Edinburgh Accies face Crusaders to mark first ever match in 1857

Edinburgh Accies are playing charity team The Crusaders on Boxing Day to mark the 159th anniversary of the first match played by the Raeburn Place outfit (kick-off noon).

David McIvor will be back in Accies colours

Each squad will be made up of a mixture of social, veteran and current players.

The likes of former Scotland cap David McIvor, Accies coach Derek O’Riordan, Accies skipper Jamie Sole and Cambridge University’s Fraser Gillies are signed up to play.

While the Raeburn Place friendly is primarily a social fixture the winning team will be presented with the ‘1857 Cup’.

The game itself will also pay tribute to the first match played by the club as it will be competed for under two different sets of rules. The first half will be played under an interpretation of the laws used in 1857 while the second half will be played using modern day laws.

It is hoped this will give players and spectators an interesting experience and an insight into how far the club – and the game – have come since 1857.

The Crusaders have teams scattered around the world including one in Scotland.

They raise money and awareness to fight male cancer through rugby and in recent years have played a number of matches to promote the cause.