Club record 120-0 win takes Hawick Linden back up to rugby’s Arnold Clark East Region League Division 2

A club record 120-0 win at home to Lismore at Volunteer Park on Saturday saw them replace another capital city side, Edinburgh Northern, at the top of the table and, on ten victories from ten fixtures, racking up 49 points, head coach Simon Spalding’s team are now out of reach of third-placed Duns, on 33 from 11.

That match, making it was also loosehead prop and captain Aiden Fairbairn’s 100th for Linden and he marked hitting his century by scoring one of 20 converted tries.

Both their fellow Borderers Duns, relegated alongside them in 2024, and Northern, on 47 from 11, were out of action on Saturday due to waterlogged pitches in the capital. The Dingers were scheduled to play Trinity Academicals away and Northern to host Edinburgh University Medics.

Right-winger Logan Robertson and inside-centre Jardine Vevers both touched down hat-tricks for Linden, with full-back John Frew, outside-centre Lewis Ferguson, scrum-half Liam Bouglas and blindside flanker Tom Huggan racking up tries at the double and fly-half Riley Muir, Fairbairn, lock Jack Wilson, No 8 Matthew Huggan and replacements Arran Common and Harry Wilson making it over the line too.

Muir also kicked five conversions, No 21 Wilson four and Common one.

Linden, with four games left to go this term, don’t play again until Saturday, February 21, and their opponents then are Lismore again but away that time round, with kick-off at 1.30pm.

Glad though he is to see his side going up, Linden president Kieran Murphy is now calling on them to go further by extending their winning streak to the end of the season to secure this year’s Arnold Clark National League Division 3 title too.

He’s also setting his sights on a winning double come this month’s east bowl final away to league rivals Northern.

That takes place on Saturday, February 28, with kick-off in the capital at 2pm, and Murphy is hoping to land the first of two pieces of silverware that day, with a division three trophy to follow if their remaining league fixtures, all versus capital city sides – away to Lismore on the 21st and at home to the uni medics, Inverleith and Trinity Accies in March – go to plan.

“We’ve still got a job to do this year,” he told Borders Rugby TV.

“We’ve got to win three out of our last four games to win the league and we’re very hopeful.

“Obviously we want to go unbeaten right through as well as getting the league tied up, and we’ve got the east bowl final to look forward to against Northern.”

Saturday’s scoreline was their seventh in ten league fixtures to go beyond the half-century mark and Murphy believes that’s an indication that the club are more than ready for the challenge of playing a division up, saying: “I think we’ve shown all season that we’re playing well above the level we’re at at the minute bar one or two teams.

“That’s the fifth or sixth time this season we’ve got a very high score, so we’ll be delighted to probably get some tougher tests next year.”

Duns resume their season on Saturday, February 28, at home to Inverleith, with kick-off at Castle Park at 2pm.

A division up, Hawick Harlequins were in action on Saturday as well, beating Leith 38-19 at home at Wilton Lodge Park, but a scheduled season-ending trip to Edinburgh’s Forrester for Earlston was put back until Saturday, March 28, with kick-off at 3pm.

Outside-centre Sean McMichan scored three tries for head coach Neil Douglas’s ’Quins, with inside-centre Elliot Stanger and openside flanker and captain Liam Smith also touching down, full-back Stuart Delaney kicking four conversions and a penalty and replacement Adam Hall adding another penalty.

’Quins’ sixth win in ten matches this season leaves them fourth in the table, with 28 points, ahead of a visit to Penicuik this coming Saturday for a game kicking off at noon. Earlston are third, on 38 points from 11, ten shy of table-toppers Corstorphine and two behind second-placed Livingston.