Melrose RFC

Melrose Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in the town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders. The men's side competes in the Scottish Premiership. The club plays at the Greenyards. The club is synonymous with inventing Rugby sevens and their tournament the Melrose Sevens is one of the most prestigious sevens tournaments in the world. Between the 2019-2020 and 2023-2024 seasons the club ran a men's professional side known as the Southern Knights which competed in the Super 6 league and Super Sprint competitions. History The club was formed in 1877 and was elected to full membership of the Scottish Rugby Union in 1880. The club have played at the Greenyards since the club's inception. Melrose have been Scottish champions on ten occasions and Scottish cup winners four times. They lifted the Scottish Cup in 1997 to complete a domestic double and have also won the Border League on 17 occasions. Despite the population of Melrose hovering around 2000 for a number of years the team has been a consistently successful club in the upper echelons of the Scottish game. Current squad Edinburgh Rugby players drafted: Jaco Van der Valt Luan de Bruin Charlie Sheil Nick Aurelic Teams As well as the Super 6 and 1st XV, Melrose have a youth side (Melrose WASPS) and a reserve side (Melrose Storm). The club had a successful Ladies side until 2018. Melrose Ladies Melrose Ladies was one of the top women's teams in Scotland, competing in the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Cup. The team produced a number of players who went on to represent Scotland. Four members of the current Scotland squad – Lisa Thomson, Lana Skeldon, Lauren Harris and Chloe Rollie – played at Melrose. The team folded in 2018. Melrose Wasps There is an under 18s team called Melrose Wasps, formerly coached by Jim Telfer now by Jerry Brett and Nick Alston . Traditionally over the seasons this team has been competitive in the local Borders League as well as being a top Scottish U18 side playing XV's in the country as well as touring overseas (Monaco in 2018). Melrose Rugby club also have an under-16, under-15, S2, S1, and then all primary ages groups however only start playing matches at Primary 4. The girls section – called the Queen Bees – involves girls from P4-P7. There is a partnership with feeder school Earlston HS. Melrose Storm Melrose's reserve side is known as the Melrose Storm. They broke records by winning the National Reserve League three seasons in a row (2016, 2017 & 2018). They currently play in the top 2nd XV League in Scotland against sides such as Heriots Blues, Stewarts Melville, Hawick, Gala, Edinburgh Accies. Sevens tournament Melrose is most famous as the host of the first-ever rugby sevens tournament in 1883, the abbreviated game having been invented by Ned Haig, a local butcher. The first Melrose Sevens was won by Melrose, beating local rivals Gala in the final during extra time. The Melrose Sevens, played on the second Saturday in April every year, remains the most popular Scottish Sevens tournament, regularly attracting crowds in excess of 10,000. In honour of the role of Melrose RFC in the creation of rugby sevens, the club was inducted along with Haig to the IRB Hall of Fame in 2008. Melrose have had some recent success in their home tournament, coming runner-up on a couple of occasions and winning it in 2011. In 2010 they were crowned Kings of the Sevens winning the Kelso, Earlston, Gala and Jedforest sevens and placing respectably in the others. The stadium Melrose play at the Greenyards. They have played here since the club was formed. The grandstand has wooden benches and is painted in the club colours; yellow and black. In 2019 the famous turf of The Greenyards was replaced with a 4G pitch. Notable former players Scotland internationalists Olympic Games Mark Robertson Great Britain, Silver Medal, Rugby Sevens 2016 South of Scotland The following former Melrose players have represented South of Scotland at provincial level. Youth rugby There is an under 18s team called Melrose Wasps, formerly coached by the Jim Telfer and now by Jerry Brett and Nick Alston. This XV plays XV's from clubs and schools in Scotland, as well as touring overseas (Monaco 2018). Melrose rugby club also have an under-16, under-15, S2, S1, and then all primary ages groups however only start playing matches at Primary 4. The girls section - called the Queen Bees - involves girls from P4-P7. There is a partnership with catchment school Earlston HS. Honours Men's Scottish Premiership Champions (10): 1989–90, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18 Runners-Up (2): 2014–15, 2016–17 Scottish Cup Champions (4): 1996–97, 2007–08, 2016–17, 2017-18 Runners-Up (6): 2000–01, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2015–16 Kelso Sevens Champions (18): 1932, 1933, 1937, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1952, 1974, 1980, 1988, 1998, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 Langholm Sevens Champions (9): 1933, 1947, 1950, 1952, 1963, 1992, 1999, 2002, 2014 Melrose Sevens Champions (12): 1883, 1885, 1889, 1931, 1947, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1975, 1997, 1998, 2011 Hawick Sevens Champions (4): 1910, 1958, 1974, 2014 Gala Sevens Champions (10): 1886, 1889, 1938, 1953, 1962, 1987, 1999, 2000, 2010, 2011 Berwick Sevens Champions (1): 2002 Jed-Forest Sevens Champions (11): 1908, 1909, 1910, 1964, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2018 Peebles Sevens Champions (13): 1932, 1960, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1976, 1979, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018 Selkirk Sevens Champions (12): 1932, 1946, 1951, 1961, 1965, 1985, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2014, 2016, 2017 Earlston Sevens Champions (21): 1949, 1950, 1951, 1957, 1965, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1996, 2002, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 Melrose hold the record of most consecutive victories in the tournament (6): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Kings of the Sevens Champions (8): 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 Walkerburn Sevens Champions (6): 1932, 1947, 1975, 1987, 2010, 2013 Melrose Storm Walkerburn Sevens Champions (2): 2018, 2019 See also Scottish Premiership Division One Border League Borders Sevens Circuit References Bath, Richard (ed.) The Complete Book of Rugby (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ISBN 1-86200-013-1) External links Official website Melrose Sevens Melrose RFC at the World Rugby Hall of Fame