Selkirk

Scottish Cup holders Melrose get their defence of the trophy underway this evening when they take on Boroughmuir at Meggetland in round one.

Some of Scotland’s leading clubs have called on the Scottish Rugby Union to postpone by a year the introduction of its Super 6 competition which due to start next season.

‘I’ve never seen a Garryowen from your own 22,” someone at Philiphaugh remarked to me last Saturday as we watched an intermittently lively Selkirk beat a Kelso team who had the greater share of possession, but couldn’t really be said to have enjoyed it. The comment rather surprised me because these days it’s quite usual to see the ball booted from the 22 into the midfield rather than into touch. And I suppose the high kick down the middle may be correctly regarded as a Garryowen.

Scotland rugby great John Rutherford has urged all men over 50 to get tested for prostate cancer after winning his own battle against the disease which killed his brother.

The year ahead promises to be an interesting one for rugby. The best two teams in world rugby will meet for the first time since 2014 and either New Zealand or England will get a huge boost one year out from the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Unquenched by experience, hope springs eternal in the Scottish rugby supporter’s breast. It has had to. Things would have been intolerable otherwise in the long winter we have lived through since that joyous day in Paris when Scotland ran riot against France and won the last Five Nations title.That was in 1999, when Zander Fagerson wasn’t yet in primary school, and when, for all I know, Finn Russell had not yet handled a rugby ball.

Melrose secured their second Kings of the Sevens title in the space of seven days after triumphing at Selkirk yesterday with a 38-17 win over Watsonians in a physical final, writes Alan Lorimer at Philiphaugh.

Selkirk have announced the return of Graham Marshall as head coach following the resignation of Peter Wright.

Today’s Six Nations stars train every day and skip the post-match banquet, whereas the players of yesteryear were involved in rather less build-up and a good bit more wind-down – and oh how we chortle at those tales of aftershave-quaffing and the oldest trophy being used as a ball. But the yarns can do a disservice to guys like Scotland’s John Rutherford, who was devoted to his sport, otherwise how could he have become the best stand-off in the world?

Selkirk are old-school, a Borders team “playing for the toon”, almost totally reliant on players they can produce from within their own community, some of whom – Ronnie Cowan, John Rutherford, Scott Nichol say – will go right to the top.

AYR all but guaranteed finishing the regular BT Premiership season in top spot with this 12-try demolition of already-relegated Selkirk, writes Matt Vallance at Millbrae.

Glasgow Hawks scored five tries to collect a bonus point and maintain a challenge for a Premiership play-off place while, at the same time, sending Selkirk sliding back into the national league in trying conditions at Philiphaugh, writes Atholl Innes.

GLASGOW Hawks maintained their challenge for a Premiership play-off slot and relegated Selkirk in a match at Philiphaugh spoiled by a strong wind, writes Atholl Innes.

Hawick achieved the five championship points they had targeted after running in four tries against Selkirk in yesterday’s BT Premiership match switched from an unplayable Mansfield Park to Philiphaugh, writes Alan Lorimer.

Jim Inglis, known since his now long distant playing days as “Basher”, was one of the best liked and most admired stalwarts of Borders rugby. Along with his wife Mary, he received the SRU’s Spirit of Rugby award last year; and there can’t have been a dissenting voice in the Borders or anyone who didn’t think the award thoroughly deserved. The Scotsman has already paid tribute to him in its obituary and an appreciation, but there are a 
couple of things I would like to add.

CURRIE moved into fourth position in the BT Premiership after a high-scoring game in which each side scored bonus points

THE Scottish Rugby Union have led tributes to former Scotland prop Jim Inglis after he passed away aged 87.