South of Scotland Barbarians lose out to fellow invitational outfit Shogun in final of rugby’s 2024 Melrose Sevens

Shogun – with Kelso director of rugby Neil Hinnigan as team manager, coached by Nick Wakley and Selkirk’s Fraser Harkness and featuring sevens internationals such as Paddy Kelly and Jamie Farndale, scored three tries to their opponents’ one to clinch the event’s 1883 Centenary Cup for the first time, with Jordan Edmunds, Matt Davidson and Will Glover touching down.

Marr winger Scott Bickerstaff scored Southern Knights attack coach Scott Wight’s Barbarians’ only try.

He was joined in their starting line-up by Craig Jackson, Hector Patterson, Freddie Owsley, Jaime Mata, Tiago Romero and Fergus Watson, with Finn Douglas, Monroe Job, Ethan McVicker, Callum Grieve and Conor Bickerstaff as replacements.

They beat Edinburgh’s Watsonians 40-7 in round two, Hearts and Balls 38-7 in the quarter-finals and a Durham University team in the last four to set up their 7pm showdown with Shogun.

The winners’ route to the final comprised a 50-0 first-round defeat of Edinburgh’s Heriot’s, 19-5 second-round knockout of the Eric Liddell 100, 38-5 last-eight victory over Selkirk and 45-7 semi-final success against the OG 7s.

Selkirk and Edinburgh’s Currie Chieftains were the only Scottish club sides to make it to the last eight, the latter losing 36-0 to Durham’s students.

The Souters saw off Edinburgh Academical by 32-5 in round one and Melrose by 22-7 in round two to get that far.

Round one also saw Hawick lose 29-5 to Currie, Gala beat Peebles 22-12, and Jed-Forest knock out Kelso with a 17-12 scoreline, as well as 28-10 win for Watsonians against Boroughmuir and 38-0 for cup-holders Monaco Impis versus Glasgow Academicals.

Round two saw Currie beat Assassins 19-17, Gala lose 31-5 to Durham Uni, Jed edged out 15-12 by Hearts and Balls, Lion Rugby 7s knock out a British Army squad 24-19 and Impis defeated 21-14 by the OG 7s.

Saturday’s other quarter-final was a 28-0 victory for the OG 7s against Lion Rugby 7s.

Shogun were winners at the double at the Greenyards as their women’s team left with the Mike Bleasdale Cup after beating Hammerhead 7s 38-7 in their final.

Shona Campbell and Grace Compton twice each, Mariet Luijken and Celia Quansah scored their tries, with Lucy Hoad getting one back for their opponents.

Selkirk’s last-eight finish lifts them up to second place in the Kings of the 7s table ahead of round four at Hawick this coming Saturday.

They’re on ten points, ten adrift of table-toppers Kelso, with Gala third on seven and Hawick fourth, also on seven. Peebles are fifth on six, Watsonians sixth on five and Melrose seventh on three, with Jed, Berwick and Edinburgh Accies yet to get off the mark.