Scottish Rugby awards Edinburgh club with Major Capital Investment

Scottish Rugby has today confirmed Corstorphine Cougars Rugby Club as the recipients of £250,000 in funding from the second phase of funding from the Major Capital Investment stream.

The Major Capital Investment award is part of the ‘Growth & Participation Fund’ and was established from the £5M Scottish Government funding during the Covid-19 pandemic. This funding strand is designed to support clubs with developments to their physical infrastructure including the purchase, upgrade or construction of their clubhouse facility.

The club, which operates from Union Park in Edinburgh, intends to strategically employ the funding for the comprehensive redevelopment of its existing clubhouse. The proposed enhancements include the addition of brand-new changing facilities, two rooms for community let and a dedicated gym space.

These improvements will be integrated with the existing facilities on-site, creating a modern and functional hub for the club and its members, which will be of particular benefit to the club’s women’s section, whose First XV team plays in the Premiership league, the topflight of the domestic game.

On the announcement, Corstorphine Cougars Vice President, Steve Wright said: “This is fantastic news for us. The phrase we are using at the club is ‘game-changing’. We are already one of the biggest clubs in Edinburgh, running four senior teams, but this financial support is going to allow us to have facilities that match our ambition as a club moving forward.

“The pavilion was built in the 19th century so there is a fair bit of refurbishment required to upgrade it but if we didn’t do something now, we were likely to face significant deterioration. The support we are receiving from Scottish Rugby is vital in helping us get that springboard to both enhance and preserve our facility for the many years to come.

“While this is a massive benefit to our men’s and youth sections, it’s our women’s section, arguably one of the biggest in Scotland, who are going to benefit the most from the redevelopment. Having a club environment where they can develop their fitness off of the rugby pitch is important for them to continue to perform at the highest level.”

Gavin Scott, Director of Rugby Development said: “I am delighted to share the outcome of the latest phase of the Major Capital Investment fund. This significant infusion of new investment for Corstorphine Cougars will play a pivotal role in upgrading the club’s facilities, making them more attractive to both existing and potential players.

“The investment into a gym space will be great enhancement for all players, especially the women’s players, many of whom are involved in the Premiership league and programmes within Scottish Rugby’s performance pathway.”