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Robin Heymann

“Winter’s past and spring is here
And with it the Sevens we all haud dear
On April 10th all roads will lead to Melrose and the banks of tweed,
There will be guest teams from worldwide
Invited accepted wi’ great pride
Melrose, Gala, Selkirk, Jed
Men across the border bred...”

This beautiful extract from Borders based poet Ian W Landles for the 2010 Melrose Sevens depicts perfectly what the sevens’ first ever tournament is all about. As the first traces of sunshine creep through the UK air, Scotland once again gets the Sevens ball rolling at the birthplace of our game.

The actual above poem is taken from a ‘YouTube’ promotion for the tournament, which officially kicks-off today with a Vets 10s event. It’s a positive aspect to see Melrose willing to evolve digitally as the people all over the globe should become familiar with the Melrose story.

Incredibly this will be Melrose’s 127th staging of the tournament, initiated by of course Mr. Ned Haig back in 1883, as described in a feature we covered last year.

Haig’s vision, at Melrose RFC in 1883, to reduce the number of players on a rugby pitch to incorporate multiple games throughout the day, laid the foundations for the sevens tournament concept. And I suppose facilitated jobs for my UR7s colleagues and I!

“We are very proud of the fact that Sevens is now an Olympic sport and it started here and we’ve given something to what’s now obviously a world sport,” explains Douglas Hardie, marketing convenor for Melrose.

“The atmosphere at the Greenyards coupled with the quality of rugby is always exceptional. “

Attention!

The theme for this year is very much with the military in mind as the event aims to show mass support for Scottish and British forces overseas.

“It’s a high profile topic at the moment and there are many close military links here,” adds Hardie.

“A lot of QSB soldiers with links to the club and people who live in the area are retired and have been involved with the military before. We thought it would be appropriate in the circumstances to head down that route. It’s been very well received by all concerned such as the public, participants, and sponsors.”

One charity being supported is Poppyscotland, which is designed to supports veterans and their dependants in Scotland through the help of dedicated volunteers and donors.

In previous years a fancy dress element as very much been in attendance as has become the way at high profile Sevens around the globe.

This year for the first time Melrose adopts an official “Superhero or Heroine” theme. But as Hardie explains despite the hilarity and amusement of people operating in the stands with their underpants over their trousers there is a serious message to be had with the real heroes, the guys in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

For the 2010 Sevens season only, the Melrose 1st VII will wear a specially-designed Kukri playing shirt. A limited-edition replica will be available to the public on a first-come basis, and Melrose RFC will make a donation from each sale to the Services charity.

Special achievement

Melrose’s current first team coach is Craig Chalmers, a former full Scottish international with 60 caps and a British Lions tourist to boot. Chalmers was also member of the Melrose team that last won this event back-to-back in 1997 and 1998, an achievement the former fly-half still holds close to his heart.

“It was definitely one of the greatest things I did in my career and something everyone wants to achieve. It is a great atmosphere and night after is always special. The whole occasion is fantastic. Hopefully I can win it again but as a coach this time,” says Chalmers.

“The boys are all excited about it and the history behind it makes it all the more special. We have some extra responsibility to make sure we perform and at least get into the semi-finals. It is always tough with four games against the quality of opposition you face here.”

Such opposition includes the carefully selected overseas and guest teams that fill a couple of the spots for the day.

English clubs such as Sale (2003) and Newcastle (2006) have enjoyed winning raids up north, but it is the ultra-talented students from South Africa which have dominated proceedings in recent times and bought a real quality and spark to the event.

Stellenbosch University (2004 & 2005), University of Orange Free State (2007) and current defending champions University of Johannesburg have all tasted success at Greenyards.

It provides a perfect example of the potential in South Africa Sevens, who of course are the current reigning IRB Sevens World Series champions. With standards in abbreviated code growing Chalmers feels the strength of the sides who travel to Scotland make it tough for the domestic sides.

“Sides like Jo’burg are run like a professional outfit and it was the same with others that have come here. It is difficult for the Scottish clubs with Boroughmuir the last club to win and that was in 2002.”

Melrose as always incorporates the third leg of the Kings of Sevens circuit, that sees clubs battle it out for points over ten tournaments, with the remaining seven tournaments of the season following in quick succession after this weekend.

Changes?

Such is the allure of Melrose, there has been constant speculation about whether the tournament could expand to incorporate international teams or even replace Murrayfield as a leg on the IRB Series.

The crowds Melrose bring actually aren’t far off what Murrayfield draws for the last leg of the World Series. Furthermore it is an event which will swamp the crowds that Scotland’s two pro-teams can expect to bring.

Yet many traditionalists also feel the tournament should stay true to its honest roots and stick to what they know best.

“Look, you can never say never to future plans, but at the moment it will remain a club tournament and that is something we want to retain,” says Hardie.

“We obviously have the Edinburgh Sevens part of the IRB Sevens World Series and there has been chat about it coming here in the past. But as it stands Edinburgh host that event and we have a club tournament that works very well, so why mend if it ain’t broke?”

Fair point. It is a policy that has worked pretty well since 1883. But I still feel it is a tournament that more exposure could be given too outside of Scotland. For the next few days let us just admire this famous club’s rustic charms as the Scottish Borders takes centre stage on this weekend’s Sevens map. Anyway as Ian Landes points out...

“In Life as in the rugby game
Change comes but some things stay the same
The Eilden aye majestic stand
Tweed still flows through our border lands”