| Sport | Rugby sevens | 
|---|---|
| Instituted | 1884 | 
| Number of teams | 12 | 
| Country |  Scotland | 
| Holders |  Edinburgh Academicals  (2019) | 
| Most titles |  Hawick (42 titles) | 
| Related competition | Kings of the Sevens | 
Gala Sevens is an annual rugby sevens event held by Gala RFC, in Galashiels, Scotland. The Gala Sevens was the second of the Border Sevens tournaments to be instated in 1884, just behind the Melrose Sevens in 1883.[1]
Held around the start of every April, the tournament is part of the Kings of the Sevens competition. 2019's Gala Sevens took place on the 6 April.[2] It was won by Edinburgh Academicals.[3]
Sports Day
Gala introduced a Sports Day in 1884. This contained rugby sevens, a kicking competition and athletics.[4]
Memorial Football trophy
The winner of the Gala Sevens receives the Border Memorial Football Trophy.[5]
Invited Sides
Various sides have been invited to play in the Gala Sevens tournament throughout the years. The Barbarians entered in a side in 1976, as did Harlequins. Newcastle Falcons reached the final in 1999; Llanelli RFC reached the final in 1970; Bridgend RFC reached the final in 1971.
The Fiji national rugby sevens team won the event in 1991. They beat the Canada national rugby sevens team in the final.
Cardiff RFC won the event in 1964 and were runners-up the following year.
Of the English sides so far invited, only Tynedale, Blackheath, Loughborough Colleges, Orrell and Richmond have won the Memorial Football Trophy.
Sponsorship
The Sevens tournament is usually sponsored by Five Star Taxis of Galashiels.[6][7][8][9]
Past winners
- 2022  Gala Gala
- 2021  Melrose Melrose
- 2020 no tournament - coronavirus pandemic
- 2019  Edinburgh Accies Edinburgh Accies
- 2018  Jed-Forest Jed-Forest
- 2017  Watsonians Watsonians
- 2016  Watsonians Watsonians
- 2015  Gala Gala
- 2014  Melrose Melrose
- 2013  Gala Gala
- 2012  Jed-Forest Jed-Forest
- 2011  Melrose Melrose
- 2010  Melrose Melrose
- 2009  Selkirk Selkirk
- 2008  Heriots Heriots
- 2007  Hawick Hawick
- 2006  Boroughmuir Boroughmuir
- 2005  Watsonians Watsonians
- 2004  Royal Scots Royal Scots
- 2003  Watsonians Watsonians
- 2002  Royal Scots Royal Scots
- 2001  Kelso Kelso
- 2000  Melrose Melrose
- 1999  Melrose Melrose
- 1998  Glasgow Hawks Glasgow Hawks
- 1997  Watsonians Watsonians
- 1996  Watsonians Watsonians
- 1995  Gala Gala
- 1994  Gala Gala
- 1993  Gala Gala
- 1992  Hawick Hawick
- 1991  Fiji Fiji
- 1990  Saltires Saltires
- 1989  Saltires Saltires
- 1988  Saltires Saltires
- 1987  Melrose Melrose
- 1986  Hawick Hawick
- 1985  Kelso Kelso
- 1984  Richmond Richmond
- 1983  Kelso Kelso
- 1982  Gala Gala
- 1981  Kelso Kelso
- 1980  Stewarts Melville Stewarts Melville
- 1979  Hawick Hawick
- 1978  Hawick Hawick
- 1977  Gala Gala
- 1976  Stewarts Melville Stewarts Melville
- 1975  Orrell Orrell
- 1974  Kelso Kelso
- 1973  Heriots Heriots
- 1972  Gala Gala
- 1971  Gala Gala
- 1970  Gala Gala
- 1969  Gala Gala
- 1968  Hawick Hawick
- 1967  Hawick Hawick
- 1966  Hawick Hawick
- 1965  Loughborough Colleges Loughborough Colleges
- 1964  Cardiff Cardiff
- 1963  Gala Gala
- 1962  Melrose Melrose
- 1961  Hawick Hawick
- 1960  Hawick Hawick
- 1959  Hawick Hawick
- 1958  Hawick Hawick
- 1957  Blackheath Blackheath
- 1956  Hawick Hawick
- 1955  Langholm Langholm
- 1954  Gala Gala
- 1953  Melrose Melrose
- 1952  Stewart's College FP Stewart's College FP
- 1951  Langholm Langholm
- 1950  Glasgow HSFP Glasgow HSFP
- 1949  Hawick Hawick
- 1948  Kelso Kelso
- 1947  Hawick Hawick
- 1946  Hawick Hawick
- 1942-1945 Second World War
- 1941  Kelso Kelso
- 1940  Hawick Hawick
- 1939  Glasgow Academicals Glasgow Academicals
- 1938  Melrose Melrose
- 1937  Kelso Kelso
- 1936  Kelso Kelso
- 1935  Hawick Hawick
- 1934  Gala Gala
- 1933  Hawick Hawick
- 1932  Hawick Hawick
- 1931  Hawick Hawick
- 1930  Gala Gala
- 1929  Gala Gala
- 1928  Hawick Hawick
- 1927  Hawick Hawick
- 1926  Hawick Hawick
- 1925  Kelso Kelso
- 1924  Hawick Hawick
- 1923  Hawick Hawick
- 1922  Gala Gala
- 1921  Jed-Forest Jed-Forest
- 1920  Gala Gala
- 1919  Royal HSFP Royal HSFP
- 1917-1918 First World War
- 1916  4th K.O.S.Borderers 4th K.O.S.Borderers
- 1915 First World War
- 1914  Gala Gala
- 1913  Gala Gala
- 1912  Hawick Hawick
- 1911  Hawick Hawick
- 1910  Hawick Hawick
- 1909  Hawick Hawick
- 1908  Gala Gala
- 1907  Gala Gala
- 1906  Hawick Hawick
- 1905  Watsonians Watsonians
- 1904  Hawick Hawick
- 1903  Hawick Hawick
- 1902  Hawick Hawick
- 1901  Hawick Hawick
- 1900  Hawick Hawick
- 1899  Jed-Forest Jed-Forest
- 1898  Hawick Hawick
- 1897  Hawick Hawick
- 1896  Hawick Hawick
- 1895  Hawick Hawick
- 1894  Hawick Hawick
- 1893  Hawick Hawick
- 1892  Jed-Forest Jed-Forest
- 1891  Gala Gala
- 1890  Gala Gala
- 1889  Melrose Melrose
- 1888  Gala Gala
- 1887  Gala Gala
- 1886  Melrose Melrose
- 1885  Tynedale Tynedale
- 1884  Gala Gala
See also
References
- ↑ "BBC - A Sporting Nation - The first Melrose Sevens match 1883". bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ "Edinburgh Accies beat Watsonians in final to win Gala Sevens". 6 April 2019.
- ↑ "Victory for Accies at Gala 7s". edinburghaccies.com.
- ↑ "Gala Rugby - Club History". Gala Rugby.
- ↑ http://www.rugbyrelics.com/images/aaaaa/sr/G-30.jpg
- ↑ "Five Star Taxis Gala Sevens - News - Gala Rugby". pitchero.com.
- ↑ "Jed-forest Rugby Club - Jed win Five Star Taxis Gala 7s". jedforestrfc.com.
- ↑  Rugby, Gala (4 March 2016). "Five Star Taxis Gala Sevens 2016 http://www.galarfc.com/news/five-star-taxis-gala-sevens-2016-1576825.html …". {{cite web}}: External link in|title=
- ↑ "Five Star Taxis - The Scottish Borders' largest Taxi firm". fivestartaxisgalashiels.com.