Muir and Co in hunt to make history with double-double
Borders side plan to mark 150th anniversary with another trophy
THE double-double. An unprecedented level of success in club rugby. That’s what Hawick are looking to achieve today when they take on Currie Chieftains in the Premiership final. Mansfield Park will be packed out with supporters of both teams and the weather forecast is looking promising too.
Sun, rugby, and the two best teams in the Scottish club game going head to head. What more could you ask for?
Hawick are defending champions after beating the same opposition in last year’s final, and after retaining their Scottish Cup crown at Scottish Gas Murrayfield last week they are determined to clinch a double celebration by keeping hold of the Premiership title.
The cup victory over Edinburgh Accies left the players battered and bruised but they were straight back into training to get themselves fit and ready to host Currie this afternoon. It’s the 150th year of organised rugby in the Borders town and what better way to celebrate it than making history with this league and cup double for a second year in a row?
They’ve also already won the Borders League, so a treble is on the cards, and Hawick director of rugby Gary Muir is already proud of what they have achieved.
Getting to hold onto the Premiership trophy for another 12 months would be the perfect ending to the season, he said.
“There’s a good buzz about the place and the boys are excited,” said Muir. “They’re a little sore after Saturday which is understandable but we’re in a very good place.
“I don’t think it’s been done before. The double double. We focus on one game at a time and don’t really look at that picture until this point of the season but this coming Saturday it’s about getting the win, the accolades that come after that will take care of themselves.
“It’s the 150th year and it’s quite a special year to be going for a cup
double. It was special last year when we did it but it’s been in the back of our mind this year with the 150th and we’d like to keep the trophies for at least another 12 months.
“The big driver is winning trophies. Every competition we enter, we’re in it to win. We’ve already won the Borders League this year so if we win on Saturday we’d actually be doing a treble this season.
“The boys were a bit disappointed to miss out on the Borders League last year which meant they could only win the double so it was a bit of a driver for them to get the Border League trophy back.”
It’s not been a season without some downs though and the change of head
coach recently is arguably the biggest of those.
It was announced in March that Matty Douglas wouldn’t have his contract renewed for next season despite the club’s successes.
Douglas, one of the most promising young coaches in Scottish club rugby, then decided to exit immediately and was replaced by Graham Hogg, brother of ex-Scotland captain Stuart.
The fact the turmoil hasn’t disrupted the Hawick players is a testament to their determination to be successful.
When asked how the players responded to the change in coach, Muir said: “The fact these guys have had so many big games to concentrate on has helped.
“A lot of them were in the Inter District Championship and came back and went straight into the semifinal, then the cup final last week.
“They’ve not had a lot of time to think about it which is a bonus. The way these guys are mentally, they won’t let anything stand between them and their ultimate goals which is to win competitions.
“It’s their attitude and their willingness to always learn and give 100 per cent. It’s a very special group of players. Our blend has some key experienced players in there with Shawn Muir, Fraser Renwick, Stuart Graham but at the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got guys like Andrew Mitchell who are really just starting out in their rugby career.
“We’ve got a very good blend of youth and experience in the squad which drives everybody on. The experienced players bounce off the younger players and the younger players learn from the experienced guys.”
Home advantage at Mansfield Park is huge for Hawick heading into this weekend. They’ve not lost there since 2019 and keeping that record intact is almost as important to them as winning the Premiership final.
Muir can’t wait to see how things go and he’s sent a rallying call to anyone who is on the fence about attending too as he promised a great day.
He continued: “I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a couple of thousand there on Saturday. It’s looking like being well supported by both clubs.
“Currie are bringing four buses which is unheard of for an away game for some city clubs so it’s great. The atmosphere will be good and we’re looking forward to it.
“We’ve not lost at home since 2019 so we’re looking to keep that record as well. Playing at Mansfield is special. It’s a special ground to call home in terms of the atmosphere and the passion our supporters bring.
“You’re going to see what club rugby is about. If you watched the cup final you’d see that club rugby is special. There’s a lot of passion and history in the clubs and get along and support your local club. Make sure club rugby is going from strength to strength.”