As Edinburgh enter the final stages of their pre-season training the announcement of the 2011/12 RaboDirect PRO12 fixtures, up until Christmas, has allowed the anticipation in camp to start building.
Head coach, Michael Bradley can’t wait to get his men into action after an extended pre-season, which has shaped his side into a strong outfit for the fixtures ahead. Furthermore with six games being played at home before Christmas, all on a Friday night bar one, Bradley believes the home advantage will give Edinburgh the best possible start.
He said: “We are delighted to start the season at home against Cardiff Blues. This is a fantastic opportunity to put our best foot forward and begin the year on a high.
“In the first half of the season the majority of our games are going to be played at Murrayfield. Therefore if we are able to maintain the home advantage throughout this period it will leave us in a good position going into the second half of the year.
“The boys have trained extremely hard throughout the summer and they are in good shape to start their campaign.
“The pre-season has been slightly longer this year but I believe it will pay dividends as we stake our claim in the inaugural RaboDirect PRO12. We all can’t wait to start!”
Edinburgh will open their 2011/12 campaign against Cardiff Blues on home turf on Friday 2 September, kick-off 7.30pm. They will then travel to Liberty Stadium to take on Ospreys on Saturday 10 September.
The additional home games up until Christmas will take place on Friday 16 September (v Connacht, kick-off 7.30pm), Friday 30 September (v Munster, kick-off 7.30pm), Friday 28 October (v Leinster, kick-off 7.30pm) and finally against Glasgow Warriors on Boxing Day (Monday 26 December, kick-off 5.35pm).
The date and kick-off time for the return clash at Firhill will be announced shortly, with first news available via the online home of the club, www.edinburghrugby.org, and our official Twitter feed, @edinrugbyclub.
Fans are reminded that match day logistics at Murrayfield have changed for the 2011/12 season. A number of our games will now be played on Friday evenings and fans will be brought over to the east stand to bring them closer to the action, as well as having the opportunity to cheer on their team from the sidelines with standing areas along the west touchline and behind the posts by the north and south stands.
Michael Bradley is certain that these additions for match day will also play a positive role in Edinburgh’s season. He continued: “We believe that winning these home matches will be helped by the pitch-within-a-pitch initiative that we are running this year. We thank the fans for all their feedback on how to make game days more enjoyable and engaging. We encourage everybody to come down to Murrayfield and get up close to the action by using our new pitch side standing areas."
Following is Edinburgh’s schedule for the RaboDirect PRO12 2011/12 season:
Friday 2 September - 7.30pm - Edinburgh v Cardiff Blues - Murrayfield
Saturday 10 September - 6.30pm - Ospreys v Edinburgh - Liberty Stadium
Friday 16 September - 7.30pm - Edinburgh v Connacht - Murrayfield
Saturday 24 September - 3pm - Aironi v Edinburgh - Stadio Zaffanella
Friday 30 September - 7.30pm - Edinburgh v Munster - Murrayfield
Friday 28 October - 7.35pm - Edinburgh v Leinster - Murrayfield
(Broadcast on BBC Alba)
Saturday 5 November - 3pm - Bennetton Treviso v Edinburgh - Stadio Monigo
Saturday 26 November - 8.30pm - Munster v Edinburgh - Thomond Park
Friday 2 December - 7.30pm - Edinburgh v Aironi - Murrayfield
Monday 26 December - 5.35pm - Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors - Murrayfield
(Broadcast on BBC Alba)
TBC - TBC - Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh - Firhill
Weekend of (W/O) 6 January - Edinburgh v Ulster - Murrayfield
W/O 10 February - Edinburgh v Ospreys - Murrayfield
W/O 17 February - Newport Gwent Dragons v Edinburgh - Rodney Parade
W/O 24 February - Connacht v Edinburgh - Sportsground
W/O 2 March - Ulster v Edinburgh - Ravenhill
W/O 23 March - Edinburgh v Newport Gwent Dragons - Murrayfield
W/O 30 March - Edinburgh v Scarlets - Murrayfield
W/O 13 April - Leinster v Edinburgh - Royal Dublin Society
W/O 20 April - Cardiff Blues v Edinburgh - Cardiff City Stadium
W/O 4 May - Edinburgh v Treviso - Murrayfield
See the boys in action before the competitive season kicks-off when they play Newcastle Falcons at home on Friday 26 August, kick-off 7.30pm. Up to ten under 18s can cheer on the capital club for free with every paying adult at this game.
SIGN UP FOR NEW PERSPECTIVES IN SEASON 2011/12! All of Edinburgh's RaboDirect PRO12 matches and their Heineken Cup home games are included in our 2011/12 season ticket package, where supporters can get closer to the on-field action with seating in the east stand and new pitch-side standing areas. Season tickets are priced at £35 for under-18s, £90 for students/senior citizens and £180 for adults. For more information on the benefits of being an Edinburgh season ticket holder, and to book in for the campaign under new head coach Michael Bradley, visit www.edinburghrugby.org, call 0131 346 5180 or visit the Murrayfield Ticket Centre (just off Roseburn Street) in person.
