Scotland’s most-capped male player has thrown his weight behind the nationwide campaign to nominate suitably inspirational candidates to be torchbearers for the relay that will precede the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Chris Paterson, who has represented his country in 104 Tests, was invited by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to put forward his own selection, and today opted for Rob Moffat, his former PE teacher at Galashiels Academy and erstwhile head coach at Edinburgh Rugby Club.
Moffat was influential in the back three player’s rise in the 15-man game, and also helped nurture his involvement with and appreciation of the abbreviated form of the sport.
Paterson today spoke with enthusiasm about the inclusion of rugby sevens as a core part of both the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and encouraged supporters to get an early taste of what to expect when the HSBC Sevens World Series comes to Murrayfield in the shape of the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May.
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The 33-year-old confirmed: “Sevens is going to play an increasingly prominent role on the rugby and global sporting landscapes, and the Edinburgh event at Murrayfield next weekend will be a great example of the level of skill and excitement on the circuit, and the party atmosphere which surrounds it.
"The Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s is a terrific opportunity for people to come along and enjoy a day out at Murrayfield that’s not like any other.
"What you’ll experience is totally unique to the sevens circuit. With regards to the rugby itself, no matter how big a fan of the sport you are or how many games you’ve watched, you’ll see something you’ve never seen before, just with the speed and skills of the guys on show. It’s a great platform to showcase your skills, and that’s exactly what these guys do.
"Outside of that, it’s a carnival atmosphere: you’ve got fancy dress, with any luck a full day in the sun, and the whole Festival of Rugby taking place on the back-pitches with something like 1,300 people involved.
"The Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s is a fantastic combination of things, and I’m certainly looking forward to coming along and enjoying it all myself.
Explaining his decision to nominate Moffat, Paterson said: “Sevens has always been a big thing for me, and it’s great to now be able to recognise a man like Rob who was instrumental in helping me develop the skills to play both forms of the game.
“There’s a lot of anticipation about what sevens can do for the profile and reach of rugby over the next few years. It would be hugely fitting if someone like Rob, who has a tremendous feel for all aspects of the sport, was given the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch as we enter this exciting phase in its history.”
Moffat is to accompany the Scotland under-20 squad to the IRB Junior World Championship in Italy next month as a specialist skills coach.
The London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay will, meanwhile, involve 8,000 people carrying the Olympic Flame around the UK for 70 days. The flame will arrive in the UK on 18 May 2012, the relay concluding on 27 July with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and the opening of the Olympic Games.
The relay will cover approximately 8,000 miles, visiting every nation and region of the UK. LOCOG today announced the first outline of the relay route, with confirmation that Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh will be among the Scottish stop-offs.
Details have also been given of the process by which the London 2012 Olympic Torchbearers will be chosen.
From 18 May to 30 June 2011, the public will be given the chance to nominate someone they believe is truly inspirational; someone who deserves to be nominated as a reward for their hard work. Nominees should be people who live the Olympic values: friendship, excellence and respect.
Two days, 16 countries, 44 games, one great weekend: Tickets for the Emirates Airline Edinburgh 7s at Murrayfield on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May are on sale NOW, priced just £5 for under-18s, £10 for students and senior citizens, and £20 for adults (£10 if you buy an adult ticket for Scotland’s EMC Tests against Ireland or Italy in August – also just £10!)
