Rugby’s Kings of 7s set to kick off for new season at Peebles
Next rugby season’s Kings of the 7s campaign kicks off at Peebles this coming Saturday, with occupation of pole position on the competition’s leaderboard for over eight months up for grabs.
Peebles’ was formerly one of three of the contest’s ten rounds to be held in August but it’s now the only one still occupying a summer calendar spot, Gala and Hawick’s having reverted to their traditional spring dates, and that means that this weekend’s winners will be top of the standings at least until April next year.
The 2025-26 season’s opening round at the Gytes will be contested by four pools of three.
The hosts, Gala and Biggar are in one; Kelso, Hawick and Glasgow Hawks in another; defending champions Melrose, Jed-Forest and Edinburgh’s Watsonians in the third; and Selkirk, Edinburgh Academical and a team yet to be confirmed in the remaining one.
Saturday’s senior tournament will be sandwiched by ones for under-16s this Friday and under-18s on Sunday.
Round two of next season’s Kings of the 7s looks likely to be Gala’s on Saturday, April 11, with Hawick, Berwick, Langholm, Kelso, Earlston, Selkirk, Jed-Forest and Melrose’s following, but that’s yet to be confirmed.
Last year’s Peebles Sevens were won by Melrose after seeing off Jed-Forest 24-12 in the final and that was the eighth time in the last 15 years that the Greenyards side have come out on top there following prior victories in 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019, plus seven prior to that.
The Pees last won their own sevens back in 2011, getting the better of Edinburgh Academical by 34-12 in that year’s final.
That was their fourth win on home turf in the 102-year history of their tournament, their prior ones having been in 1992, 2001 and 2002.
Adult tickets for Saturday’s sevens cost £15. For details, go to https://www.peeblesrfc.org/