Hawick and Peebles step up to plate for Borders Semi-Junior Rugby League’s finals day

The young Greens added the Border Cup to the league title they claimed after going 21 games unbeaten by defeating Kelso Harlequins 26-19 at the Greenyards in Melrose on Sunday.

Peebles, sixth-place finishers in the league, also emerged victorious at the weekend, seeing off Carlisle Colts 48-19 to take home the Border Plate.

Hawick’s tries were scored by Liam Bouglas, captain Scott Young, Owain Gray and Finlay Douglas, with Gray converting three, and Kelso’s by Ashton Asante, Logan Edgar and Josh Sullivan, plus two conversions by Archie Barbour.

“It’s amazing,” Young told Borders Rugby TV.

“The boys have worked hard. We came in with a goal at the start of the season – we wanted to be undefeated, we wanted to win all the trophies – and it’s just shown how hard we’ve been working in training to get here.”

Peebles’ eight tries against their Cumbrian opponents were scored by captain Ewan Hunter at the double, Fraser Brock, Finlay Sinclair, Patrick Cannon and, with a hat-trick, Liam Forsyth. Frey Maciver added four conversions.

Hunter said: “I’m so glad all our hard work this season has come off.

“We’ve worked hard this season so it’s good to get a win in the final.”

Hat-trick hero Forsyth added: “It was a great team performance and, to be honest, the boys played beautiful rugby. I was just lucky I got on the end of a few of those tries.

“The boys stuck in, Carlisle put up a good fight and we got the win at the end so we’re happy.”

Further youth rugby finals are on offer this coming Sunday at Edinburgh’s DAM Health Stadium.

Hawick Youth’s under-16s play Kelso Harlequins in their age-grade national youth plate final at 1pm and Melrose Wasps take on Gala Wanderers in the under-18 plate final at 5pm.More of Bill McBurnie’s photos from Sunday can be seen at www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk