Gala Sevens

Last updated

Gala Sevens
Sport Rugby sevens
Instituted1884
Number of teams12
Country Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland
Holders Flag of Scotland.svg Edinburgh Academicals (2019)
Most titles Flag of Scotland.svg Hawick (42 titles)
Related competition Kings of the Sevens

Gala Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Gala RFC, in Galashiels, Scotland. The Gala Sevens was the second of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated in 1884, just behind the Melrose Sevens in 1883. [1]

Contents

Held around the start of every April, the tournament is part of the Kings of the Sevens competition. 2019's Gala Sevens took place on the 6 April. [2] It was won by Edinburgh Academicals. [3]

Sports Day

Gala introduced a Sports Day in 1884. This contained rugby sevens, a kicking competition and athletics. [4]

Memorial Football trophy

The winner of the Gala Sevens receives the Border Memorial Football Trophy. [5]

Invited Sides

Various sides have been invited to play in the Gala Sevens tournament throughout the years. The Barbarians entered in a side in 1976, as did Harlequins. Newcastle Falcons reached the final in 1999; Llanelli RFC reached the final in 1970; Bridgend RFC reached the final in 1971.

The Fiji national rugby sevens team won the event in 1991. They beat the Canada national rugby sevens team in the final.

Cardiff RFC won the event in 1964 and were runners-up the following year.

Of the English sides so far invited, only Tynedale, Blackheath, Loughborough Colleges, Orrell and Richmond have won the Memorial Football Trophy.

Sponsorship

The Sevens tournament is usually sponsored by Five Star Taxis of Galashiels. [6] [7] [8] [9]

Past winners

See also

Related Research Articles

The Scottish Premiership is the highest level club division in Scotland's national rugby union league divisions, and therefore part of the Scottish League Championship.

Scottish Premiership Division Two is one of Scotland's national rugby union league divisions, and therefore part of the Scottish League Championship – being the middle division in the Scottish Premiership. Until the 2009–10 season, the best teams were promoted to the Scottish Premiership Division One whereas the bottom teams were relegated to the Third Division. Since the 2010–11 season, the division merges with the Scottish Premiership Division One. After 11 matches, the top eight teams in Division One play each other in Premier A. The bottom four teams join the top four teams of Division Two to form Premier B and the bottom eight teams of Division Two form Premier C.

The Scottish National League Division One is the second tier of the Scottish League Championship for amateur rugby union clubs in Scotland.

Melrose Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Melrose Rugby Club, at The Greenyards in Melrose, Scotland. It is the oldest rugby sevens competition in the world, dating back to 1883 when the tournament was suggested by former Melrose player Ned Haig. English side London Scottish are the current champions after beating Edinburgh Accies 29–12 in the 2019 final to win the event for the first time since 1965.

The Borders Sevens Circuit is a series of rugby sevens tournaments held annually in the Scottish Borders. Originally the circuit consisted of 5 tournaments; Langholm Sevens being the last added in 1908. It is the oldest Sevens circuit in the world; the first Sevens tournament outside Scotland - bar two single Sevens matches in Chorley, England in 1888 and 1889 - was held in the Scottish expatriate city of Dunedin in New Zealand in 1889 and there was no other Sevens tournament clusters elsewhere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotland Club XV</span> Rugby team

The Scotland national Club XV rugby union team is one of several national rugby union teams behind the Scottish national side.

The 1953–54 Scottish Inter-District Championship was a rugby union competition for Scotland's district teams.

The 1954–55 Scottish Inter-District Championship was a rugby union competition for Scotland's district teams.

The 1979–80 Scottish Inter-District Championship was a rugby union competition for Scotland's district teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Melrose Sevens</span>

The 2018 Melrose Sevens also known as the Aberdeen Standard Investments Melrose Sevens was the 128th staging of the world's oldest annual Rugby sevens competition at the home of Melrose RFC at the Greenyards in Melrose, Scotland on Saturday 14 April 2018. It was played as a male only competition which featured 24 teams in a single elimination tournament with all the ties from the first round through to the final being played throughout the same day and formed part of the Kings of the Sevens series.

Langholm Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Langholm RFC, in Langholm, Scotland. The Langholm Sevens was the last of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated in 1908.

Hawick Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Hawick RFC, in Hawick, Scotland. The Hawick Sevens tournament started in 1886 and is the third extant oldest Sevens tournament in the world; behind Melrose Sevens (1883) and Gala Sevens (1884).

Berwick Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Berwick RFC, in Berwick upon Tweed, England. The Berwick Sevens was the last of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated, in 1983; but the first in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jed-Forest Sevens</span> Annual rugby sevens event

Jed-Forest Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Jed-Forest RFC, in Jedburgh, Scotland. The Jed-Forest Sevens was the fourth of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated, in 1894, after the Melrose Sevens (1883), Gala Sevens (1884) and the Hawick Sevens (1885).

Peebles Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Peebles RFC, in Peebles, Scotland. This was one of a group of Sevens tournaments instated after the First World War extending the original Borders Spring Circuit. The Peebles Sevens began in 1923.

Earlston Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Earlston RFC, in Earlston, Scotland. This was one of a group of Sevens tournaments instated after the First World War extending the original Borders Spring Circuit. The Earlston Sevens began in 1923.

Selkirk Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Selkirk RFC, in Selkirk, Scotland. This was one of a group of Sevens tournaments instated after the First World War extending the original Borders Spring Circuit. The Selkirk Sevens began in 1919.

Kelso Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Kelso RFC, in Kelso, Scotland. This was one of a group of Sevens tournaments instated after the First World War extending the original Borders Spring Circuit. The Kelso Sevens began in 1920.

The 1947–48 Scottish Districts season is a record of all the rugby union matches for Scotland's district teams.

The Scottish Unofficial Championship was the top league of Scotland's best amateur rugby union clubs. The Championship was 'unofficial' as the Scottish Rugby Union held that the sport should remain amateur and at the time did not sanction competitive games between the clubs.

References

  1. ↑ "BBC - A Sporting Nation - The first Melrose Sevens match 1883". bbc.co.uk.
  2. ↑ "Edinburgh Accies beat Watsonians in final to win Gala Sevens". 6 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "Victory for Accies at Gala 7s". edinburghaccies.com.
  4. ↑ "Gala Rugby - Club History". Gala Rugby.
  5. ↑ The Annual Sports (1930 programme), Gala Football Club
  6. ↑ "Five Star Taxis Gala Sevens - News - Gala Rugby". pitchero.com.
  7. ↑ "Jed-forest Rugby Club - Jed win Five Star Taxis Gala 7s". jedforestrfc.com.
  8. ↑ Rugby, Gala (4 March 2016). "Five Star Taxis Gala Sevens 2016".
  9. ↑ "Five Star Taxis - The Scottish Borders' largest Taxi firm". fivestartaxisgalashiels.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.