Hawick Sevens

Hawick Sevens
SportRugby sevens
Instituted1886
Number of teams16
CountryScotland Scotland
HoldersScotland Jed-Forest (2020)
Most titlesScotland Hawick (49 titles)
Related competitionKings of the Sevens

Hawick Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Hawick RFC, in Hawick, Scotland. The Hawick Sevens tournament started in 1886 and is the third extant oldest Sevens tournament in the world; behind Melrose Sevens (1883) and Gala Sevens (1884).[1]

Usually held around the end of every April, the tournament is part of the Kings of the Sevens competition. 2019's Hawick Sevens took place on the 20 April.[2] The final was won by Boroughmuir.[3]

For the 2019–20 season the tournament will instead move to an August fixture.[4] This was played on 10 August 2019.[5] No tournament was held for 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 2021–22 season event was won by Melrose.

The disassociated Hawick & Wilton Sevens started in 1885. These were run by Hawick and Wilton RFC - a cricket club that branched out to rugby union and was the progenitor of the Hawick RFC club - on separate dates from the Hawick Sevens tournament. Confusingly it shared similar winners to the Hawick Sevens before the rugby union arm shortly folded on the success of its progeny. Hawick & Wilton now remains as a cricket club.[6]

Sports Day

The Sevens tournament was initially billed as a Sports Day.[7]

Patterson Challenge Cup

The winner of the Hawick Sevens receives the Patterson Challenge Cup.[8][9]

Invited sides

Various sides have been invited to play in the Hawick Sevens tournament throughout the years. Saracens were invited in 1972 and Harlequins were invited in 1980.[10] Bristol, the Welsh invitational side Crawshays RFC, Wakefield RFC and the Australian side Randwick DRUFC were invited in 1994.[11]

Of the English sides so far invited:- Oxford University; London Scottish; London Welsh and Newcastle Falcons have all won the tournament.[12]

Past winners

Edinburgh Academicals and Edinburgh Wanderers jointly fielded the winning team in 1946*
'A' sides are shown where a club had entered two sides in the tournament[12]

Sponsorship

Hawick Sevens are sponsored by BSW Timber Group.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Lorimer, Alan (22 April 2018). "Watsonians with another success at Mansfield Park at Hawick Sevens". Theoffsideline.com.
  2. ^ a b "Hawick Rugby Football Club". Hawickrfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b @KingsOf7s (20 April 2019). "BSW Timber Hawick 7s:Final:Boroughmuir 26-5 Edin AcciesFour tournaments and four different winners" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ "Sevens shake-up!". Thehawickpaper.co.uk. 25 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Kings of the Sevens carnival pitches up at Mansfield Park". Thesouthernreporter.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Hawick Sevens". Scottishsevens.sport.blog. 7 June 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  7. ^ "On this day in Scotland: The world's first rugby sevens tournament". Iainthepoet.blogspot.com. 28 April 2012.
  8. ^ "Photographic image of 1930 programme" (JPG). Rugbyrelics.com. 19 April 1930. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  9. ^ "The Glasgow Herald - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Rugby Sevens - Programmes". Rugbyrelics.com.
  11. ^ [1] [dead link‍]
  12. ^ a b "Hawick - Kings of the 7s". K7s.co.uk.
  13. ^ Lorimer, Alan (16 April 2017). "Gala triumph at Hawick Sevens". Theoffsideline.com.
  14. ^ Donald, Peter (18 April 2004). "Hawick Sevens: Gregor bridges 50-year gap". Telegraph.co.uk.
  15. ^ "Hawick Sevens falls to foot-and-mouth". ESPN.com. 19 April 2001.