13 February 2026, Edinburgh: Valentine’s Day falls on Calcutta Cup day this year – which means Scotland has the perfect excuse to swap romance for rivalry. Tennent’s is celebrating 14th February the Scottish way: by booting England’s roses clean off a rugby tee and proudly declaring itself the Official Sponsors of No Love Lost.
For Tennent’s, Leith delivers an idea that lands in one clean hit: a bouquet of English red roses perched on a Tennent’s tee before being dispatched into orbit – a loud, mischievous and unmistakably Scottish nod to the joy, camaraderie and chaos that defines Scottish rugby fandom. It’s a simple, bold visual built for social: a rose, a tee, a boot, and a nation that doesn’t need the joke explained.
The campaign taps into the truth at the heart of Scottish rugby culture. A culture enriched with pride, determination and camaraderie, that brings people together to celebrate the patter, the fun and indeed the highs and the lows of the sport. Tennent’s is the official sponsor of Scottish Rugby, and the brand has always been a catalyst for bringing family and friends together. This year Tennent’s is celebrating all of it; whether people are glued to the match, pretending they understand the rules, or just enjoying the excuse for a mid‑February pint.
Rolling out across Tennent’s social channels from 12th February, the work brings a modern, mischievous and culturally fluent edge to the brand’s official sponsorship – proudly Scottish without veering into cliché, and perfectly timed for a Valentine’s Day fixture that promises absolutely no romance.
Hazel Alexander, Senior Brand Manager for Tennent’s, said: “Only in Scotland could Valentine’s Day and the Calcutta Cup collide, and what better way to celebrate it than by sending England’s roses flying. Rugby here is about the fun, the friendship and the emotional journey we’ll be taken on this weekend and indeed throughout the competition, and this campaign taps right into that. We’re delighted to kick off our Calcutta Cup activity with something that feels so true to Scottish fans.”
Aimee Wood, Account Director at Leith, said: “This Valentine’s Day gave us the perfect excuse to show what ‘Leithal thinking you can’t ignore’ actually looks like. If you hand us an English rose on the day Scotland plays England, of course, we’re going to boot it into the middle distance. It’s playful, it’s proud, and it’s exactly the kind of social mischief Tennent’s should be making.”
