IBROX Stadium has been transformed into a rugby ground for Scotland's biggest-ever sporting and cultural festival.

Rangers' ground has been transformed for the Commonwealth Games by an army of staff.

The pitch lengthened by 15 metres, the walls at each end raised and fitted with padding to protect players and the goal posts replaced with rugby posts.

Yesterday organisers celebrated by allowing Adam Running, six, and Sandy Heather, five, from Cartha Kids, part of Cartha Queen's Park Rugby Club, a run out.

They kicked the first rugby balls through the posts with a little bit of expert coaching from Colin Gregor, captain of the Scotland Rugby Sevens Team.

Gregor said: "This is the one and only time the crowd will get to see rugby posts at Ibrox so the team are really excited about opening the competition here. There's going to be an amazing noise when we run out to the ground on Saturday. The stands are right up close to the pitch which will add a brilliant buzz to the games."

Work to extend the pitch involved raising the surface of areas at both ends of the park by 600mm by covering the existing track with membrane and new boards and then infilling with sand. The new turf was laid on top.

The rugby posts were then put in place, completing the transformation ahead of the stadium hosting the Rugby Sevens competition on Saturday and Sunday.

Before the posts could go up, the existing undersoil heating had to be cut and re-routed and the pitch dug up to accommodate the two cubic meters of concrete for each post.

Greg Warnecke, Glasgow 2014 head of sport, said: "This marks another exciting milestone in our journey to the games with the completion of this temporary transformation of Ibrox Stadium.

"Ibrox is one of the most iconic stadiums in the UK and it will be a spectacular setting for all the action and excitement of the Rugby Sevens. We have been working closely with Rangers Football Club to ensure this project has been completed for the games and I would like to thank them for all their support."