In photos: Hawick players and fans celebrating winning rugby’s Tennent’s Premiership title for first time since 2002

For scores of those involved in that pitch invasion, it wasn’t the first time they’d set foot on Mansfield’s turf that week, however, as supporters turned out in force the evening before and on the morning of the final to put covers down, clear snow off them, then lift them off on Saturday morning to ensure that afternoon’s match could go ahead in defiance of sub-zero temperatures overnight.

Hawick director of rugby John Hogg has told of the club’s gratitude for that help – and also additional covers supplied by Border League rivals Melrose – as if it hadn’t been forthcoming, they’d have had to hang on until Saturday, April 22, to conclude their title challenge.

“It was an unbelievable effort,” he said. “I couldn’t explain how much it meant to us.

“On Friday, we had about 30 or 40 people down clearing snow and then on Saturday morning there’d have been more than 100 there to make sure the game took place.

“We often talk about community spirit and that was it at its very, very best at the weekend.

“The amount of support to watch the match alone was great – I’d not seen as many people at Mansfield for a long, long time and there were hundreds and hundreds of kids, which was brilliant to see – but the number of guys down in the morning too was unbelievable. We weren’t expecting as many as that to turn up.

“The club are very, very indebted to every single person that appeared to help. It meant a hell of a lot to us.

“If we hadn’t covered the pitch, there was no way the game would have been on, no chance.

“Melrose Rugby Club merit a mention as well as they gave us a load of their covers, so we’re hugely indebted to them too.”

A Ronan McKean try right at the end of Saturday’s game converted by Kirk Ford with the last kick of the ball saw Currie end up beaten finalists for the second year in a row.

Hawick’s only other try was touched down by Fraser Renwick just ahead of half-time, with Ford also kicking three penalties.