Scottish Borders rugby on the rise as South taps into Walter Scott lore and new trophy

Ivanhoe was the novel that helped make Scott one of the world’s most renowned writers and the titular knight was the inspiration for the Abbotsford Claret Jug, which will be competed for for the first time next month when the South play Edinburgh in an inter-district match at Hawick’s Mansfield Park.

The trophy has the word ‘Desdichado’ engraved on its front, the sobriquet used by William of Ivanhoe on his return from the Crusades as he participated in a tournament. It means ‘disinherited’, as Ivanhoe was, by his father.

Two 20th century rugby knights were on hand at Abbotsford for the launch of the new silverware and both Gavin Hastings and Keith Robertson enjoyed plenty of jousts during rugby’s amateur heyday.

Fond memories of South v Edinburgh

Hastings recalls a South v Edinburgh match at a Netherdale where each team was chock-full of internationals and the crowd, he estimates, was in the region of 10,000.

They are unlikely to attract that sort of attendance when the sides meet on November 7 but the revived Inter-District Championship is starting to catch attention and organisers are hoping for around 2,500 in Hawick.

It’s the latest stepping stone to increasing the profile and standard of rugby in the Borders. It remains the one Scottish region where rugby can legitimately claim to be the number one sport but it has felt somewhat disenfranchised in recent years.

The launch last year of the Scottish Borders District Union is intended to rectify that along with the continued resurgence of the South side which draws together the best players from the local clubs.

Building up the Borders rugby constituency

“There is a rugby constituency in the Borders, to my mind, and I think that the way that things have gone in recent times have not been a hugely helpful thing in terms of building the rugby constituency,” said Ewen Swinton, operations manager for the South of Scotland team. “But this sort of fixture, and this sort of heart and soul support for a regional team, a South team, is an avenue which we can use to grow the rugby constituency again, back to perhaps something like it has been in the past.”

Melrose's Angus Runciman will captain the South and believes bringing together the region's best players can raise standards.

“It's a massive honour to be asked to be captain,” said Runciman who had experience of playing in a pan-Borders team for the Southern Knights in Super6, the short-lived semi-pro competition. “But I think, having been exposed to a higher level of rugby with the Knights, it's something that's arguably similar, but then again, I don't think the Knights meant as much to players.

“I think the whole South thing will certainly mean a lot more to players. So hopefully we'll try and bring more out of them.”

Hastings, who captained Edinburgh as well as Scotland and the Lions, is fully behind the return of the Inter-District Championship and hopes it can help unearth some new talent.

“I think it's extremely important,” said the 1990 Grand Slam hero. “Obviously, back in the last century when Keith and I played, it was a stepping stone and you suddenly had to up your game.

Unearth some late bloomers

“And it's fantastic to have a trophy to play for. Apart from the Calcutta Cup, they always seemed to be mythical trophies. There was no trophies for the Triple Crown or Grand Slam back then, and I don't know what the old District Championship used to be. But I remember specifically one game at Netherdale between Edinburgh and the South, and of course Edinburgh won, which is why I'm remembering it!

“But there was probably about 30 internationalists involved, playing in front of 10,000 or 12,000, so that was amazing. It's not going to happen again in terms of the crowds, but giving the players another level to aspire to and to play for this wonderful trophy, I think is very meaningful.

“And that's what you want, because when you have an opportunity to play at the higher level, you're need to raise your game accordingly, and then who knows, it might just unearth a couple of late bloomers who might go on and play professional rugby.”

Robertson played in Scotland’s historic 1984 Grand Slam-winning side but one of his proudest rugby moments came in a South jersey when, later that year, he was part of the team which beat Australia at Mansfield Park. The Wallabies beat Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales during the '84 tour but were second best against the South in Hawick, losing 9-6.

“It was the wettest, windiest night at Mansfield Park and let's just say the Australians didn't like it,” recalled Robertson, who was capped 44 times. “That's a memory that you always hold because you've beaten a touring team which had also won the Grand Slam.”

The Abbotsford Claret Jug has been supplied thanks to the sponsorship of the Faculty of Advocates whose links to Scott run deep.

100-a-side rugby

“We're very proud to call Sir Walter Scott one of our most famous sons, he’s possibly the most famous advocate,” said Iain Young, head of library for the Faculty of Advocates. “Obviously, his fame is for a number of reasons, primarily literary, but he was an advocate. He was also a sheriff and a very well-known person around Parliament House in Edinburgh, where we are based. He has also got a connection with rugby through the Carterhaugh Ba' Game.

“This was a celebration of the victory at the Battle of Waterloo, arranged between Scott and the Duke of Buccleuch. Apparently, 200 men, one ball, very few rules, three hours of brutal combat, and they stopped when it got too dark to continue playing.

“The Faculty of Advocates are very proud to be the custodians of Scott's collection here at Abbotsford, the library, and some of the items in the house. There are very few literary libraries of this sort which are still in situ, still on the shelves in the order that Scott kept them, which is quite amazing.”