Hawick targeting rugby’s Scottish Premiership title as 150th birthday present

Representatives of the Scottish Premiership's ten rugby clubs at this season's launch at Hawick's Mansfield Park on Friday, August 18, including Hawick's Andrew Mitchell, third from left; Selkirk's Scott McClymont, fifth; Kelso's Frankie Robson, sixth; and Jed-Forest's Clark Skeldon, far right (Photo by Paul Devlin/SNS Group/SRU)

The Greens were the first winners of the competition, launched in 1973 to replace the previous unofficial championship, and they went on to take the title the following four years, then in 1982, from 1984 to 1987, 2001 and 2002 and, following a 21-year wait, this year.

Those 13 titles make them the most successful team in the history of the premiership, followed by Melrose with ten – in 1990, from 1992 to 1994, 1996, 1997, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2018 – and Edinburgh’s Heriot’s with five.

Gala have three titles to their name – in 1980, 1981 and 1983 – and Kelso two, in 1988 and 1989.

Representatives of the Scottish Premiership's ten rugby clubs at this season's launch at Hawick's Mansfield Park on Friday, August 18, including Jed-Forest's Clark Skeldon, third from left; Hawick's Andrew Mitchell, fifth; Selkirk's Scott McClymont, seventh; and Kelso's Frankie Robson, far right (Photo by Paul Devlin/SNS Group/SRU)

First time round, the Mansfield Park club were up against Melrose, Gala, West of Scotland, Glasgow High, Edinburgh Wanderers, Boroughmuir, Jordanhill, Watsonians, Heriot’s, Langholm and Glasgow Academicals.

They ended up tied at the top of the table with West of Scotland , both on 19 points, with the title going to the Greens, one of a dozen clubs to have won it over the last half-century, on points difference.

This time round, they’re up against fellow Borderers Selkirk, Jed-Forest and, following their promotion from National League Division 1 this year, Kelso, plus Edinburgh Academical, Currie Chieftains, Glasgow Hawks, Marr, Heriot’s Blues and Musselburgh.

The 2023/24 season commences this coming Saturday with Hawick hosting Glasgow Hawks and Jed and Selkirk at home to Edinburgh Accies and Currie Chieftains respectively and Kelso away to Musselburgh. All those fixtures kick off at 3pm.

Andrew McColm on the ball for Selkirk during their 53-19 loss to Biggar in a pre-season friendly at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Pic: Grant Kinghorn)

Hawick centre Andrew Mitchell, representing the club in captain Shawn Muir’s absence at this year’s season launch at Mansfield Park, acknowledged that securing back-to-back titles, following their last-gasp 21-18 play-off final victory at home to Currie Chieftains in March, will be a tall order but says they’ll give it their best shot.

“We’ll probably take each game as it comes," the 22-year-old told Scottish Rugby’s Facebook page.

“It’s harder to retain titles than win them, so we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves.

“We’re probably not going to win every game but one like last year so we’ll take it week by week and see what happens.”

Andrew Grant-Suttie in possession for Selkirk during their 53-19 defeat by Biggar in a pre-season friendly at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Pic: Grant Kinghorn)

Looking ahead to his club’s season-opener, Mitchell added: “We’ll just have to start quick.

“With Hawks, you never know what to expect because they always lose players and bring boys in, so it’s going to be tough, but we’ll have to take it as it comes and see what happens.”

Hawick beat Hawks home and away last season, by 29-12 last October and 39-21 in February respectively.

Jed lost to Accies in both their meetings, by 31-14 away in October and 33-28 at home at Jedburgh’s Riverside Park in February, as did Selkirk to Currie, by 29-20 at home at Philiphaugh in October and by 44-17 in the capital in February.

Selkirk captain Scott McClymont on the ball against Biggar in a pre-season friendly at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Pic: Grant Kinghorn)

Selkirk, Kelso and Jed-Forest were represented at this year’s launch by their captains – Scott McClymont, Frankie Robson and Clark Skeldon respectively.

Three of the Borders’ four premiership teams were in pre-season friendly action on Saturday ahead of the start of the new rugby campaign this weekend.

Hawick took part in a three-way contest against Lancashire’s Fylde and Cheshire’s Sale at the former’s Lytham St Annes home ground, playing 40 minutes against each.

Head coach Matty Douglas’s Greens beat Sale 35-19 but lost 12-0 to Fylde.

That trip south of the border followed a 37-14 victory against further English opposition in the form of Northumberland’s Tynedale the weekend before.

Selkirk hosted South Lanarkshire’s Biggar at Philiphaugh, losing 53-19 to the National League Division 1 outfit.

Kelso beating Gala 26-21 in a pre-season friendly at Netherdale on Saturday (Pic: Brian Sutherland)

Kelso took on Borders rivals Gala at the National 1 side’s Netherdale home ground, winning 26-21.

That followed a 29-17 victory against National League Division 2’s Peebles earlier in the month in a Border league fixture doubling up as a pre-season warm-up.

The region’s other top-flight team, Jed-Forest, had a friendly lined up south of the border at Penrith but it was called off due to the Cumbrians being unable to muster a team.

That was their second cry-off of the close season, a planned friendly against Northumberland’s Morpeth earlier in August having been scrapped too.

East Region League Division 2’s Hawick Linden were also in pre-season derby action at the weekend at the town’s Volunteer Park, beating Earlston 27-12 ahead of a visit from Livingston this coming Saturday.