THE MELROSE SPORTS

Since the first occasion in April, 1883, the Melrose Sports have been held annually except when interrupted by war. The first reference to them in the Club's records is for 20th August, 1883, when it was decided that "Sports in connection with the Club should be held about the beginning of April, 1884." The same pattern was to be retained. In 1886 both Junior and Senior Sevens were staged on separate days. Occasionally as in 1886 the semi-final ties were postponed because the light had failed, and at one Sports the final could not be played until the following mid week. This was the occasion when Hawick and Melrose were left in a semi-final play off and early in the game R. Wilson scored a try to put Melrose in arrears - a position they held until with only about thirty seconds to go Sanderson of Melrose got the ball on the Hawick '25' and went through their defence to score the equaliser.

The first to score would be the winner and so play raged for nearly one hour of evenly matched rugby between two fine Border teams. The physical demands on the players were so exhausting that one of the Hawick forwards, a Dr. Cullen, apparently leaned across the scrum and begged someone, from whatever side, to score. Melrose responded to this plea and Haig and Sanderson contrived to beat the Hawick defence with the final dash being made by mercer to score the try. Melrose met tynedale in the final but the previous tie had taken too great a physical toll and Tynedale ran out winners of the 1886 Sports.
In 1883 the Ladies Cup was presented to the winners but in subsequent years only medals were awarded. In 1895, however, a cup was again introduced, the medals being retained. In 1898 it was decided to provide "something else than medals". For a few years rosebowls, carvers, and other items were presented but in 1907 gold medals were re-introduced to conform with the earlier ruling by the Scottish Rugby Union and this has been the practice ever since even at the military sevens in 1915. In the Club's Jubilee Year special medals were struck - "M.R.F.C. 1877-1927".

During the first seven years, 1883 - 1889, the Club's Seven won on three occasions and not again until 1931. The first non-Border side apart from Tynedale in 1886 to achieve this honour was Watsonians in 1905. Up to 1950 there is a fair sprinkling of Edinburgh Clubs among the winners. After 1950 Rosslyn Park, Cambridge University, London Scottish and Loughborough College appear. This tripartite division reflects the three stages in the spread of sevens tournaments. The Melrose Sports have been greatly enriched by the presence of these visiting teams. So far the fourth stage is missing. When shall we see a seven from overseas among the guest sides?
The general pattern of the Sports has changed: the athletic events were at first reduced and recently have disappeared. Much depended on the weather but even bad weather had positive results: the rain of the Jubilee Sevens was directly responsible for a new press gallery. Only in 1914 and 1920 were changes made to the original playing time of 7.5 minutes each way. They were not considered successful. Seeding was introduced into the draw in 1967. With the reduction in the number of athletic events the original eight teams have become sixteen. In 1938 the B.B.C. requested and was granted permission to broadcast a commentary on part of the programme and in 1970 television cameras recorded highlights of the day for 'Rugby Special' for the first time. Since then the sevens have featured several times on rugby Special as well as on BBC Scotland and STV. Such changes and developments are only natural in an event which has so prominent a place in the rugby calendar.
In all the Club has won nine times and has a creditable list of successes in other tournaments. They have been invited to play in tournaments from Inverness to London, the first invitation to the latter, which they were unable to accept, being in 1936 and the last when they defended the Wavell-Wakefield Trophy at the Harlequin's Sevens in September, 1977. The Melrose Tournament has always been an event for club teams, and for this The Centenary, all the Scottish Clubs who have been appearing regularly in recent years have been invited together with several guest teams. The Club are delighted that the French Barbarians are making their first appearance at The Greenyards following in the stud prints of our own Barbarians who are now making their third appearance at Melrose. The first occasion was in The Jubilee Sevens and also at the 1965 Sevens but it is hoped that their appearance in The Centenary Sevens will not precipitate the deluge of rain that accompanied their debut. The Barbarians next appearance at The Greenyards was on 4th October, 1976, during the Club's Centenary season and to date Melrose are the only Scottish Club to have played a XV-a-side game against them.

The story of how, at the first tournament in 1883, the Ladies of Melrose presented a cup for the competition has been told. The present cup has been played for since 1895 and now the Ladies of the Town have presented a cup for the Centenary Tournament, which, after this year, will be played for annually. On 28th August, 1982, at the beginning of this Rugby season Melrose Colts held their annual seven-a-side tournament at The Greenyards, and no spectator could forget the superb skills displayed that day by these fit young teenagers. Seven skills that were taught to them by their seniors, who were in turn taught by their seniors, and so on-all stemming from the idea of one man and his game. One man who won hundred of years ago conceived the idea of Sevens that has developed and expanded to such an extent that the abbreviated game is now played worldwide and is followed by countless thousands. Countless thousands who today are represented by only a small percentage of aficionados who have been fortunate enough to secure a place on the annual pilgrimage to The Greenyards-which takes on a special significance this year as the memory of one man-Ned Haig-is celebrated.

"5 Hours enjoyment for 6d" was the assessment of the Melrose Sports made by an early Secretary of The Club. Today it is more than five hours of enjoyment and Players and Spectators alike are deeply indebted to Ned Haig and the men of 1883 whose imagination and business acumen sprang this entertaining competitive game on an unsuspecting world.

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