Earlston RFC
Encyclopedia
Earlston RFC is a rugby union
club, based at Earlston
in the Scottish Borders
(formerly Berwickshire
).
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 is the oldest tournament of its kind in the world. Rugby sevens
were invented at Melrose
nearby.
The Club also played in the first Melrose Sevens
in 1883. In the early years the Club's pitch was located at the Georgefield Road close to where the school pitches are today. In 1921 the present pitch at the Haugh (a Lowland Scots
word meaning river meadow) was leased from A. Brownlie, Timber Merchants. Two years later the first Clubhouse was erected. On 1 September 1923 the first Earlston Seven-a-Side Tournament was held and in 1935 the present cup, reputed to be one of the most valuable on the Border Sevens circuit, was purchased thanks to subscriptions from Club supporters. In 1984 the Sevens date was switched to the Spring - the Sunday prior to the first Monday in May. The 1939 Sevens tournament was cancelled as World War 2 started the next day. No organised rugby took place until the war ended.
Throughout the war the pitch and clubhouse were requisitioned by the military. Approximately one third of the pitch was dug out and concrete laid to make "hull-down" park for tanks (Polish Lancers) stationed in the area preparing for D-Day. It was 1948 before the playing surface was full restored and matches were played on a temporary pitch on another part of the Haugh. From 1946 to 1948 the sevens were held at the Greenyards, Melrose - the Melrose Club refusing any offers of payment.
In 1968 the first major extension was carried out on the Clubhouse. The first licensed bar was installed at this time. In 1984-85 the Club President and Vice President (J. Fairbairn and R Kerr) held discussions with Mr A Brownlie Jnr., and the last named agreed to sell the pitch to the Club. A further major extension to the Clubhouse (the present layout) was completed in 1988.
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...
club, based at Earlston
Earlston
Earlston , formerly Ercildoune, is a civil parish and market town in the county of Berwickshire, within the Scottish Borders. It is situated on the River Leader in Lauderdale, Scotland.-Early history:...
in 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...
(formerly Berwickshire
Berwickshire
Berwickshire or the County of Berwick is a registration county, a committee area of the Scottish Borders Council, and a lieutenancy area of Scotland, on the border with England. The town after which it is named—Berwick-upon-Tweed—was lost by Scotland to England in 1482...
).
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
Border League
For the defunct baseball league, see Border League The Border League, is the oldest established rugby union league in the World, having been formed in 1901...
.
It takes part in the Borders Sevens Circuit
Borders Sevens Circuit
The Borders Sevens Circuit is the name given to rugby union sevens tournaments that are held annually in the Scottish Borders. It is the oldest Sevens Circuit in the world, with most sevens dating from the 19th century.-Kings of the Sevens:...
each May, which is the oldest tournament of its kind in the world. 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...
were invented at Melrose
Melrose, Scotland
Melrose is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It is in the Eildon committee area.-Etymology:...
nearby.
Strip
Earlston RFC play in blue hoops on white shirts, navy shorts and red socks. The current kit is manufactured by Samurai. The shirt sponsor of the club are locally based solicitor and estate agent company 'Cullen Kilshaw'.History
No written records are available concerning the origins of the Club but it is believed that it was formed in the 1870s by two Yorkshiremen who were installing machinery in the local woollen mill. (The same men are supposed to have started the Langholm Club.) Kelso Rugby Club was formed in 1876 and one of their first games was against Earlston, the result being a draw. On 7 March 1879 Earlston played Kelso at Kelso in one of the first matches staged under electric floodlights.The Club also played in the first Melrose Sevens
Melrose Sevens
Melrose Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Melrose Rugby Club, in Melrose, Scotland. It is the oldest rugby sevens competition dating from 1883, when the tournament was suggested by former Melrose player Ned Haig....
in 1883. In the early years the Club's pitch was located at the Georgefield Road close to where the school pitches are today. In 1921 the present pitch at the Haugh (a Lowland Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
word meaning river meadow) was leased from A. Brownlie, Timber Merchants. Two years later the first Clubhouse was erected. On 1 September 1923 the first Earlston Seven-a-Side Tournament was held and in 1935 the present cup, reputed to be one of the most valuable on the Border Sevens circuit, was purchased thanks to subscriptions from Club supporters. In 1984 the Sevens date was switched to the Spring - the Sunday prior to the first Monday in May. The 1939 Sevens tournament was cancelled as World War 2 started the next day. No organised rugby took place until the war ended.
Throughout the war the pitch and clubhouse were requisitioned by the military. Approximately one third of the pitch was dug out and concrete laid to make "hull-down" park for tanks (Polish Lancers) stationed in the area preparing for D-Day. It was 1948 before the playing surface was full restored and matches were played on a temporary pitch on another part of the Haugh. From 1946 to 1948 the sevens were held at the Greenyards, Melrose - the Melrose Club refusing any offers of payment.
In 1968 the first major extension was carried out on the Clubhouse. The first licensed bar was installed at this time. In 1984-85 the Club President and Vice President (J. Fairbairn and R Kerr) held discussions with Mr A Brownlie Jnr., and the last named agreed to sell the pitch to the Club. A further major extension to the Clubhouse (the present layout) was completed in 1988.