Border League
Encyclopedia
For the defunct baseball league, see Border League (baseball)
The Border League, is the oldest established rugby union
league in the World, having been formed in 1901. Currently known as the Radio Borders
Border League, after its sponsors, teams from all over the Scottish Borders
as well as Berwick RFC
from Northumberland
compete every year from the competition.
The current holders of the league are Melrose RFC
, who beat Selkirk RFC
in 2011.
The Borders has always been a stronghold of rugby union
, coupled with the competitive rivalry that exists between the local Border towns, derbies are something to behold, with the teams fighting for pride as well as league points.
Although originally the premier tournament for its clubs, the formation of a league system in the 1970s means that Border clubs now play in the Scottish League Championship and the Scottish Cup and, although still prestigious, the Border League is now regarded by many of its members as more of a supplementary competition.
Although this situation has changed somewhat, the Borders still exert a disproportionate influence upon the Scottish game, and have made a major contribution to world rugby
in the form of rugby sevens
.
Between them the two camps have directly or indirectly provided the vast majority of Scotland's international players, but their different traditions have produced an enmity based as much
on class as geography.
That tension was evident even in the late Victorian period, when rugby's popularity was growing in both areas. In the Borders where clubs such as Hawick, Gala and Jed Forest were largely
working class institutions, there was a resentment of the haughty control exerted by representatives of city schools on the Scottish Football Union (as the SRU was known then).
On more than one occasion, the mutual distrust almost led to the creation of a breakaway group that would have mirrored developments in England, where the rebel Northern League produced the
game of rugby league
.
The Border sides, however, remained in the Scottish rugby union fold. Yet their desire for more meaningful rugby at a time when the SRU viewed that concept with disdain, was to produce in the
1901-2 season, the Border League, the championship which is now the game's oldest and most established competitive club league.
The League's original members were Gala, Hawick, Langholm, Melrose and Jed Forest. In 1912, Selkirk and Kelso joined to bring the competition up to seven teams, a number which did not change until 1996,
when Peebles after years of lobbying, was admitted into the competition.
Throughout its history, the League has been contested on a home and away basis. surviving even the introduction of National Leagues in 1973. Then with a fine sense of irony, the Border clubs opposed
the arrival of the national championship, fearful of the effect it would have on their own competition.
By the end of the 1996-7 season, Hawick's 43 Border titles - outright or shared - made them easily the most successful side. Melrose had won 14, Jed Forest six, Kelso five, Selkirk three and Langholm one.
Recent innovations have included play-offs, when the League produces a tie, and a points for tries system.
Details: http://www.scottishrugby.org/community/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showResults/p,348/Itemid,789/
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Details: http://www.scottishrugby.org/community/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showResults/p,348/Itemid,789/
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Teams will play their opponents in the pool once each (although all matches are not necessarily completed, due to fixture overcrowding), with the pool winners meeting in the final.
withdrawing or being replaced - either by local rivals Earlston RFC
, who are the largest Scottish Borders club not to participate in the Border League, or possibly by Eyemouth RFC (who have since disbanded as a league club), St Boswells RFC or Walkerburn RFC
who while being far down the national league structure, come from towns currently unrepresented. Calls for Biggar RFC
(geographically just outside the Scottish Borders but a major Scottish club) were also made.
However, Duns RFC
retained their place, and confirmed their status by playing their first fixture of the season before the National League season had even began. They were resoundingly beaten 62 - 7 by Peebles RFC
on Saturday 19 August 2006.#
Duns, failed to make the grade for the following season and were replaced by Haddington RFC
from East Lothian
who were felt to be a suitable team as they play in Division 2 of the national league set-up.
Border League (baseball)
The Border League was a class D minor league in 1912 and 1913 at the Canada-USA border. It was composed of five teams from Michigan and one fom Windsor, Ontario. This six team league never really got off the ground, playing a minimal 35 game schedule. The league lost one Michigan team that...
The Border League, is the oldest established rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
league in the World, having been formed in 1901. Currently known as the Radio Borders
Radio Borders
Radio Borders is a radio station broadcasting to the Scottish Borders and North Northumberland from studios in Tweedbank, just outside Galashiels...
Border League, after its sponsors, teams from all over the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
as well as Berwick RFC
Berwick RFC
Berwick Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team originally founded in 1926, but were reformed in 1968. The team is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just over the border in England. They are affiliated to both the English Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union...
from Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
compete every year from the competition.
The current holders of the league are Melrose RFC
Melrose RFC
Melrose Rugby Football Club, located in the town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders, is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world.-History:The club was formed in 1877 and was elected to full membership of the Scottish Rugby Union in 1880...
, who beat Selkirk RFC
Selkirk RFC
Selkirk Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Selkirk in the Borders, Scotland.They play in their home games at Philiphaugh, and are now in Premiership Division Two and the Border League ....
in 2011.
The Borders has always been a stronghold of rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, coupled with the competitive rivalry that exists between the local Border towns, derbies are something to behold, with the teams fighting for pride as well as league points.
Although originally the premier tournament for its clubs, the formation of a league system in the 1970s means that Border clubs now play in the Scottish League Championship and the Scottish Cup and, although still prestigious, the Border League is now regarded by many of its members as more of a supplementary competition.
History
By tradition, the two main strongholds of Scottish rugby have been the cluster of towns that flank the River Tweed in the Borders, and the private schools of Glasgow and Edinburgh.Although this situation has changed somewhat, the Borders still exert a disproportionate influence upon the Scottish game, and have made a major contribution to world rugby
in the form of rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
.
Between them the two camps have directly or indirectly provided the vast majority of Scotland's international players, but their different traditions have produced an enmity based as much
on class as geography.
That tension was evident even in the late Victorian period, when rugby's popularity was growing in both areas. In the Borders where clubs such as Hawick, Gala and Jed Forest were largely
working class institutions, there was a resentment of the haughty control exerted by representatives of city schools on the Scottish Football Union (as the SRU was known then).
On more than one occasion, the mutual distrust almost led to the creation of a breakaway group that would have mirrored developments in England, where the rebel Northern League produced the
game of rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
.
The Border sides, however, remained in the Scottish rugby union fold. Yet their desire for more meaningful rugby at a time when the SRU viewed that concept with disdain, was to produce in the
1901-2 season, the Border League, the championship which is now the game's oldest and most established competitive club league.
The League's original members were Gala, Hawick, Langholm, Melrose and Jed Forest. In 1912, Selkirk and Kelso joined to bring the competition up to seven teams, a number which did not change until 1996,
when Peebles after years of lobbying, was admitted into the competition.
Throughout its history, the League has been contested on a home and away basis. surviving even the introduction of National Leagues in 1973. Then with a fine sense of irony, the Border clubs opposed
the arrival of the national championship, fearful of the effect it would have on their own competition.
By the end of the 1996-7 season, Hawick's 43 Border titles - outright or shared - made them easily the most successful side. Melrose had won 14, Jed Forest six, Kelso five, Selkirk three and Langholm one.
Recent innovations have included play-offs, when the League produces a tie, and a points for tries system.
Pool A
- Gala RFCGala RFCGala Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team based in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, founded in 1875, they play their home games at Netherdale....
- Kelso RFCKelso RFCKelso Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team founded in 1876. They play their home games at Poynder Park, Kelso in the Scottish Borders.Team team currently play in Premiership Division Two and Border League .Kelso's Sevens Tournament takes place annually in August and the competition is part of...
- Langholm RFCLangholm RFCLangholm Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team founded in 1871. They play their home games at Milntown, Langholm in Dumfries and Galloway....
- Melrose RFCMelrose RFCMelrose Rugby Football Club, located in the town of Melrose in the Scottish Borders, is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the world.-History:The club was formed in 1877 and was elected to full membership of the Scottish Rugby Union in 1880...
- Peebles RFCPeebles RFCPeebles Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Peebles in the Scottish Borders.Established in 1923 they play their home games at The Gytes.Peebles currently compete in Scottish Premiership Division Two.-See also:* Peebles* Border League...
Details: http://www.scottishrugby.org/community/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showResults/p,348/Itemid,789/
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Pool B
- Berwick RFCBerwick RFCBerwick Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team originally founded in 1926, but were reformed in 1968. The team is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, just over the border in England. They are affiliated to both the English Rugby Football Union and the Scottish Rugby Union...
- Jed-Forest RFCJed-Forest RFCJed-Forest Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team who are based at Riverside Park in Jedburgh.One of the world's oldest and most famous clubs, the team was founded in 1885 and currently play in Premiership Division Two and the Border League .-Honours:Kings of the Sevens - 2006Jed-Forest Sevens...
- Haddington RFCHaddington RFCHaddington Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in Haddington, East Lothian.Founded in 1911, the team plays its home games at Neilson Park and compete in Premiership Division Three....
- Hawick RFCHawick RFCHawick Rugby Football Club is a semi-professional rugby union side, currently playing in the Premiership Division One and Border League. The team are based at Mansfield Park at Hawick in the Scottish Borders....
- Selkirk RFCSelkirk RFCSelkirk Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Selkirk in the Borders, Scotland.They play in their home games at Philiphaugh, and are now in Premiership Division Two and the Border League ....
Details: http://www.scottishrugby.org/community/component/option,com_joomleague/func,showResults/p,348/Itemid,789/
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Teams will play their opponents in the pool once each (although all matches are not necessarily completed, due to fixture overcrowding), with the pool winners meeting in the final.
Membership Issues
Following their failure to fulfil any fixtures during 2005-2006, many anticipated Duns RFCDuns RFC
Duns Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Duns in the Borders, Scotland.They are known as 'The Dingers' from the town motto "Duns Dings A" ....
withdrawing or being replaced - either by local rivals Earlston RFC
Earlston RFC
Earlston RFC is a rugby union club, based at Earlston in the Scottish Borders .Earlston is in the East Regional League of the East Regional League division 2. It is the largest Scottish Borders club not to participate in the Border League.It takes part in the Borders Sevens Circuit each May, which...
, who are the largest Scottish Borders club not to participate in the Border League, or possibly by Eyemouth RFC (who have since disbanded as a league club), St Boswells RFC or Walkerburn RFC
Walkerburn RFC
Walkerburn Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side in the small village of Walkerburn in the Borders, Scotland.They currently play in the East Regional Leagues Division 3...
who while being far down the national league structure, come from towns currently unrepresented. Calls for Biggar RFC
Biggar RFC
Biggar RFC was formed in 1975 by five men who had been heavily involved in rugby clubs in their younger days and thought that the area might just stand a chance of raising a new social rugby club. These were Dr...
(geographically just outside the Scottish Borders but a major Scottish club) were also made.
However, Duns RFC
Duns RFC
Duns Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Duns in the Borders, Scotland.They are known as 'The Dingers' from the town motto "Duns Dings A" ....
retained their place, and confirmed their status by playing their first fixture of the season before the National League season had even began. They were resoundingly beaten 62 - 7 by Peebles RFC
Peebles RFC
Peebles Rugby Football Club are a rugby union side based in Peebles in the Scottish Borders.Established in 1923 they play their home games at The Gytes.Peebles currently compete in Scottish Premiership Division Two.-See also:* Peebles* Border League...
on Saturday 19 August 2006.#
Duns, failed to make the grade for the following season and were replaced by Haddington RFC
Haddington RFC
Haddington Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team based in Haddington, East Lothian.Founded in 1911, the team plays its home games at Neilson Park and compete in Premiership Division Three....
from East Lothian
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
who were felt to be a suitable team as they play in Division 2 of the national league set-up.