Edinburgh Rugby teams up with British Heart Foundation Scotland in vital new partnership

The collaboration marks the first time the club has joined forces with a health charity, aiming to shine a crucial spotlight on cardiovascular diseases across the Scottish rugby community and beyond.

Cardiovascular diseases remain Scotland’s leading cause of death, affecting approximately 730,000 people, and tragically accounting for one in four deaths – that’s 50 lives lost every day.

The partnership aims to bring together the power of rugby and the club’s growing fanbase at Hive Stadium – where over 130,000 fans passed through the turnstiles last season – and through digital activations to a highly-engaged audience of over 327,000 across the club’s digital channels, to promote heart health and a showcase the BHF’s life-saving work to raise awareness and fund vital research.

To champion this important cause, BHF have chosen club centurion, Scotland, and British & Irish Lions prop Pierre Schoeman as their sponsored player for 2025/26.

Pierre [Schoeman] joined David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, and Paul Hoenigmann at Hive Stadium last month to officially launch the partnership.

Paul Hoenigmann’s son, Aiden – a talented rugby player who captained Ross High in Tranent – tragically passed away last year from an undiagnosed heart condition, underscoring the urgency and importance of this collaboration.

Aiden’s father, Paul, shared: “Aiden was my only child, and every day we live with a pain that doesn’t go away.

“The biggest challenge is not truly knowing what happened to Aiden, and we’ve been told we may never understand why. This makes it even more difficult to process.

“We welcome anything that raises awareness or helps the BHF fund research to cure or prevent heart conditions, ensuring other families don’t suffer such a devastating loss as ours.”

Schoeman – who is currently on tour in Australia with The British & Irish Lions – commented:

“As a professional athlete, I understand the importance of heart health. This partnership with BHF Scotland is incredibly important and I’m honoured to be their sponsored player.

“Together, we can help raise awareness and vital funds to combat heart disease, which affects so many families across Scotland. I’m looking forward to working with the club and our fans to support such a crucial cause.”

BHF currently funds £64 million of research in Scotland, with over £33 million invested in Edinburgh across Napier University, Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh.

This supports 51 crucial research projects dedicated to tackling cardiovascular conditions, including pioneering research which allows doctors to predict a person’s risk of heart attacks and strokes using a simple blood test, as well as a groundbreaking study on blood thinners preventing heart attacks and death after a brain haemorrhage.

Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director, Douglas Struth, said: “We are thrilled to welcome British Heart Foundation Scotland as our Official Heart Health Charity Partner.

“This partnership extends beyond the pitch, allowing us to contribute meaningfully to the well-being of our community.

“We are committed to using our platforms to support BHF’s incredible work in research, prevention, and education, helping to save lives and support families affected by heart and circulatory diseases.”

David McColgan, Head of BHF Scotland, added: “This collaboration brings together two significant Scottish brands to raise awareness of the BHF and our vital work, while generating funds for life-saving research.

“Edinburgh Rugby has long been synonymous with excellence on the field, and combined with our reputation for research excellence, this is a fantastic opportunity.

“We will work together to promote a better understanding of cardiovascular health amongst rugby fans, encourage life-saving skills like CPR, and fund groundbreaking research.”

About BHF Scotland

Far too many of us have felt the pain of losing someone we love to cardiovascular disease, the world’s biggest killer. With your support, British Heart Foundation (BHF) powers groundbreaking research to save and improve lives.

Since 1961, your support has helped us fund scientific breakthroughs that are keeping more families together today, from pacemaker technology and portable defibrillators to proving that statins can help save lives. And with your support, our ambitions for the years to come are even bolder.

Every three minutes someone loses their life to cardiovascular disease in the UK. We’re dedicated to powering advances in cardiovascular science and healthcare that will bring us closer to the day that everyone has a healthier heart for longer. But we can’t do it without your support. Together, the next breakthroughs in diagnosing, treating, and preventing cardiovascular disease are in reach. Find out more at bhf.org.uk