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Next weekend’s Melrose Sevens will have a military theme with this year’s tournament celebrating the bravery and sacrifice of Scottish and British services personnel around the world – with Poppy Scotland, the former Earl Haig fund, taking centre stage for the weekend.

Melrose’s festival starts this Friday (April 9) with the Veteran’s tournament followed by the main event the following day heading to the birth place of Rugby Sevens.

A big coup for the tournament sees the inclusion of Sevens powerhouse the British Army as a guest side.

They will be competing against other British and invitational sides, which this year will feature Italians Milano and the Hamilton club from Cape Town in South Africa, which continues the Borders club's links with the Republic, alongside the returning 2009 winners, Johannesburg University. It was the fourth time in six years that a South African side had lifted the trophy, following in the footsteps of Stellenbosch University (2004 and 2005) and Free State University (2007).

The Melrose Sevens also marks the third leg of the annual Kings of Sevens Series with Melrose and Selkirk winning the first two tournaments back in August. Defending Kings of Sevens champions, Watsonians, have a bye through to the second round facing either Hawick or Currie.

The veterans’ tournament, now in its third year, is a Tens competition with clubs eliminated being entered into subsidiary Bowl and Plate events.  Last year, the competition was won by the Border Reivers, the Bowl by Morgan Academy, and the Plate by Ledbury.

“There is a very real sense among people about how much our soldiers are putting on the line in the name of serving this country, and we are using the occasion to celebrate the strong links with our Scottish regiments going back over many years.” said Mike Dalgetty, Melrose RFC President.

Gilbratar Asset Management Melrose Sevens - 10th April 2010

First Round

Tie 1 - Gala v Stirling County
Tie 2 - Stewarts Melville v Boroughmuir
Tie 3 - Hawick v Currie
Tie 4 - Heriots v Glasgow Hawks
Tie 5 - Kelso v Edinburgh Academicals
Tie 6 - Langholm v West of Scotland
Tie 7 - Dundee HSFP v Peebles
Tie 8 - JedForest v Aberdeen

Second Round

Winners of Tie 1 v Selkirk
Winners of Tie 2 v University of Johannesburg
Winner of Tie 3 v Watsonians
Winner of Tie 4 v Cambridge University
Winners of Tie 5 v Ayr
Winners of Tie 6 v The Army
Winners of Tie 7 v Melrose
Winners of Tie 8 v Hamilton

Confirmed teams for the Davidson Chalmers Melrose 7s Veterans Tournament:

Orkney RFC, Ledbury RFC, Melrose RFC, Edinburgh Academical FC, Millbrae RFC, Cayman Islands, Morgan Academy RFC, Alnwick RFC, Madras Rugby Club, Puffin Gannets, and Glasgow Hawks RFC.