The ScotRail Alliance is adding carriages to as many trains as possible for rugby fans travelling to Scotland’s Autumn Test home games at the BT Murrayfield Stadium.

Scotland play Samoa on Saturday 11 November (KO 2.30pm), New Zealand on Saturday 18 November (KO 5.15pm), and Australia on Saturday 25 November (KO 2.30pm).

Trains to and from Edinburgh will be extremely busy. Supporters heading to the games are advised to allow additional time for travel, as queuing systems will be in place at Haymarket after the final whistle.

Extra staff will be on hand to assist customers and, as with most large events, alcohol bans will be in force.

ScotRail Alliance Head of Customer Experience, Graham Heald said: “The Autumn Tests are a big draw. We’ve done everything we can to boost the number of seats on key routes into the capital and will be using all available trains on match days.

“Please allow extra time for travel, and buy your ticket in advance to save you time and minimise the need to queue.

“If you’re travelling with children, our Kids Go Free tickets are the perfect fit – with up to two children, aged 5-15, traveling free with each adult.”

Often international rugby has found itself playing second fiddle for bars in Scotland with football being the main showing on screens across the country. However, Brewhemia in the heart of Edinburgh is looking to change that.

The newly opened bar, located on Market Street opposite Waverley Station, has provided Edinburgh with a unique and groundbreaking venue. It’s Scotland’s only Beer Palace, which boasts the UK’s largest selection of tank beers, and it offers regular live music and entertainment unlike anywhere else.

With five different areas (all with different themes) covering 29,000 square feet, there is a reason it was said to be ‘the biggest bar opening Edinburgh has seen in years – maybe ever.’

In short, this was never going to be more of the same old and the same applies to the sport they offer. “Since the idea of Brewhemia was born, Scotland Rugby was to be the main sport we’d show”, the words of General Manager, Daniel Wylie. “Given the significance of the game to Edinburgh, we wanted it to be our number one priority.”

This passion for the sport was reaffirmed with the launch of the venue, at the end of July this year. Their guest for the evening was Scotland and Lions star, Finn Russell. “Having Finn along for the launch was brilliant and the reaction of guests on the night really did solidify our desire to make rugby our number one focus. This also got us thinking, how can we bring a new take on how supporters can enjoy the game?”

Not only will Brewhemia be showing all three of the Autumn Internationals on their big screen projector, they will also be hosting a special pre-match brunch before each match. “We wanted to go above and beyond the standard,” said Daniel. “As rugby fans ourselves, we thought about what we would love before travelling to a match or watching it live. We then came up with the idea of the pre-match brunch.”

This isn’t just any ordinary brunch either. With a gorgeous meal and two pints of a specially selected beer included with the ticket price, fans will be on the right foot before heading to the match. Plus, most importantly, the brunch will feature a special Q&A session with a former Scotland International.

“We are really proud of the offering we’ve put together. We’ve worked with Gordon Hood (founder of The Rugby Partnership) and we’ve got three fantastic guests. This will give attendees the opportunity to ask questions and get a fascinating insight into the national team, past and present, before watching them in action.”

Attending the brunches will be Hugo Southwell (v Samoa), Simon Taylor (v New Zealand), and Ally Hogg (v Australia), who combined have over 170 Scotland caps.

The brunches are also just the starting point for the future, with six nations plans already in the pipeline for 2018 and the years to come. “We can’t wait for the Autumn Internationals. It has got all of our staff excited and created a real buzz. We know that will come across during the matches and as prepare our plans for February next year.”

Tickets for the pre-match brunches are extremely limited at just £19pp and can be purchased via the Brewhemia website.

International law firm Pinsent Masons has appointed four infrastructure and energy heavyweights in Australia, further enhancing its existing presence across Sydney and Melbourne and adding a new presence in Perth.

The law firm’s Scottish operation comprises of more than 500 staff based in its Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen offices. Since launching in Australia in 2015, Pinsent Masons has acted on a number of standout mandates, including the AUD$15bn Melbourne Metro Project, acting for First Solar in relation to its project finance acquisition and development of a 48MW Solar Power plant and acting for Samsung C&T on the AUD$2bn Roy Hill Iron Ore Mining dispute.

The new partners join from Norton Rose Fulbright and comprise:

• Rob Buchanan who specialises in construction and engineering disputes on major energy and infrastructure projects.
• Matthew Croagh, a leading construction and engineering disputes lawyer with a specialism in the oil and gas industry.
• Adrienne Parker, who has extensive experience in major projects, construction, engineering and resource projects across Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Africa. Adrienne is also President of the WA Chapter of National Association of Women in Construction.
• Bill Ryan, who has acted upon complex arbitrations arising out of the resources sectors in Queensland and Western Australia.

Pinsent Masons’ legal resourcing hub Vario has also recently announced its expansion into Australia, its first operational base outside of the UK.

David Rennick, Head of Australia for Pinsent Masons, said: “In less than two years, Pinsent Masons has established itself among the preeminent infrastructure firms in Australia and enhanced its reputation across the Asia Pacific region. Our strong growth and high calibre of work is being recognised and we are delighted to be able to attract a stellar team of fellow specialists to join us in expanding our business into Perth. The appointments also present an opportunity to expand further into the energy sector.”

Richard Foley, Senior Partner, said: “Our vision is to be recognised as an international market leader in the global sectors in which we operate and Australia has been significant in enabling us to serve clients domestically and across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe. Our relentless focus on combing skillset excellence with sector insight and innovation continues to prove popular among our clients.”

The news comes after a period of sustained investment by Pinsent Masons. In May, the firm announced plans to launch in Dublin and the acquisition of diversity-and-inclusion business Brook Graham. The month prior, the firm announced the appointment of teams in Madrid and Johannesburg to open the firm’s inaugural offices in Spain and South Africa respectively. The firm will now operate 24 offices globally.