Melrose’s sevens having been put back six weeks to avoid overlapping with the tail-end of 2024/25’s expanded Arnold Clark Premiership season, Hawick’s tournament – shifted back in the calendar to spring after three years as an August event – will be this year’s curtain-raiser this Saturday, followed by Berwick’s the day after. Draws have been made for both, and Hawick’s first round, starting at 2pm, includes two Borders derbies, pitting the hosts against Selkirk and Jed-Forest against Gala. The other three opening ties involving Borders clubs see Peebles play Musselburgh, Melrose go up against Berwick and Kelso, last year’s winners, take on Durham University. Four Edinburgh sides are taking part and round one – to be followed by a round of eight, semi-finals and a final – includes one capital city derby, Edinburgh Academical versus Heriot’s. The two further clubs from the other end of the A7 heading to Mansfield Park are Watsonians and Boroughmuir and they’ll be up against Stirling County and Langholm respectively. Entry is £15 for adults aged up to 64, £10 for over-65s and free for under-18s. Kelso’s win last year, by 26-10 against Gala in the final, was their first since 1997 and sixth all told, following prior victories in 1928, 1960, 1973, 1981 and 1985. The Greens last won their own sevens, first held in 1886, in August 2022, getting the better of Melrose by 45-14 to hit the half-century mark for victories on home turf. Berwick’s first round, starting at 1am, will be contested in four pools. Melrose, 2024’s winners, share a pool with Durham Uni and Newcastle invitational outfit the Jesmond Jackals. Jed, beaten 24-12 by Melrose in last year’s final, will be up against Selkirk and Watsonians. The Scremerston hosts’ pool is also home to Gala and Peebles. Defending Kings of the 7s champions Kelso are in a pool with Hawick and Edinburgh Accies. Berwick have only ever won their own sevens, launched in 1983, once, that being back in 1986, and defending champions Melrose have only one more win to their name, having come out on top in 2002 as well as last year. Entry is £10 for adults aged up to 64, £5 for over-65s and free for under-18s. For further details of this weekend’s events, check the two clubs’ Facebook pages, https://www.facebook.com/HawickRFC and https://www.facebook.com/groups/BerwickRugby Next up after this weekend are Langholm’s sevens on Saturday, April 26, and they’re followed by another double-bill, at Kelso and Earlston on Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4. Two further rounds follow – at Selkirk on Saturday, May 10, and Jedburgh seven days later – before the current campaign concludes at Melrose on Saturday, May 24. Melrose are at the top of the competition’s leaderboard at present, on 13 points from two rounds, with Jed, Gala and Edinburgh Accies joint-second on ten and Hawick, Peebles and Kelso joint-fifth on eight, plus Watsonians in eighth place with three.