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Melrose served notice of their intent this season with a virtual demolition of the field in Sunday's Croall Bryson Kelso Sevens.

With several clubs preferring 15-a-side friendlies to the traditional season curtain-raiser at Poynder Park, Craig Chalmers' men took advantage to secure the Kelso title for the first time in 11 years with an impressive 151 points in four ties.

Chalmers said: "It is a sevens trophy and we're not going to get carried away, but we have set our stall out this season to win things and we said we wanted it to start this weekend."

Winger Calum Anderson scored a hat-trick against Langholm and his old club Peebles with new signings Fraser Thomson, Ben Allen, Tim Miskelly and Gary Elder swiftly blending well with existing Melrose talent.

"The players that have come to our club this summer are ambitious guys who not only want to play the highest level in club rugby, but they want to win. We have got 15s friendlies as well – our seconds put 60 points on Hawick Linden today – but I still see Sevens as hugely beneficial to improve fitness levels in pre-season.

"This is a fantastic tournament at Kelso and it plays a big part in helping our preparation, as will Selkirk Sevens next weekend, for a season in which we hope can bring the Division One title back to the Greenyards," added Chalmers.

In front of a good Kelso crowd, Melrose's biggest fight came in the semi-finals where they had to overcome a Peebles team clad in pink, as they bid to use the Sevens circuit to raise money for Breast Cancer Care Scotland.

They made Rose sweat before Chalmers' side eventually prevailed 33-19, while hosts and holders Kelso were knocked out by Jed-Forest 22-12 in a closer second semi-final.

Melrose fell 7-0 behind in the final to a Robert Hogg try for Jed-Forest, but scores by Craig Jackson, the cousin of Glasgow fly-half Ruaridh, Anderson, John Dalziel and Thomson took them to a commanding 26-7 half-time lead and Anderson and Miskelly wrapped up the silverware after the break.

Defending King of Sevens Champions Watsonians lost out in the Quarter-Finals to Jed via extra time.

This weekend sees the next round of the King of Sevens circuit with the clubs heading to Selkirk on Sunday (23rd).

Melrose: J Dalziel, J Murray, G Dodds, S McCormick, C Jackson, F Thomson, B Allen, G Eleder, T Miskelly.

Jed-Forest: G Young, D Grieve, S Laidlaw, R Goodfellow, E Scott, J Hogg, R Hogg, R Ferguson, M Hastie, L Young.

Results:

First round: Melrose 46 Langholm 0, Gala 34 Perthshire 5, Selkirk 26 Edinburgh Accies 19, Peebles 24 Howe of Fife 17, Hawick 31 Hawick YM 7, Kelso 15 Berwick 5, Jed-Forest 29 Haddington 0, Watsonians 22 President's VII 5.

Quarter-finals: Melrose 34 Gala 7, Selkirk 17 Peebles 26, Hawick 5 Kelso 19, Jed-Forest 26 Watsonians 21 (aet).

Semi-finals: Melrose 33 Peebles 19, Kelso 12 Jed-Forest 22.

Final: Melrose 38 Jed-Forest 7.