Gala set to host last King of 7s round of 2024

Their 24-12 victory over Jed-Forest in the final at Peebles Sevens on Saturday earned them ten points, with their fellow finalists picking up seven.

Defending champions Kelso are in third place, having earned five points by making it to the semi-finals, going out thanks to a 21-12 loss to Melrose at that stage.

It was winning both Peebles and Gala’s sevens last August that set Kelso on the way to their fourth Kings of the 7s title but Melrose, last year’s runners-up, have more sevens wins at Netherdale this century than any other club so they’ll fancy their chances of adding to their five victories there since 2000, their others being in 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2021.

Kelso were up against Selkirk in 2023’s final, winning 32-12.

Edinburgh’s Watsonians are the second most successful side at Gala Sevens since the turn of the century, with four wins, and the hosts aren’t far behind on three, the most recent of them being in 2022.

Gala’s sevens, the second-longest-running in the Borders, having been going since 1884, and part of a wider festival branded Maroon’d@Gala since 2021, that move coinciding with a switch of date from April to August, will be contested by four pools of three teams.

Melrose face Hawick and Edinburgh’s Currie Chieftains in their group, Kelso go up against Edinburgh Academical and further opposition yet to be confirmed, the hosts play Selkirk and Watsonians and Jed share a pool with Peebles and a George Crawford Legacy Trust team calling themselves the GAC 7s.

The first pool tie kicks off at 2pm, preceded by youngsters’ matches from 10.30am and a three-mile fun run overseen by the town’s Galavanters running group and with under-16 and under-18 matches for both boys and girls being staged from 2.30pm.

Admission on Saturday is £10 for adults and £3 for under-18s. For details, go to https://www.galarfc.com/events

Gala’s sevens are the last of 2024, prior to an eight-month break.

Melrose Sevens, previously the first of the year, are being put back in the calendar to Saturday, May 24, in 2025 to avoid a potential fixture clash with the end of the upcoming Scottish Premiership campaign in the event of postponements, so Hawick’s – on Saturday, April 19 – will be round three of the competition this season.

Berwick’s, the day after, will be round four, and Langholm will host round five on Saturday, April 26.

Another double-header weekend follows those two rounds outwith the region, with Kelso’s sevens being held on Saturday, May 3, and Earlston’s the following day.

Round eight will be hosted by Selkirk on Saturday, May 10, and and round nine will take place in Jedburgh seven days later, ahead of the current contest’s finale at Melrose’s Greenyards ground seven days after that.