Bridgehaugh ideal venue to kick-start Legacy Sevens Series

THE drive to develop sevens rugby across Scotland moves up a gear in the central belt this weekend with the launch of the "Legacy Sevens Series" in an effort to raise awareness of the game before its first appearance in a home-based Commonwealth Games.

Scotland have competed in Manchester and across the globe in the Games sevens, but rugby was not part of the Games when they were last held in Scotland, in 1986. The leading sevens teams from across the Commonwealth will, however, take to Rangers' hallowed turf of Ibrox in 2014.

After being admitted to the Olympic Games for 2016, the IRB are also using sevens to promote rugby in countries as far afield as the USA and Kenya, Russia and Denmark. Glasgow City Council, Glasgow Life and the SRU are following suit with this new Legacy series.

The idea is to use the successful concept the Borders clubs have created, of linking tournaments with points in a series, and the club that picks up most points from the events at Stirling today, Boroughmuir on Friday, 29 April, Howe of Fife in Cupar on Saturday, 7 May and the Glasgow City Sevens at Cartha on Saturday, 14 May - double points are available at Dumbreck - are crowned the Legacy kings.

While the premise for the series is to widen interest in and knowledge of sevens across the central belt, there has been talk of extending the series still further in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games, with possible involvement of Borders clubs or winners of the Border Kings series, as well as teams from the north of Scotland.

This four-tournament series is the starting point, and Bridgehaugh is a good place to kick off. Stirling County have been one of the most ambitious and successful of Scotland's central belt clubs ever since driving the Bridgehaugh 1st XV from the district leagues to the Division One title in 1994/95, when such stars as Kenny Logan, Kevin and Mark McKenzie and Iain Jardine wore the red, black and white hoops.

County's youth system is envied by clubs across Scotland and the sevens has opened eyes to the attraction of a spring tournament focusing on club and community rugby. And the Ondeo-backed event is expecting a big crowd today.

In all, there will be four tournaments going on, with under-12 and under-14 children's competitions running alongside the senior men's and women's events.

Alongside County are fellow Premier Two promotion-winners Aberdeen Grammar FPs, celebrating the strengthening of Caledonia's involvement in Premier One, while local clubs Grangemouth and Bannockburn are also involved alongside a guest side of top sevens talent from the Army and the memorably named Horny's Tups.

Ondeo Stirling County Rugby Sevens (first tie noon): West of Scotland v Edinburgh University, Falkirk v Horny's Tups, Perthshire v Grangemouth, Stirling County v GHA, Aberdeen Grammar v Stirling University, Army v Tynedale, Howe of Fife v Bannockburn, Boroughmuir v Dollar Accies.