​Hawick named as rugby team of year in Offside Line awards

​Hawick have been named as team of the year in rugby website the Offside Line’s awards for 2023 after winning both the sport’s Tennent’s Premiership and Scottish cup.
By Darin Hutson
Published 2nd Jan 2024, 17:49 GMT
Updated 2nd Jan 2024, 17:50 GMT
Hawick players celebrating winning rugby's Scottish Premiership trophy against Currie Chieftains at home at Mansfield Park in March (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group/SRU)Hawick players celebrating winning rugby's Scottish Premiership trophy against Currie Chieftains at home at Mansfield Park in March (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group/SRU)
Hawick players celebrating winning rugby's Scottish Premiership trophy against Currie Chieftains at home at Mansfield Park in March (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group/SRU)

​Head coach Matty Douglas’s Greens clinched their first premiership title for 21 years with a 21-18 play-off final victory over Currie Chieftains in March at home at Mansfield Park and followed that up with a 31-13 cup final win against Marr at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in May, also their first since 2002, and that winning double saw them beat Scotland’s women’s team and Stirling Wolves to the accolade.

“Hawick’s remarkable consistency in claiming the premiership and cup double last season, with that form carried into this season, bouncing back from a first defeat in 18 months away to Marr in September to regain a stranglehold of the top of the table, means they have to get the nod,” said the Offside Line’s judges.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Hawick’s play-off win over Currie was runner-up for game of the year to Glasgow Academicals beating Falkirk 53-15 at home in April to claim the Scottish National League Division 2 title.

Most Popular
John Jeffrey, left, and Princess Charlene of Monaco watching Scotland's 2023 Rugby World Cup 18-3 pool loss to South Africa in Marseille in September (Photo by Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images)John Jeffrey, left, and Princess Charlene of Monaco watching Scotland's 2023 Rugby World Cup 18-3 pool loss to South Africa in Marseille in September (Photo by Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images)
John Jeffrey, left, and Princess Charlene of Monaco watching Scotland's 2023 Rugby World Cup 18-3 pool loss to South Africa in Marseille in September (Photo by Nicolas Tucat/AFP via Getty Images)

Awards for tries of the year went to Kelso’s Archie Barbour for the premiership, Melrose’s Rudi Brown for Scotland’s under-20s and Jedburgh’s Mason Cullen, playing for Boroughmuir Bears, for the Fosroc Super Series.

Barbour’s was scored against Selkirk in October, Brown’s versus England in February and Cullen’s against Watsonians in May.

A satirical award for pre-Rugby World Cup overoptimism also went to Kelso legend John Jeffrey for his pep talk to the national team in Nice in September.

To see the full list of winners, go to https://www.theoffsideline.com/the-offside-lines-end-of-year-awards-for-2023/

Related topics:HawickPremiership