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A new partnership to promote greater opportunities for children to participate in sport has been jointly launched by Scottish Rugby and NHS Lothian.

A pilot scheme will see Scottish Rugby work with children at selected schools in Edinburgh.

The partnership was formally launched by Kenny MacAskill MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, at an event attended by two Scotland World Cup players, David Callam and Craig Smith, in Mr MacAskill’s Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency.

Mr MacAskill said: “Our Government is eager to promote good behaviour and to allow all our children to reach their full potential. This partnership working between the Health Board and Scottish Rugby is a great initiative and one we fully support. Hopefully, not only will we have healthier kids, but potential stars of the future."

Professor James Barbour, Chief Executive, NHS Lothian, said: “We are delighted that we have a new partnership with Scottish Rugby in promoting the positive and long-lasting benefits of playing sport as part of a healthy lifestyle. “Through this scheme, we will be able to offer children new opportunities to try out sport as a way of taking regular exercise.”

Gordon McKie, SRU Chief Executive, said: “At Scottish Rugby we believe passionately in the benefits that sport can bring to children, their schools and the wider community.
“We look forward to working in partnership with a public organisation such as NHS Lothian to implement, monitor and review a programme of rugby and the positive impact it can have, with a view to exploring similar relationships in other parts of Scotland, which would be good for rugby and, down the line, good for the health of our nation.”

The pilot scheme will use rugby-based activities as a vehicle to work within the existing Active Schools Programme to ensure that more children receive greater opportunities to be more physically active, improve self esteem and confidence.

It will support selected schools in creating an environment to enable them to increase their capacity to deliver physical activity and provide a safe environment for children and volunteers to participate in physical activity.
Discussions are continuing between NHS Lothian and Scottish Rugby on the detail of the schools to be involved.