Melrose charity rugby match between Southern Knights and Newcastle Falcons called off

That game, due to kick off at the Greenyards at 1.30pm, is to be rescheduled for the summer ahead of the start of the 2023/24 rugby season.

Knights head coach Alan Tait is confident of being able to put a team together next weekend, however, so the reverse fixture at Newcastle’s Kingston Park on Saturday, February 11, is going ahead as planned.

The Fosroc Super6 side attribute their personnel shortage to injuries, new recruits being allowed to play for their old sides in postponed fixtures rescheduled for this weekend, such as Melrose’s trip to Edinburgh’s Watsonians in Tennent’s National League Division 1, and one of their youngsters, Rudi Brown, being named in Scotland’s starting line-up to play England away in the Under-20 Six Nations tomorrow, with another, Sam Derrick, among the replacements.

Knights’ two games against Falcons are being held in memory of their late lock Doddie Weir to raise money for the motor neurone disease research charity he founded in 2017, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

A spokesperson for the Borders side said: “It is with regret we announce the postponement of this Saturday’s fixture with Newcastle Falcons.

“The return fixture at Newcastle on February 11 will go ahead as planned.

“The decision to postpone this week’s game was made after detailed discussions between the coaches of both teams, during which Southern Knights flagged up their growing concern for the depth of the matchday squad they could select.

“The difficulties were threefold in that as well as injuries to key players, a number of the squad have been selected to represent Scotland under-20s this weekend. The third difficulty relates to an existing agreement with newly-signed players that they could continue to play for their clubs of origin in any Tennent’s Premiership or national league games. Due to rearranged games this weekend, a further four players have been released to play on that basis.

“The decision to postpone the fixture has been a difficult one. However, as both clubs remain committed to retaining this double-header fixture in the calendar it was agreed it was better to postpone the game rather than risk harming the competitiveness required to have a great rugby match fitting of the man it celebrates.

“Both clubs are committed to having the game played pre-season 2023/24.

“Hospitality will go ahead in the 1877 Bar, where we will show Six Nations fixtures on the big screen.”

Blainslie’s Weir, killed by MND in November at the age of 52, spent most of his club career at Melrose and Newcastle, playing for the former from 1989 to 1995 and the latter from 1995 to 2002, with Tait as a team-mate for two seasons.

Knights and Falcons have contested Doddie’s Club Trophy twice previously, in 2019 and 2021, honours being even so far.

The Tynesiders won it first time round at Kingston Park in December 2019, with Weir there to present them with their prize.

The hosts’ winning scoreline was 57-10, their visitors’ two unconverted tries being scored by Struan Hutchison and Billy Wara.

Falcons’ try-scorers were Charlie Maddison with three, Trevor Davison, Nemani Nagusa, Chidera Obonna, Bailey Ransom with two and Josh Basham, with Brett Connon adding five conversions and Will Haydon-Wood one.

The Knights won 23-12 at the Greenyards second time round in October 2021 against a Falcons side featuring ex-Gala flanker Gary Graham.

On the scoresheet with tries for the hosts were Freddie Owsley, Wara, Adam McBurney, with Charlie Savala adding a conversion and Jason Baggott two penalty kicks.

Iwan Stephens scored both the visitors’ tries, with Will Haydon-Wood converting one.

Adult tickets for the Kingston Park game are £15 to £45. Go to newcastlefalcons.co.uk for details.

Supporters with tickets for Saturday’s game can be used for entry to February 11’s match in Newcastle at no extra charge.

Knights have confirmed they will still be handing over £5 from each ticket sold for the cancelled game in Melrose to Weir’s charity.