Scottish Rugby Welcomes New Partnership With Scotch Beef

A young Highland bull made an impressive spectacle pitch-side at Murrayfield stadium to launch a new sponsorship unveiled today (Wednesday March 2) between Scotch Beef and Scottish Rugby. Led by Scotland players, Chris Paterson and Ross Ford, the two year old red bull made a debut bovine appearance at the home of Scottish Rugby ahead of Scotland’s next Six Nations clash with England at Twickenham on Sunday week (13 March).Fresh from a training session the players were unfazed by the Highlander which tips the scales at almost three quarters of a tonne and eyed the “hallowed turf” with more than casual interest!The new sponsorship deal, running until May 2012, will see Quality Meat Scotland and Scottish Rugby unite to deliver a programme of activity in Scottish schools and rugby clubs which will see some of the country’s top players inspire youngsters about the importance of sport, fitness and eating a healthy diet.”This sponsorship offers a great opportunity to work closely with the rugby community. We are keen to promote the importance of fitness and a healthy diet to children across Scotland,” said Quality Meat Scotland chairman Donald Biggar.  “As well as building on our existing schools activity, the sponsorship will also offer valuable profile for Scotch Beef which is famous around the globe for its quality and reputation, founded on pioneering quality assurance, tradition and the commitment and skills of those who work in the industry,” added Mr Biggar. Scottish Rugby’s lead nutritionist, Richard Chessor, said: “Scottish Rugby is very proud to be in partnership with Quality Meat Scotland.  Red meat is a very important part of a rugby player’s diet as it contains all the essential amino acids that are necessary for optimal muscle development and recovery.  “However, the quality of the meat depends on high standards of livestock management and welfare and the quality assurance which underpins the three labels – Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork – gives the players confidence they are consuming meat with an excellent content and balance of nutrients.” Chris Paterson, Scotland’s most capped player who notched up his 102nd cap on Sunday during Scotland’s clash with Ireland, is also the face of a new Quality Meat Scotland campaign to raise the profile of red meat’s role in a healthy diet.Entitled “Strength. Energy. Growth – Red Meat Has It All” the campaign running in butchers’ shops across the country aims to highlight the important role of red meat in a healthy diet. Fitness is something Chris takes very seriously and red meat has always played an important part in his diet, never more so than in the past year when he was recovering from a serious injury sustained in action on the pitch for his country.The past year has seen Chris, who gave a faultless kicking performance against Ireland on Sunday, make a remarkable recovery from the injury he suffered in the game against Wales at Cardiff in 2010.Quality Meat Scotland’s existing health and education programme, includes  supporting the work of the Royal Highland Education Trust, and the sponsorship of Champions in Schools, a Winning Scotland Foundation project involving sporting heroes inspiring youngsters.QMS also runs a Meat Vouchers Scheme giving every secondary school in Scotland the opportunity to apply for a voucher of up to£100 for the purchase of red meat. At a time of tightening school budgets this national initiative is helping to tackle a concerning trend of young people leaving school without ever having cooked with fresh quality produce including red meat.Notes to editors: Quality Meat Scotland is the organisation behind the promotion and development of the Scottish red meat industry. QMS employs a full-time, qualified dietician and supports a range of initiatives to communicate the benefits of eating red meat as part of a healthy, balanced diet.