Back-to-back wins for Kelso at last-ever Walkerburn Sevens

Last year’s 14-5 victory versus a Melrose veterans’ team was Kelso’s first in the then-124-year-history of the Caberston Haugh competition and they added a second, by 19-14, against Lasswade at the weekend.

They beat Melrose 24-7 in the last four and Biggar 34-5 and Haddington 15-7 in their three-strong pool to make it to that final.

Their Midlothian opponents got the better of Melrose and Border Barbarians in their group of four and lost to Peebles to progress to the semis and knock out West Linton Lions 17-14.

Lions ended up on top of a third pool of three also including the hosts – 11-time winners of their own tournament, most recently in 1966 – and Preston Lodge.

The tournament was originally intended to be contested by four pools of three ahead of semis, but withdrawals by Selkirk, Gala YM and Heriot’s forced a rethink, with Barbarians, freed up to take part after having a scheduled rugby league fixture at home to Tayside Silverbacks in Earlston at the same time called off, joining in and the winners of the three pools left going through, along with the group of four’s runners-up.

Kelso’s win was accomplished despite fielding a second string as their firsts were in action in the 11th and final round of this rugby season’s Kings of the 7s campaign in Edinburgh, making it to the semi-finals but losing out to Melrose by 47-10.

Making up their squad at Walkerburn were Harris Ross, Mackenzie Shaw, Jack Walker, Greg Cessford, Will Prentice, Murray Hastie, Mark Wilson, Harry Ashworth, Josh Coulter and Arran Jackson.

Walkerburn’s sevens on Saturday also saw them reach the end of the road as a club almost a century and a half on from their foundation in 1884.

That decision, down to repeated inability to field squads to fulfil fixtures over recent years, was originally announced in 2024 but subsequently reversed following the outcry it sparked at the time.

Ongoing difficulties in recruiting sufficient players to be able to muster teams have led club officials to revert to that original decision to call it a day, however.

“Two years ago, we held our centenary sevens tournament, which we believed at the time would be the spark that relit the Walkerburn flame, and we saw real interest from other clubs in helping keep us in the rugby community,” said a club spokesperson.

“That tournament and last year’s were significant in helping the club. However, no club can rely on one day a year to keep the doors open and the lights on.

“After months of exhaustive efforts to find a sustainable path forward, the reality we face is stark.

“A chronic shortage of available players has made it almost impossible to replenish squad numbers and field a team.

“Off the field, the financial burden of essential maintenance and upkeep has become insurmountable.

“We have inherited significant challenges from previous administrations that, despite determined efforts, have proven impossible to overcome.

“We are utterly heartbroken. Every single one of us has poured our hearts into trying to save this club.

To be the committee that must close the doors feels like a failure even though we know, rationally, that we have done everything humanly possible.”