An Aberdeen rugby club will host a special fundraising beer festival this weekend as part of efforts to counteract the economic challenges brought on by the downturn in the north-east oil and gas industry.
Based at Woodside Sports complex just off Great Western Road, Aberdeenshire RFC will hold their “RugBeer” event at their grounds on Saturday.
The event, which features products from a number of north-east breweries, will see cash going towards helping the club stay ahead of the game financially.
Michael MacLugash, player and secretary for the club, said finding different ways of securing funding was important for the future of the organisation.
He said: “The downturn in the oil industry has understandably had a knock-on effect on sponsorship for sports teams.
“That’s why we now need to look at a new ways to raise funds for the club to ensure we can continue to provide the levels of training and on-field success we have seen over the past few years.
“The idea came to our club president after a match against Whitecraigs RFC in Glasgow last season.
“They hosted a similar event, but on a much larger scale.
“I then thought it would be great if we could host our own festival, which would not only benefit the club greatly, but also promote some of the excellent breweries in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire.
“We’re hoping the event can be a great success, and we will be able to bring it back year after year, and make it bigger and better each time.”