Rugby: Watsonians 'hugely disappointed not to be invited to... Gala Sevens'
Last updated 13th Aug 2023
It's one of the biggest events in the local rugby calendar, and helps raise vital funds for the Borders club.
But Edinburgh side Watsonians has issued a statement expressing its "huge" disappointment at not being invited to compete in Saturday's Gala Sevens.
And the Myreside club is seeking clarification from the Border League over how the decision impacts its "chances of competing fairly" for the Kings of the 7s title this season, with director of rugby Chris Hunter claiming it "throws into question the integrity" of the competition.
Gala blames "issues caused by late withdrawals" in previous years for its decision to reduce the number of teams taking part in August 19th's event at Netherdale, from 12 to eight.
It has described Watsonians omission as "unfortunate", but adds it's prioritising Borders clubs this year.
The statement from Watsonians reads: "We are hugely disappointed not to be invited to compete in the Gala Sevens on Saturday for the first time in its history.
"We are very proud not to have missed a Kings of the 7s event since its inception - as a club we invest a lot of time, resource and budget into supporting the Borders Sevens circuit and will continue to do so.
"Naturally, we would hope that not having the opportunity to compete at Gala on Saturday has no bearing on our chances of competing fairly for the Kings of the 7s title this season
"We'll be seeking clarification from The Border League regarding how the decision impacts the Kings of the 7s tournament."
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The post has been shared by former Gala player Iain Berthinussen, now with Edinburgh Accies - who says the coaching group there is also "extremely disappointed" to not be competing.
The eight teams taking part in this year's Gala Sevens have been split into two pools of four - with Melrose, 2 Scots, Selkirk and Jed-Forest in Pool A; and Gala, Peebles, Kelso and Hawick in Pool B.
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A spokesperson for the hosts said: "Gala Rugby has chosen to run an eight team senior tournament this year due to previous years issues caused by late withdrawals of teams in a 12-team format.
"We have prioritised Borders teams' involvement, and have included 2 Scots (from the British Army) as they have supported the tournament in the past where teams have withdrawn in the final week.
"It is unfortunate that there are teams that will not be participating this year, especially some who have also been very loyal to both Gala Rugby and the wider K7s circuit, but ultimately when you are organising a community rugby event with over 60 rugby teams playing from P4 up to senior rugby, the organising committee need to secure certainty to ensure the smooth running of the event.
"We are sure everyone will have a great day nonetheless and can’t wait to welcome you all to Netherdale!"
The Sevens is part of the Maroon'D at Gala festival, which gets underway with a free schools competition on Friday (August 18th) - with the first tie kicking off at 4pm.
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