Rugby digest: League latest & union call-off

Earlston:

Border Barbarians, the region’s new Earlston-based rugby league team, look set to have to wait three weeks to kick off their debut season as their first two scheduled opponents have both folded.

Thomas Hume, pictured in previous action, also scored v Stirling Uni (Photo: Paul Johnston/PJFootballPhotography)

placeholder image — Thomas Hume, pictured in previous action, also scored v Stirling Uni (Photo: Paul Johnston/PJFootballPhotography)

The Barbarians were due to play Forth Valley Vikings away on Saturday gone and Glasgow at home this coming Saturday but both have pulled out of the sport’s Scottish premiership at short notice, shrinking it from six teams to four.

That means the Borderers’ first fixture will now be away to Edinburgh Eagles on Saturday, May 23.

The South District Union on the attack during their 54-14 win versus Border Park at Netherdale in Galashiels last month (Photo: Andy McLean)

Hawick:

Hawick’s Mansfield Park is to host three rugby league matches between Scotland and England teams on Saturday, May 16.

The countries’ under-16s will play at 11am, their under-17s at 1pm and their student sides at 3pm.

Entry is £5 for adults and free for under-16s.

Alnwick:

Last Friday’s scheduled South District Union match away to Border Park in Alnwick was called off because the Borderers were unable to muster a team.

That game was intended to be the second leg of a double-header against the Northumbrians after the union beat them 54-14 seven days earlier in Galashiels.

Its abandonment means the union’s latest rugby season, their third, is now over.