NORTH Berwick RFC will temporarily close its doors this summer before re-opening as an improved community sports hub in East Lothian.

ONE of the Borders’ and Scottish rugby’s more popular characters, Robin Charters, has passed away at the age of 82.

British and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland has ruled out making another offer to Jonny Wilkinson to join the forthcoming tour to Australia.

England are to add Northampton’s Luther Burrell and Stephen Myler to their squad for their South American tour after Alex Goode and Joel Tomkins were ruled out through injury.

Former Wales centre Matthew J Watkins has revealed he has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

GLASGOW and Scotland centre Graeme Morrison is the latest talent to confirm his retirement from rugby as a result of injury problems that refuse to go away.

Watsonians finished second in the overall Kings of the 
Sevens title race to Melrose, following the final event at Jed-Forest on Saturday.

Edinburgh Rugby and Spartans Football Club are exploring the possibility of a ground-share at Ainslie Park Stadium, the Evening News has learned.

ROBBIE Deans is firmly of the opinion that a British and Irish Lions Test is no place to blood unproven players and his Wallabies squad reflects that belief in all but the position traditionally considered rugby’s most important – fly-half.

NATHAN Hines’ quest for a second Heineken Cup winner’s medal ended in crushing disappointment on Saturday when his Clermont Auvergne side were beaten by French rivals Toulon in Dublin.

Australia coach Robbie Deans omitted fly-half Quade Cooper but named Israel Folau and two other uncapped players in his preliminary squad of 25 for the three-Test series against the British and Irish Lions.

The New South Wales Waratahs beat ACT 28-22 in Saturday’s Australian derby, tipping the Brumbies off the top of the Super Rugby table and raising injury concerns for the Wallabies ahead of their Test series against the British and Irish Lions.

HONOURS were shared in the last Borders sevens tournament of the season on Saturday at a rain-drenched Riverside Park, where Jed-Forest earned their first success of the year while Melrose collected the Kings of the Sevens title.

LES Kiss has confirmed that he will be a permanent member of Joe Schmidt’s Ireland coaching team upon completion of the summer tour to the United States and Canada.

JONNY Wilkinson described winning the Heineken Cup with Toulon as a bigger achievement than his Rugby World Cup triumph with England ten years ago.

IF CLERMONT’S coach Vern Cotter is to set up office in Murrayfield as Scotland’s next coach, as looks increasingly likely, the Kiwi will do without the added kudos that comes with winning the Heineken Cup.

Ireland and Munster stand-off Ronan O’Gara announced his playing retirement yesterday and now intends to take up a coaching role with Racing Metro.

It’s easy to see why the SRU are eager to lure Vern Cotter from Clermont but what’s in it for the New Zealander?

AT the Ulster end-of-season dinner a couple of weeks ago, prop Paddy McAllister collected the award for Personality of the Year... except he hadn’t won it.

IT POURED at Riverside yesterday but it failed to rain on Jed-Forest’s parade as the hosts rose to the occasion of the final round of the Kings of the Sevens competition to win their own tournament with victory over Melrose in a quality final.