The Poynder Park team’s 17-14 victory over defending champions Jed-Forest was their first sevens tournament victory since they came up trumps at the same venue back in 2010.
It lifts them up to sixth place, jointly with Hawick, on the competition’s leaderboard, with 16 points after six rounds.
That’s 14 shy of table-toppers Melrose’s tally of 30, but with four rounds left to go and 40 points to play for, the race for 2023’s title is still wide open.
Edinburgh Academical are second with 26, Gala third on 23, Watsonians fourth on 21, Peebles fifth on 19, Selkirk eighth on 15, Jed ninth on 12 and Berwick bottom on six.
Kelso’s first victory for 13 years means six different teams have won this campaign’s six rounds so far.
Edinburgh’s Watsonians were first off the mark at Peebles in August last year, followed by Hawick at their own event later that same month, Gala at theirs the week after, invitational outfit Monaco Impis at Melrose earlier this month and Accies at Berwick the weekend before last.
Welcoming his Tennent’s National League Division 1 champions’ return to winning ways at sevens after a wait of over a dozen years, Kelso director of rugby Neil Hinnigan told Borders Rugby TV: “Kelso beat Melrose, Accies and Jed to win this tournament, so you can’t take anything away from them.
“They’re the top teams in the Kings of the 7s at the moment and have been for several years and Kelso have been pretty much nowhere for years.
“They came out here with doggedness and heart.
“We’re not the greatest sevens team but we’ve got a bit of fight and it’s won us it on the day.”
Kelso’s Dwain Patterson was named as player of the tournament.
Three-times Kings of the 7s winners Kelso’s route to Saturday’s final consisted of pool wins against Melrose by 24-12 and Carlisle by 45-0 and a 17-12 semi-final knockout of Accies.
Jed, winners six times, booked their place in the final with a 22-10 victory versus Heriot’s Blues and 24-24 draw with Gala in their pool and a 40-12 semi-final win against Selkirk.
Melrose, Gala, Hawick, Peebles and the hosts all went out at the pool stage.
Melrose’s other pool game was a 57-0 win against Carlisle and Gala’s a 15-10 victory over Heriot’s.
Hawick beat Watsonians 22-12 but lost 19-5 to Accies.
Peebles got the better of Langholm by 52-0 but were defeated 21-15 by Selkirk, the hosts’ other pool match being a 28-19 loss to the Souters.
A double-header is next up, with Kelso’s sevens this coming Saturday being followed by Earlston’s on Sunday, with Jed’s after that on Saturday, May 13, and Selkirk’s wrapping proceedings up on Saturday, May 20.
Draws have been made for both this weekend’s rounds.
Kelso’s sevens, starting at 1.30pm and concluding with a final at 6pm, see them share a pool with Hawick and Stirling County, Melrose up against Selkirk and Northumbria University, Jed facing Watsonians and Currie Chieftains and Gala drawn alongside Peebles and Accies.
Round one of Earlston’s sevens, starting at 1pm, pits the hosts against Selkirk, Kelso versus Hawick, Melrose against Accies, Gala versus Peebles, Berwick against Durham University, Jed versus Edinburgh Uni, Boroughmuir against Watsonians and Gala YM versus GAC 7s.
Jed won last year’s Kelso Sevens, beating Gala 12-5 in the final, on their way to overall victory in the series and Selkirk came up trumps at Earlston, seeing off Melrose 24-5 in that final.
1. Langholm 7s
Kelso captain Frankie Robson with Langholm Sevens' winners' trophy Photo: Brian Sutherland
2. Langholm 7s
Kelso's Dwain Patterson being presented with Langholm Sevens' award for 2023's player of the tournament Photo: Brian Sutherland
3. Langholm 7s
Dwain Patterson on the ball for Kelso during their 24-12 pool win against Melrose at Langholm Sevens Photo: Brian Sutherland
4. Langholm 7s
Kelso players celebrating beating Jed-Forest 17-14 in Langholm Sevens' final Photo: Brian Sutherland