Broadwood will be site of Scottish Rugby’s second regional academy

THE SRU confirmed yesterday that the location of its second BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy will be at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld.

Work is now under way to create a new purpose built facility on-site, with state-of-the-art fitness and medical equipment, all part of Scottish Rugby’s major policy initiative to develop a regional academy system that provides the best possible support to players, both male and female, who have been identified as having genuine potential for the future.

The academies project is a key tranche of BT’S multi-million pound sponsorship.

Glasgow and the West academy manager Jamie Dempsey and his team will also have access to the 3G pitch, which recently hosted Scotland Women’s home international fixtures in the 2015 RBS Six Nations and the 2014 club Finals Day. Scottish Rugby’s chief executive, Mark Dodson, said: “Scottish Rugby and NL [North Lanarkshire] Leisure have developed a positive partnership in recent years and we are very pleased Broadwood Stadium can continue that good work as the home for the BT Sport Scottish Rugby Academy, Glasgow and the West. We are committed to building a system that enables us to identify and support young players, both boys and girls, as they develop their full sporting and personal potential.

“Our objective is to produce great rugby players and great people through our regional Academies and this is an exciting first step on that pathway in the west of Scotland.

In October 2014 the venue for the Caledonia Academy was announced in Aberdeen as the Hillhead Sports Campus and Aberdeen Sports Village.

Construction of the new facility at Broadwood is due to be completed by late summer 2015.