1 week Ago
Silver Saturday – where various cup finals are played – took place last weekend at Edinburgh's Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium. At the heart of the weekend of rugby were more than 500 medals made by East Lothian-based Oak & Black. In a first for the event, traditional winners’ and runners-up medals were replaced with hand-crafted, sustainable oak medals, thanks to a new partnership with the Boggs Holdings company.
Some 300 players took part in this season’s national finals and each received their own oak award. Freddie Main, managing director of Oak & Black, said: “We make all of our medals and trophies in our East Lothian workshop, and every single one is hand-sanded and oiled with care. “Working with Scottish Rugby has been a huge goal for us – to see our work in the hands of players from all over the country is incredibly special.
“This move by the national body is a real game-changer. “It sends a clear message about sustainability and leadership – and it’s helping to shift the narrative around what it means to honour achievement.” Oak & Black’s creations are already familiar to many across the rugby community, having featured this season as part of the Regional Community Recognition Awards.
In a first for Silver Saturday, the traditional medals will be replaced with beautifully hand-crafted, sustainable oak medals, thanks to a new partnership with East Lothian-based company Oak & Black. Read more ➡️ Freddie, who lives in Edinburgh, is no stranger to the sport and also runs his own coaching business, Silver Fox Coaching. The former assistant headmaster and design and technology teacher at Edinburgh’s Merchiston Castle School played for and coached at Watsonians.
Five years ago, he set up Oak & Black, where each product is described as “an expression of your creativity realised into a long-lasting and personalised gift”. He said: “I taught for two decades and I have always made sustainable trophies for my pupils – whether it was sport or academic or anything else.” Now, a new partnership with Scottish Rugby has been established.
Freddie, 45, added: “What’s inspired me most is meeting the people at clubs and schools who care so deeply about their players. “Seeing their passion makes us proud to play even a small part in how they celebrate. “At Oak & Black, we live by kindness, creativity and sustainability – and we see those same values reflected back at us in this community.
” Ahead of Silver Saturday, Vicky Cox, head of competitions and compliance, highlighted the importance of the awards. She said: “We’re thrilled to be presenting these incredible awards to every participant at Silver Saturday. “Not only do they look fantastic, but they’re a powerful, sustainable alternative to traditional medals.
“It’s fantastic to partner with a local company that shares our values and vision for the future. “These awards are more than tokens – they’re symbols of creativity, achievement and progress.”.
