Ker calls for more early season sevens as Melrose take title
The former Scotland international stand-off, Andrew Ker, has endorsed the decision by Peebles RFC to keep their sevens tournament in its August slot but has called for more clubs to follow suit.
Ker said: “Having just one tournament doesn’t do justice to sevens. I think if we had two if not three tournaments at this time of year it would be so much better.
“It would take pressure off the spring circuit. There are simply too many tournaments in the April/may period.”
Ker’s club, Watsonians, had hopes of lifting the Peebles title for a second successive year and of making a successful start to defending their Kings of the Sevens crown. But in the event the reigning champions lost out to Melrose in a quality semi-final that went to the wire, with only a conversion goal separating the two teams.
Melrose had emerged from Pool A of the group-formatted tournament with wins over Selkirk and Gala to book their place in the penultimate round. Having edged past Watsonians, Melrose faced Heriot’s in the final, the Goldenacre team having defeated Edinburgh Accies in a Pool C reduced in size by the late withdrawal of Biggar and then, the host club, Peebles in the second of the semi-finals.
In the final, tries for Melrose by Craig Jackson, Gavin Wood and Struan Hutchison gave the Greenyards men a 17-12 win over Heriot’s whose touchdowns came from new signing Ross Coombe and skipper Ian Wilson.