Rising stars aim to end regional series on a high

Scotland’s top young rugby talent will descend on the home of Scottish Rugby this Sunday (13 August) at the BT Sport Academy Finals Day.The action-packed day at BT Murrayfield Stadium is the culmination of the 22-match regional series, played across the country, and will see 16 teams compete across eight fixtures for end-of-series glory.All fixtures are free to attend, with the first game kicking off at 10am.For the first time the event will be complemented by a temporary, 500-seat stand at the synthetic pitch to accommodate supporters and generate an atmosphere for the finals.In the U20 final, Glasgow & The West will be looking to make amends after narrowly missing out on being crowned champions last year as they face the Borders & East Lothian.In both the U16 and the U18 final, Caledonia will go head-to-head with Glasgow & The West after the teams defeated their counterparts Edinburgh and Borders & East Lothian respectively last Sunday (6 August) at Lasswade.East Women are hoping to retain the Donna Kennedy Cup for the third time in a row as they clash with West Women, with the fixture featuring 18 Scotland Women test cap players.An East v West U18 Girls fixture has also been added to Finals Day to accompany the popular senior East v West Women’s fixture.Head of Academy and Performance Programmes, Stephen Gemmell, said: “We’re delighted that the BT Sport Academy Finals Day is again culminating here at BT Murrayfield.The games so far have been excellent and year on year the standard continues to improve. That is a credit to the players, the BT Sport Academy, their regional programmes, clubs and schools.”The temporary stand on the back pitches is a hugely exciting new initiative and will bring a real sense of occasion and atmosphere for all involved.”The regional series has been a key platform for exposure for more than 400 players and 45 coaches to a more intensified, competitive environment and continues to provide individuals with several opportunities to promote themselves for selection into the BT Sport Academy and the respective national teams.BT Sport Academy Finals DayEast U18 v West U18 Girls; 4G (kick-off 10am)U20 Play Off, Caledonia v Edinburgh; Pitch 3, (kick-off 10.30am)U16 Play Off, Edinburgh v The Borders & East Lothian; Pitch 2, (kick-off 12 noon)U18 Play Off, Edinburgh v The Borders & East Lothian; Pitch 1, (kick-off 12 noon)Donna Kennedy Cup Final, 4G (kick-off 1pm)U20 Final, Glasgow & The West v The Borders & East Lothian; 4G (kick-off 3.15pm)U18 Final, Caledonia v Glasgow & The West; 4G (kick-off 5.15pm)U16 Final, Caledonia v Glasgow & The West; 4G (kick-off 7.15pm)