-friendly atmosphere, that can be enjoyed at Edinburgh.”
Season tickets for 2010-2011 cost £170 for adults. They cover Magners League, Heineken Cup pool matches, Edinburgh’s pre-season home friendly, the away derby in the 1872 Cup against Glasgow Warriors and two other Glasgow Warriors home games – that represents a discount of more than 50% compared to buying your tickets on a match by match basis and averages less than £10 per individual match ticket. Concession tickets are available for senior citizens and students at £90 while for under-18s the price is maintained at the fantastic value of £30 for the third successive year – or just £1.50 per match ticket.
You can buy your 2010-2011 season ticket online at www.edinburghrugby.org or via the ticket hotline on 0131 346 5180.
ALEX BLAIR (Edinburgh Academicals and Scottish Rugby’s National Academy)
Stand-off/centre. Born 16 November 1990 in Edinburgh. Height 6ft 1in (1.86m). Weight 13st 2lb (83kg).
Alexander Philip Blair is the third of three brothers who have worn the Scotland jersey. The elder sibling, Mike, is the Scotland captain, and the second brother, David, led Scotland under-21 throughout 2006. Alex played for Scotland under-17 before stepping up to the national under-18 team in March 2008.
Alex has also played for Edinburgh at under-16 and under-18. Outwith rugby, Alex has played cricket for Scotland’s under-13 and under-15 teams and squash for Edinburgh Academy. He is a contracted member of Scottish Rugby’s National Academy.
On his under-18 debut he scored a try, a conversion, and a penalty goal in Scotland’s 25-8 victory against England A at Melrose, and he followed up with 20 points (two tries, two conversions, and two penalty goals) in the 25-11 win against Ireland in the Six Nations Festival in Cork. He notched a total of 35 points in playing in five of Scotland’s six under-18 internationals, including all three in that Irish event. He took a further step up the ladder when he scored 37 points for the Scottish Thistles in their Shield success in the Singapore international sevens in November 2008.
Injury prevented Alex Blair playing under-19 but he was called up to, and started every game in, the u20 6 Nations squad and scoring all the points on his u20 debut in the 8-8 draw with France at the Caledonian stadium though, crucially, missed the kick that could have won the game. Alex then made amends when he scored a fantastic solo try against Italy in Sardinia to win the game (Scotland’s first ever away win in the 6 Nations at this age-group), then kicked all of Scotland’s points in the remaining two games – two penalties in the loss against England and five in the loss to Ireland to finish the campaign as the under-20’s top points scorer (34 – two tries and eight penalties).
International record: Scotland u17, u18. u20 (5 caps F W It E I)
Notes to Editors about Edinburgh Rugby Club
Captain Mike Blair, Allan Jacobsen, Chris Paterson, Greig Laidlaw, Steve Turnbull, Kyle Traynor, Nick De Luca and Jim Thompson have all agreed new contracts with Edinburgh Rugby Club.
Tim Visser scored the quickest hat-trick scored in the Magners League against Ospreys on 7 March 2010
Tim Visser is currently the Magners League's leading try scorer with eight tries.
The average age of Edinburgh's 35-man squad is just 25.
Edinburgh won all three home Heineken Cup Pool games during the 2009/2010 season
There are currently 17 Scotland internationalists in the Edinburgh squad plus 13 Scotland 'A' internationalists.
There is only one non-Scottish qualified player, Tim Visser in the Edinburgh squad.
