Inverleith, Edinburgh: a place where international rugby memories will always live. It is well known that the first international fixture took place at Raeburn Place when Scotland met England in 1871, but from 1899-1925 the home of Scottish Rugby was the Inverleith Sports Ground, now the home of Stewart’s Melville RFC.
It is at this location that Scottish Rugby and Macron chose to stage the shoot for the new Scottish Rugby The Archive Collection: Classics reimagined, a collection that looks to the 1990s and early 2000s to reinterpret some of the fan favourites that defined a whole era of Scottish Rugby history. The project brings past and present together, bringing designs and logos associated with the history of the sport in Scotland to a new audience, whilst rekindling the memories of the past.
Head of Retail and Licensing, David Salisbury, said: “Sports kit has a unique way of evoking memories from our childhood, from a time of our life, or even from one specific match. Whenever I spoke to people within the rugby community in Scotland, they would always reminisce with me about their favourite kit. We decided this was the right time to bring back and reimagine some of these favourites. The retro kits with an older historic Scottish Rugby logo are sure to bring back stories and memories from fans and players nationwide.
“We have enjoyed collaborating with Macron and other partners to bring this limited-edition collection to life. Every year we have the chance to bring a new kit design to the fan base, but this project has allowed us to see things differently. Hopefully some of our current kit designs will become tomorrow’s classics and inspire more generations to come together and cheer on Scotland together”.
“Scottish Rugby has a distinctive visual identity, and this collection gave us the opportunity to revisit some of the design codes that have become part of its history. The aim was not simply to recreate the past, but to capture the character of those years and translate it into a collection that feels relevant today. Working closely with Scottish Rugby, we have brought together heritage details, familiar colours and classic silhouettes with the Macron’s distinctive approach to design, creating a collection that connects different generations of fans.” commented Ross Cook, Senior Technical Sponsorships Manager of Macron.
The launch video, released on Thursday 8 October, features Scottish Rugby legends Chris Paterson, Jason White, Duncan Hodge, Jilly McCord and Louise Dalgliesh, alongside current stars Rhona Lloyd, Evie Gallagher, Ewan Ashman, Jamie Dobie, Pierre Schoeman and Rory Sutherland in modern Arnold Clark and Scottish Gas branded kits.
Commenting on the new kit, Ewan Ashman said: “I love the nostalgic feel of the kit. It brings back memories of growing up in that Chris Paterson or Duncan Hodge era. I have so many memories of me and my old man travelling far and wide to watch Scotland play and he would always get us matching kit. I hope today’s kids will one day have similarly fond memories of wearing the current kit that we play in.”
Evie Gallagher commented on the campaign: “Seeing this kit resonates with me personally. I have one of my dad’s old jerseys in this design. I took it away with me for my first campaign with Scotland when I got my first cap and I wore it to the shirt presentation for the first match of the Rugby World Cup in 2025; my first World Cup. I love how it’s like having a little bit of him with me in my rugby journey as he has always inspired me to take it this far. It is really cool to be involved in this campaign as it feels like he’s still part of my journey.”
The collection features three reimagined retro cotton rugby jerseys from the 1990s to early 2000s, including both long and short sleeve design. The Macron Hero and the historic Scottish Rugby crest are embroidered, with selected pieces also displaying the Famous Grouse logo, a sponsor closely associated with the imagery of Scottish rugby during those years.
The collection then extends to off-field pieces, including the Vintage Nylon walk out Jacket and pant tracksuit, which offers a modern take on classic teamwear with a navy base and geometric white and purple inserts.
Completing the collection are the Heritage 1/4-Zip Sweatshirt, featuring purple and white side panels, an oversized crew-neck sweatshirt, the crew-neck T-shirt both with pinstripe detailing and the Full Zip Teddy Fleece, which combines a navy base with a large purple panel and embroidered Macron Hero and historic Scottish Rugby crest, bringing the collection’s retro elements into an even more contemporary style.
The Scottish Rugby Archive Collection, together with the full range of apparel, training wear, travel wear and accessories produced by Macron for Scottish Rugby, will be available to supporters and rugby fans in the dedicated section at macron.com.
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