Image of Selkirk, Border League winners 2024-25 courtesy Grant Kinghorn

The Kings Of The 7s tournament is run by The Border League, the oldest Rugby Union league in the world.  The first Border League took place in 1901, and since then Hawick have dominated with 51 tournament wins. Things change over the years and the tournament has certainly gone through a few tweaks. However it is still going and the format will no doubt change again in the future to fit in fixtures in an increasingly busy rugby season.

Here we take a look at the list of winners spanning over a century. This is also the page to let you know all about the current tournament.

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2024-25 TOURNAMENT

This season the pool system continues so that all seven Borders teams
in the Border League will play each other. There will be double headers with teams
who share the same league, but also one-off Border League games.

There are 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and 1 point for an unfulfilled fixture.
N.B.  There are no bonus points in this competition.
If teams tie for points at the end, either a play-off match will take place or trophy will be shared.

BORDER LEAGUE TABLE

SELKIRK P5 W5 D0 L0  20pts (Champions)
KELSO P5 W3 D1 L1  14pts
GALA P5 W2 D0 L3  8pts
HAWICK P4 W2 D0 L2  8pts
MELROSE P5 W2 D0 L3  8pts
PEEBLES P4 W1 D0 L3  4pts
JED-FOREST P4 W0 D1 L3  2pts

(DH – Double Header with League Fixture)

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2023-24 TOURNAMENT

This season the pool system was scrapped so that all seven Borders teams
in the Border League could play each other. There were double headers with teams
who shared the same league, but also one-off Border League games.

There were 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and 1 point for an unfulfilled fixture.
N.B.  There were no bonus points in this competition.

BORDER LEAGUE TABLE

HAWICK P5 W5 D0 L0  20pts
MELROSE P6 W3 D2 L1  16pts
KELSO P6 W3 D0 L3  12pts
GALA P5 W3 D0 L2  12pts
SELKIRK P5 W2 D0 L3  8pts
JEDFOREST P6 W1 D1 L4  6pts
PEEBLES P5 W0 D1 L4  2pts

(DH – Double Header with League Fixture)
Aug 17 2023 – Kelso 29-17 Peebles
Sep 16 2023 – Hawick 61-7 Kelso (DH)
Sep 16 2023 – Selkirk 65-35 Jedforest (DH)
Sep 30 2023 – Melrose 53-31 Gala (DH)
Oct 7 2023 – Jedforest 0-61 Hawick (DH)
Oct 7 2023 – Kelso 19-21 Selkirk (DH)
Oct 28 2023 – Hawick 36-8 Selkirk (DH)
Oct 28 2023 – Kelso 30-21 Jedforest (DH)
Feb 9 2024 – Peebles 7-38 Hawick
Feb 23 2024 – Selkirk 20-24 Melrose
Mar 2 2024 – Peebles 12-15 Gala
Mar 8 2024 – Gala 32-12 Selkirk
Mar 8 2024 – Peebles 22-22 Melrose
Mar 22 2024 – Melrose 34-12 Kelso
Mar 22 2024 – Jedforest 32-15 Peebles
Mar 29 2024 – Hawick 20-7 Melrose
Mar 29 2024 – Jedforest 21-24 Gala
Apr 4 2024 – Jedforest 19-19 Melrose
Apr 6 2024 – Gala 17-28 Kelso
Unplayed – Selkirk v Peebles
Unplayed – Gala v Hawick

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2022-23 TOURNAMENT

POOL A
SELKIRK  P2 W1 D1 L0 7 pts (+26)
HAWICK  P2 W1 D1 L0  6 pts (+10)
JEDFOREST P2 W0 D0 L1 0 pts (-36)

Sat 27 Aug – Hawick 20-20 Selkirk (Prem Double Header)
Sat 3 Sep – Jedforest 12-22 Hawick (Prem Double Header)
Fri 18 Nov – Selkirk 36-10 Jedforest (Prem Double Header)

POOL B
MELROSE P3 W3 L0  14 pts (+53)
KELSO  P3 W2 L1  11 pts (+30)
PEEBLES  P2 W0 L2  2 pts (-25)
GALA P2 W0 L2  1 pt (-52)

Sat 27 Aug – Peebles 0-28 Kelso
Sat 15 Oct – Gala 23-27 Kelso
Sat 29 Oct – Melrose 16-14 Kelso
Sat 26 Nov – Melrose 63-15 Gala
Fri 10 Feb – Peebles 26-29 Melrose
Not Played – Peebles v Gala

BORDER LEAGUE FINAL AT NETHERDALE
Mon 20 March 2023
Selkirk 12-6 Melrose

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2021-22 TOURNAMENT

POOL A
HAWICK  P1 W1 L0  5 pts (+41)
JEDFOREST  P1 W0 L1 0 pts (-41)

Fri 25 Feb – Hawick 53-12 Jedforest

Gala & Peebles pulled out of the competition due to injuries (Peebles)
and fixture congestion (Gala)

POOL B
MELROSE  P2 W1 L1  6 pts (+43)
KELSO  P1 W1 L0  4 pts (+5)
SELKIRK  P1 W0 L1  0 pts (-38)

Fri 19 Nov – Kelso 18-13 Melrose (Also NL1 game)
Fri 4 Feb – Melrose 43-5 Selkirk
Fri 11 Mar – Selkirk 10-20 Kelso

BORDER LEAGUE FINAL
Wednesday 13 April at Mansfield Park

Hawick 18-14 Kelso

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THE ROLL OF HONOUR

HAWICK 51
MELROSE 20
GALA 12
JEDFOREST 10
SELKIRK 8
KELSO 5
LANGHOLM 1
PEEBLES 0

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PREVIOUS WINNERS OF THE BORDER LEAGUE

HAWICK 51
1901-2, 1908-9, 1909-10 (Shared with Jedforest), 1911-12, 1912-13, 1913-14, 1920-21, 1922-23, 1923-24, 1924-25, 1925-26, 1926-27, 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30, 1931-32, 1948-49, 1950-51, 1954-55, 1955-56, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1988-89, 1995-96, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2006-07, 2014-15, 2021-22, 2023-24

MELROSE 20
1910-11, 1938-39, 1949-50 (Shared with Gala), 1953-54, 1957-68, 1962-63, 1970-71, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1996-97, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2005-06, 2010-11, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19

GALA 12
1905-06, 1921-22, 1949-50 (Shared with Melrose), 1966-67, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1997-98, 2004-05, 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16

JEDFOREST 10
1902-03, 1903-04, 1904-05, 1906-07, 1907-08, 1909-10 (Shared with Hawick), 1919-20, 1956-57, 1987-88, 1994-95

SELKIRK 8
1934-35, 1937-38, 1952-53, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2022-23, 2024-25

KELSO 5
1930-31, 1933-34, 1936-37, 1985-86, 1986-87

LANGHOLM 1
1958-59

VOID YEARS
1914-1918, 1932-33 (Unfinished), 1935-36 (Unfinished), 1939-48, 1951-52, 2019-20 (Unfinished), 2020-21 (Cancelled)

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VIDEOS OF BORDER LEAGUE FINALS

2022-23 SELKIRK 12-6 MELROSE
2021-22 HAWICK 18-14 KELSO
2018-19 MELROSE 16-10 HAWICK
2017-18 JEDFOREST 22-50 MELROSE
2016-17 GALA 5-37 MELROSE
2013-14 GALA v MELROSE
2012-13 GALA v MELROSE
2011-12 GALA v HAWICK
2008-09 SELKIRK v KELSO
2007-08 SELKIRK v JEDFOREST

For information on the Border Junior League click here: