'It almost felt as if times were normal' - supporters had fun at Peebles Sevens over the weekend

It was the first time a rugby sevens event had been staged in the Borders for almost two years and more than one thousand fans were able to enjoy both the rugby and the atmosphere.

Happily, threatened heavy downpours failed to materialise too.

Sam Hamilton is a platinum club co-ordinator at Peebles Rugby Club.

The platinum club is a fundraising initiative which does a great deal to support the club and its players.

She said: “The numbers allowed entry was limited to a thousand and it was free entry, which is nice because normally it’s £10. That was a good incentive for people to come and support it.

"There was a good mixture of ages and it was a good turn-out for all the events, not just the Kings of the 7s, which was the main event.

"On top of the thousand spectators there was also the hospitality tent for sponsorship, that was for companies and people that sponsor the rugby and they were sponsoring each tie over the weekend.

"There were drinks there, there was a bar and table service and it was a good atmosphere. It actually felt like one of the first normal things that we have done since covid, it really felt like getting back to normal.

"The weather was good and it didn’t rain so that was a bonus too.”

Sam, who also runs an equestrian business, added: “It was the first seven tournament in the Borders for two years since covid. It was also over the whole weekend, the Friday, Saturday and Sunday and it was a relaxed atmosphere.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​