Hawick’s Shawn Muir named as captain of South of Scotland squad to take on Edinburgh in rugby’s inter-district championship

Muir, last in action on Saturday leading the Greens to their first Scottish cup final victory for 21 years at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, will be backed up by Melrose’s Struan Hutchison, picked as vice-captain.

Loosehead prop Muir, 29, is one of seven Mansfield Park players in the starting line-up named by Hawick and South of Scotland head coach Matty Douglas, the others being Fraser Renwick, Nicky Little, Jae Linton, Ronan McKean, Andrew Mitchell and Kirk Ford.

Former Hawick captain Bruce McNeil, now at Kelso, is also in the South’s starting line-up.

Tonight’s match at Netherdale in Galashiels kicks off at 7pm. It’s the red-and-white-hooped regional representatives’ first at XVs since November 2017 and their first inter-district championship fixture since 2002.

Also starting are Selkirk’s Andrew McColm, Kelso’s Dwain Patterson, Gala’s Liam Scott and Craig Dods, Musselburgh’s Michael Badenhorst and Hutchison’s Melrose team-mate Bruce Colvine.

Four more Greens feature among the South’s replacements – club captain Matt Carryer, Shaun Fairbairn, Calum Renwick and Gareth Welsh.

They’re accompanied by Selkirk’s Luke Pettie, Musselburgh’s Craig Owenson, Kelso captain Frankie Robson and Melrose’s Donald Crawford, with Musselburgh’s Paul Bogie and Gala’s Ben Gill on standby.

Entry is £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.

The South will go on to play either Glasgow or Caledonia Reds in a final or third-place play-off at Tennent’s National League Division 1 side Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians’ Braidholm ground on Sunday, May 21.

Glasgow and Reds play their qualifier at Canal Park in Inverness this coming Saturday.

Douglas – being helped out with coaching by Peebles’ Iain Chisholm, Melrose’s Bert Grigg and Musselburgh’s Andrew Clark – is looking forward to seeing a team blending experience and youth in action against Edinburgh, telling Borders Rugby TV: “A lot of these boys haven’t been here in the past.

“There are only a couple – the likes of Bruce, Shawn and Luke Pettie – that have played in the last South games, so it’s a new influx, and the key thing for us is keeping this squad together for the next inter-distrct championship.”

Their opposition’s head coach is Bob McKillop and he’s being assisted by Alex Hagart, Mark Cairns and Iain Berthinussen.

Discussing the return of the competition, Bob said: “Having grown up in an era when the Inter-district Championship was something special for players and coaches to be involved in, it is fantastic to see it being revived.

“I’m especially looking forward to our game at Netherdale because I know the Borders fans will buy into this and make it a great occasion,” said McKillop.

“I really hope this is the start of the re-emergence of the competition and that it goes from strength to strength over the next few seasons.”

Making up Edinburgh’s starting XV will be Currie Chieftains’ Charlie Brett, Ian Sim, Greg Cannie, Ryan Stewart, Graeme Carson, Rhys Davies, Chris Anderson and Ali McCallum; Edinburgh Academical’s Neil Armstong, Lewis Wells, Jamie Loomes, Cole Imrie, Finlay Simpson and Ruairi Campbell; and Stewart’s Melville’s Aaron Porteous and Jamie Sword.

Heriot’s Danny Dineen, John Lascelles and Ali Johnston will be on the bench, along with Currie’s Gregor Nelson and Cammy Lessels and Watsonians’ Ben Heber and Benn Morris.