Scotland Captain Backs Rbs Rugbyforce 2012

Scotland captain Ross Ford is calling on all Scottish rugby clubs to register for the RBS RugbyForce 2012 initiative and encourage them to open up their clubs to the local community and celebrate a nationwide drive to grow the game at a club and grassroots level. The RBS RugbyForce 2012 weekend will take place on the 11th and 12th of August 2012 prior to the start of the new domestic rugby season.Ford was joined by Scotland centre Graeme Morrison at today’s launch of RBS RugbyForce 2012 at Broughton RFC in Edinburgh.  Pupils from Trinity Academy and members of the men’s and women’s teams from Broughton RFC were also on hand for the launch. RugbyForce was created three years ago by RBS, Principal Partner of Scottish Rugby, to encourage communities to give something back to their local rugby club.  With local volunteers giving up their time to help make improvements to club facilities, the initiative will drive growth, support and interest in the club game. Rugbyforce will play an integral role in the RBS support programme for local clubs. The RBS RugbyForce weekend on the 11th and 12th of August 2012 will be an opportunity for clubs to attract new supporters and players and give them a chance to see what the club does for their local community. It will also be an opportunity for the club to enlist some much needed support with pre-season club improvements. Scotland captain Ross Ford said: “The Scotland team are fully behind RBS RugbyForce 2012 and we are urging all domestic clubs to register and get involved. Most of us started playing at a grassroots level in Scotland and we are all aware of the importance of the development and growth of the club game. Without it we would not have been able to fulfil our ambition of playing at an international level. Some of the squad will be getting involved in RugbyForce 2012 and we are already looking forward to lending a hand by assisting with training sessions or helping with DIY around the clubhouse.”Colin Thomson, Head of Community at Scottish Rugby added: “Community rugby is the lifeblood of the Scottish game and the RBS RugbyForce 2012 initiative will play an integral role in helping Scottish Rugby raise the profile of rugby. We are looking forward to working with RBS and clubs to target engage with local communities and celebrate a nationwide drive to grow the game at a club and grassroots level.”Peter McCarthy, Managing Director RBS Scotland, Branch Banking, said: “We know that rugby plays an important role in many communities across the country, and we understand the need to play our part in those communities. The RBS RugbyForce initiative is a true celebration of Scottish rugby and with the help of our staff and local volunteers we can make a difference.RBS is committed to rugby at a grassroots level and our aim is to get all clubs registered and involved.Through our twinned branch initiative we want to really help clubs get ready for their season ahead and support communities across Scotland. The endorsement from Ross Ford and the Scotland squad is testimony to the importance of RBS RugbyForce 2012 and we are looking forward to the events in August.”RBS became the Principal Partner of Scottish Rugby in 2011 and has worked closely over the past year with the governing body to grow support of all aspects of the game including community and grassroots activity, domestic league and cup competitions and Scotland’s age-grade and national teams. To find out more about the RBS partnership with Scottish Rugby please visit:Website: www.rbs.co.uk/scottishrugbyYouTube: www.youtube.com/RBSScottishRugby Facebook: www.facebook.com/RBSScottishRugbyTwitter: www.twitter.com/RBS_Rugby_Lad