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| Full name | Melrose Rugby Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1877 | |
| Location | Melrose, Scotland | |
| Ground(s) | Greenyards (Capacity: 16,024 [1] ) | |
| President | Grant Hogg | |
| Coach(es) | Bert Gregg | |
| Captain(s) | Angus Runciman | |
| League(s) | Super 6 | |
| 2021–22 | Super 6, 1st of 6 (RU) | |
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| Official website | ||
| melroserugby | ||
Melrose Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club located in the town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders. The professional men's side competes in the Super 6 as the "Southern Knights". The club plays at the Greenyards. [2]
The club was formed in 1877 and was elected to full membership of the Scottish Rugby Union in 1880. [3] The club have played at the Greenyards since the club's inception. [3]
Melrose have been Scottish champions on nine occasions and Scottish cup winners three 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. [3]
| Southern Knights Super 6 squad | ||
|---|---|---|
Props
Hookers
Locks
| Back row
Scrum halves
| Fly halves
Centres
Wings
Fullbacks
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Edinburgh Rugby players drafted:
Jaco Van der Valt Luan de Bruin
Charlie Sheil Nick Aurelic
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| Team | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TBP | LBP | PTS | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heriot's Rugby | 12 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 478 | 238 | +240 | 10 | 0 | 52 | ||||||
| 2 | Ayrshire Bulls (RU) | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 372 | 211 | +151 | 8 | 0 | 47 | ||||||
| 3 | Watsonians | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 265 | 231 | +34 | 2 | 0 | 40 | ||||||
| 4 | Stirling Wolves (CH) | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 422 | 286 | +136 | 3 | 2 | 33 | ||||||
| 5 | Southern Knights | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 282 | 369 | -87 | 2 | 1 | 27 | ||||||
| 6 | Boroughmuir Bears | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 252 | 389 | -137 | 1 | 0 | 17 | ||||||
| 7 | Future XV | 12 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 206 | 543 | -337 | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
Yellow background indicates qualification for the final. | |||||||||||||||||
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 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.
There is an under 18s team called Melrose Wasps, formerly coached by the famous Jim Telfer now by Jerry Brett and Nick Alston . Traditionally over the seasons this team has been very competitive in the local Borders League as well as being a top Scottish U18 side playing the best XV's in the country as well as touring overseas (Monaco in 2018).[ citation needed ] 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 very strong partnership with feeder school Earlston HS.[ citation needed ]
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.
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.[ citation needed ] 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. [4] 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.
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.
Olympic Games Mark Robertson Great Britain, Silver Medal, Rugby Sevens 2016
The following former Melrose players have represented South of Scotland at provincial level.
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There is an under 18s team called Melrose Wasps, formerly coached by the famous Jim Telfer and now by Jerry Brett and Nick Alston. This XV plays some of the very best 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 Avery strong partnership with catchment school Earlston HS.
Stirling County RFC is a Scottish rugby union club based in Stirling. The club plays its home games at Bridgehaugh. It runs a number of sides. The professional men's side competes in the Super 6 as the Stirling Wolves, the women's side competes in the Scottish Womens Premiership.
Watsonian Football Club is a rugby union club based in Edinburgh and part of the Scottish Rugby Union. The club is connected with George Watson's College as a club for former pupils, and changed its policy in the 1980s to be a fully open club, welcoming players of all abilities regardless of whether they attended the school or not. It is one of a small number of rugby union clubs entitled to call itself a 'football club', rather than a 'rugby football club'. Watsonians run a number of sides; the top male side plays in the FOSROC Super Series tournament, the Women's side plays in the Tennents Scottish Women's Premiership Scottish Rugby's Women's League
Heriot's Rugby Club, formerly known as Heriot's FP, is one of Scotland's senior rugby football clubs in the Scottish Rugby Union, whose part-timeprofessional team, Heriot's Rugby play in FOSROC Super 6 with the Men's 1st XV playing in the Men's Scottish Premiership. The women play in Scottish Womens Premiership
Hawick Rugby Football Club is an semi-pro rugby union side, currently playing in the Scottish Premiership and Border League. The club was founded in 1885 and are based at Mansfield Park at Hawick in the Scottish Borders.
Biggar RFC is a rugby union club based in Biggar, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. Founded in 1975, the team plays its home games at Hartree Mill. The men's side currently competes in Scottish National League Division One, the women's side currently compete in Scottish Womens West One.
Selkirk Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Selkirk in the Borders, Scotland.
Gala Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. Founded in 1875, it plays its home games at Netherdale. The team currently competes in Scottish National League Division One, the second tier of Scottish club rugby, and the Border League.
The Border League, currently known as the Booker Border League, after its sponsors, includes rugby union teams from all over the Scottish Borders as well as Berwick RFC from Northumberland compete every year from the competition.
Jed-Forest Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team who are based at Riverside Park in Jedburgh.
Kelso Rugby Football Club are a Scottish rugby union team founded in 1876. They play their home games at Poynder Park, Kelso in the Scottish Borders.
Peebles Rugby Football Club is a rugby union club based in Peebles in the Scottish Borders. The team currently competes in Scottish National League Division Two, the third tier of Scottish club rugby.
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.
The Scottish Premiership is the highest level of amateur league competition for Scottish rugby union clubs. First held in 1973, it is the top division of the Scottish League Championship. The most recent (2023) champions are Hawick who are also the most successful club who have won the competition thirteen times.
Earlston RFC is a rugby union club, based at Earlston in the Scottish Borders.
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.
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.
Walkerburn Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Walkerburn RFC, in Walkerburn, Scotland. The Walkerburn Sevens was the sixth of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated, in 1911, after the bigger events of the Border Sevens spring circuit.
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.
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