Scottish Gas Murrayfield: A Timeline

1925 –  A Grand Slam!

Murrayfield opens, aptly, with Scotland’s first Grand Slam. In front of 70,000 people, the hosts beat England 14-11 with tries from Jimmy Nelson and Johnny Wallace, conversions courtesy of Dan Drysdale and Alexander Gilllies, and a drop goal from the boot of Herbert Waddell.  Wallace scored a try in every game in 1925 – the first Scot to replicate that stat was Gregor Townsend in 1999!

An aerial view of Murrayfield, Edinburgh during the Scotland v England rugby match.

1929 – Past-President Sir David McCowan gifts the clock tower

Having won 10 caps for Scotland out of the West of Scotland club, David McCowan some 50 years later bequeathed Scottish Rugby the famous clock tower, which now sits near the East stand, upon his term ending as President in 1929.

1936 – Back pitches incorporated

The Murrayfield Stadium estate carries with it two further pitches, as well as Hive Stadium, in the present day. In 1936, this space was adopted to ensure that the home of Scottish Rugby had plenty of surfaces on which to play.

Aerial view of the Murrayfield campus

1939-44 – War-time acquisition

Like so many places, Murrayfield played its part in World War Two, becoming an army supply depot for five years. Scotland did play Service and latterly Victory international matches around that time, with some players being recognised as part of Scottish Rugby’s retrospective capping campaign last year.

1953 – Coronation celebrations

As Queen Elizabeth II came to the British throne, Murrayfield was the scene for part of Her Majesty’s coronation in June of 1953, when scores of youngsters performed in a rally at the stadium in front of the newly-crowned monarch.

1959 – Undersoil heating implemented

It is perhaps taken for granted nowadays, but the for the main Murrayfield pitch to be playable in all weathers (and there are *all* weathers in Scotland!), undersoil heating was installed – 39 miles of cable were laid with only 1/2 inch of error across the whole pitch. You can video footage of this story here.

1975 – A bumper crowd!

For the Five Nations clash between Scotland and Wales, a staggering 104,000 crammed into Murrayfield to see the hosts win 12-10, courtesy of three Dougie Morgan penalties and a drop goal from Ian McGeechan.

1983 – East stand opens/Bowie rocks

Murrayfield’s East stand was opened in March by HRH The Princess Royal, a few months before pop royalty performed at the stadium by way of David Bowie – the first of over 30 concerts held since!

View of the new East stand

1984 – A Grand Slam!

In front of their own crowd, Scotland defeated the odds, and fancied France, to record only a second Grand Slam. Jim Calder scored what would be the crucial try, with the rest of the points coming from the boot of Peter Dods as Scotland triumphed 21-12 against their Gallic opponents.

1986 – HRH becomes Scottish Rugby patron

The aforementioned HRH The Princess Royal became Scottish Rugby’s patron, some 40 years ago. She has attended a great number of international matches and events at the stadium, most recently helping to open our Sensory Space.

1990 – A Grand Slam!

The third and last time, to date, Scotland enjoyed a clean sweep also came at home. Against an England side who had all-but-won the title themselves, a ferocious Scotland, backed by an equally fervent support, got the job done, with Tony Stanger’s famous try sealing a 13-7 success amid scenes of unbridled jubilation.

The Scotland team line up before going on to defeat England to win the Grand Slam in 1990

1993 – Rugby World Cup Sevens

The inaugural Rugby World Cup Sevens was played on the main pitch. The hosts got to the Bowl final where they were pipped by France, with the Melrose Cup itself won by England.

1994 – Murrayfield complete

The stadium as we know it was completed with the opening of a refurbished 12,000-seater West stand, linking up to those in the north and south, to allow capacity to reach 67,144 with the corners all filled in.

Murrayfield Stadium. Copyright : Gordon Fraser

HRH The Princess Royal opens the new Murrayfield stadium

2000 – Six Nations is born

As defending, and final, Five Nations title holders, Scotland didn’t get off to the best of starts in 2000, losing their first four games. However, defeating England, who were set for a Grand Slam, at Murrayfield thanks to 19 points from Duncan Hodge, was a memorable start to the century.

2007 – Rugby World Cup

Having staged games in 1991 and 1999, Scotland again had the honour of holding pool fixtures at Murrayfield, with a win over Romania and defeat to New Zealand.

2014 – New hybrid pitch laid

To offset the effects of parasites, the main bowl was subject to a new, hybrid pitch which was designed to withstand such critters and the worst of the elements.

2018 – Stones do Murrayfield

The Rolling Stones played to tens of thousands of fans as part of their No Filter tour. Murrayfield had witnessed many other acts before, such as Robbie Williams and Oasis, both of whom are performing in our centenary year.

2020 – Scotland Women play England

Just as the global pandemic was about to hit, Scotland Women got the chance to host England in the main bowl, the first time the sides had met inside Murrayfield Stadium. The match, which was rescheduled from Scotstoun the day before, was played in a snowstorm thanks to Strom Ciara! This was only the second time that Scotland Women had played in the main bowl, with the first being against Sweden 2002.

Scotland huddle during Storm Ciara

2021 – Edinburgh’s new home/Lions come to town

Edinburgh Rugby’s home, Hive Stadium, was opened, to give the club an identity separate to the main stadium and where they can harness a winning culture for years to come. The same year, the British & Irish Lions hosted Japan as part of their preparations for their tour to South Africa.

2024 – Taylor fever!

Over three consecutive nights in May, global pop icon Taylor Swift played to capacity crowds, with nearly 222,000 packing into Murrayfield in total in what was Scotland’s largest set of concerts!

Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour

2025 – Murrayfield turns 100

Named Scottish Gas Murrayfield in 2023, our stadium is the beating heart of rugby in Scotland. From the seminal sporting moments you’ve read above, to more contemporary cultural events, Murrayfield Stadium is much more than bricks and mortar; it’s the home we hope can serve Scotland for another 100 years and more.

A General View during the national anthem during a Guinness Six Nations match between Scotland and Ireland at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, on February 9, 2025.