Hawick and Melrose to begin next rugby season at home, with Selkirk and Kelso on road in Edinburgh

The new Arnold Clark Premiership season starts earlier than usual on Saturday, August 23, and head coach Graham Hogg’s Greens host Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians, last term’s Arnold Clark National League Division 1 champions, at Mansfield Park that day, with co-gaffers Scott Wight and Iain Chisholm’s Melrose at home to Edinburgh’s Heriot’s at the Greenyards.

Head coach Gordon Henderson’s Souters are away to Currie Chieftains and his joint opposite numbers at Kelso, Bruce McNeil and Nikki Walker, will take their team to the capital too to face Watsonians.

Hawick last played GHA in February 2023 at home, edging them out by 15-13 to confirm their relegation.

Last season’s equivalent fixtures for the Borders’ other premiership teams yielded a 35-22 defeat for Melrose last August, a 54-31 loss for Selkirk in October and a 24-17 victory for Kelso in November.

Next season’s first Borders derby follows the Saturday after, August the 30th, and that’s a trip to Kelso’s Poynder Park for Hawick, with another four on the way over the following four weekends.

Kelso won the corresponding match last term by 41-17 in March after losing October’s reverse fixture 52-12.

Saturday, September 6, sees Hawick host Selkirk, Melrose are away to Kelso the Saturday after, Selkirk hit the road to Kelso seven days later and they’re at home to Melrose on Saturday, October 4.

Borderers now accounting for 40% of the ten-team premiership, up from a third of last season’s one-off dozen-strong incarnation, derbies come thick and fast – 12 all together – and there’s another before October is out, a trip to Hawick for Melrose on Saturday the 25th, with another, Hawick hosting Kelso, following on Saturday, November 29.

As things stand and weather permitting, the top flight’s next season is scheduled to finish on Saturday, February 7, with Melrose hosting Hawick and Selkirk away to Ayr, last season’s champions, Kelso having been away to Currie the night before, with kick-off at 7.35pm.

Explaining the start of the premiership season being brought forward by a week in response to a consultation exercise earlier this year, Vicky Cox, Scottish Rugby’s head of competitions and compliance, said: “The voices of those who submitted feedback throughout February and March have been heard loud and clear and the coming domestic season has been shaped accordingly.

“Weather will always pose challenges – it remains the one element we can’t control. However, by identifying patterns and combining these with the feedback we’ve received, we are able to take a more proactive approach, building in scheduled pauses during periods when severe weather is most likely.

“We will also have a break during the key men’s Six Nations home fixtures, as has become tradition in recent years.

“This doesn’t signify the end of the changes from the feedback we received. We’re using that information to inform our discussions and planning to continue to consult on practical, player-friendly and sustainable changes to future seasons too.”

Selkirk finished highest up the table of the region’s four representatives in the premiership, ending up fifth, on 61 points, after 22 fixtures, with Melrose sixth on 56, Hawick seventh on 53 and Kelso ninth on 46.

Year on year, that was up four places from second-bottom of ten for the Souters, up 11 for Melrose on fifth place a division down, down six for Hawick after claiming pole position in 2024 and down five for Kelso.

The next National 1 season starts on August 30 with a visit from Marr for Jed-Forest and a trip to Edinburgh Academical for Gala and is scheduled to end on Saturday, March 21, with head coach Stuart Johnson’s Jedburgh side away to Gordonians in Aberdeen and opposite number Ewen Robbie’s Galashiels outfit at Glasgow Academicals.

National 2 also starts on August 30 and Peebles will be at home to Glasgow High Kelvinside at the Gytes that day, with head coach Graeme Paterson’s team due to conclude next term on Saturday, March 28, hosting Edinburgh’s Stewart’s Melville.

Arnold Clark East Region League Division 2 starts on Saturday, September 6, and last season’s East 3 champions, Earlston, get their first taste of the next table up with a derby at home to Hawick Harlequins.

That season is due to finish on Saturday, January 31, and Earlston are away to Forrester that day and Quins host another Edinburgh outfit, Leith.

East 3 starts on September 6 too and its first fixture card also includes a Borders derby, Duns hosting Hawick Linden.

Like the league above, it’s scheduled to wind up on January 31, and that day’s fixture card includes a trip to Trinity Academicals for Duns and a vist from other Edinburgh opposition, Lismore, for Linden.

All fixtures mentioned except Kelso’s last game of the season and the east leagues’ finales kick off at 3pm, with the latter starting at 2pm.

Next season’s fixture lists can be seen at https://fixtures.scottishrugby.org/club-rugby