Melrose duo against Jones and McNeil for award

THE second Borders Rugby Awards night is still a week away, but a new name will adorn the event's 'Player of the Season' trophy after Fraser Harkness failed to make the top four nominations.

The Selkirk full-back won the inaugural award in 2009, as part of an event launched to celebrate and promote Borders rugby. The local rugby media were invited to vote for their candidates and this year Harkness has just dropped out of the top four, behind team-mate Lee Jones, who will join Edinburgh this summer. Also shortlisted are Melrose player-coach John Dalziel, who, like Jones, played for the Scotland sevens and Barbarians teams; top-scoring Melrose wing Fraser Thomson and Hawick's Bruce McNeil, who returned to Mansfield Park after stints with Heriot's and Edinburgh and has starred at prop and No 8 this season, finishing with 13 tries.

John Rutherford, the former Selkirk, Scotland and British and Irish Lions fly-half, is the guest speaker at the second 'Borders Rugby Awards', sponsored by The Scarf Shop, Melrose, which takes place at the Tait Hall in Kelso on Friday 14 May. Archie Ferguson will also speak on behalf of the SRU before leaving office on the Scottish Rugby Council after a long affiliation with the union.

Hawick are guaranteed honours after topping the 'Most Successful Borders Club of the Year' chart following their return to Division One. In all, 17 trophies will be handed out on the night with Gala, Melrose and Jed- Forest also among winners, while one club will be the surprise beneficiary of 1,000 for youth development.

Awards organiser Stuart Cameron, of Borders Rugby Television, said: "The event is here to bring together all the clubs in the area under one roof and celebrate Borders Rugby. All the profits go back into supporting grassroots rugby in the Borders."