Angus rugby stars team up with Scottish Gas and Forfar club to support a sustainable future

The brothers, from Kirriemuir, trained at the club throughout their formative years during off-seasons and injury rehabilitations, and visited to celebrate its partnership with Scottish Gas and commitment to building a more sustainable future.

They learned about the club’s efforts to enhance its energy efficiency, and spent time with members, engaged with the community and even joined in for a few games.

The visit is part of an initiative by Scottish Gas, in partnership with Scottish Rugby, which aims to help grassroots rugby clubs across Scotland reduce their energy bills and carbon footprints – and ultimately work towards achieving net zero carbon emissions.

As part of the landmark deal, more than 130 clubs across the country will benefit from £2m of support through the Club & Community Net Zero Fund.

Strathmore Rugby Club has received £12,432 from Scottish Gas as part of the fund, which will be used to retrofit some of it infrastructure, such as upgrading door structures to seal gaps and reduce heat loss, while also installing a new heating system for greater efficiency.

The retrofit will be carried out by MWClubb and an in-depth assessment to understand the specific requirements of the building has already been conducted.

Karim Awadia, regional manager for net zero community engagement at Scottish Gas, said: “Many sports facilities in Scotland were built decades ago and are now in need of retrofitting to meet modern sustainability requirements.

“At Scottish Gas, we’re working with local community clubs across the country to provide expert advice on energy efficiency, while implementing measures and building improvements, such as insulation and appropriate ventilation, to reduce consumption. The improvements are set to be transformative and it was fantastic to welcome Matt and Zander back to hear about the club’s pending enhancements to ensure the space is fit for purpose for generations to come."

In 2017, the club established a charitable trust with the aim of supporting community development, promoting inclusion and ensuring its future growth, for which Matt and Zander have served as ambassadors for nearly eight years.

Nick Welsh, business development manager, said: “Matt and Zander have been longtime supporters of our members and the future of rugby in the area, so it was fantastic to welcome them back for this visit and have them join one of our training sessions.”

Matt added: “It's so important that clubs like Strathmore improve facilities so they can continue to be safe places for everyone in the community.

"Things like installing sustainable heating and reducing energy bills ease financial pressure on the club so it can focus on its core purpose of supporting people of all abilities and ages to connect and grow through movement, whether that means through rugby or even just getting out on the field for a game of tig.”