MELROSE Sevens will move from its traditional April date to the May bank holiday weekend in 2025.
Organisers, who announced that tickets are now on sale, said the decision was made to avoid a possible clash with fixtures in the Scottish domestic rugby calendar.
The 2025 edition will be a ‘festival of rugby’, with the top men’s and women’s sides competing on Saturday. May 24.
Tournament director Phil Morris said: “We hope to create a true celebration of rugby in 2025, bringing together players and fans from all over the rugby community to enjoy sevens at the spiritual home of the game.”
The date change is due to this season's extension of Scottish Premiership fixture dates.
Allocated fixtures for 2024-2025 mean the traditional Melrose Sevens weekend in April will be used as a standby date for rescheduled fixtures, posing a risk of impacting the availability of teams and referees.
Melrose Sevens 2025 will take place from May 22-25.
The Jackson Distillers Hall of Fame Dinner, celebrating the legends of rugby, both local and worldwide, is planned for the opening evening.
On Friday, May 23, Borders U16s and U18s tournaments are scheduled for the afternoon. The Celebration of Borders Women in Sport event will take place in the evening.
The following day the traditional 1883 Melrose Sevens tournament is set to feature 24 men's teams, including 18 Scottish teams and six invited guest sides.
The Breadalbane Doddie Claymore Competition will highlight the best rugby sevens skills from four top women's teams. The action starts at 11am and runs through to 8pm.
While the men and women battle it out on the Greenyards pitch, an open invitational U18 tournament will play its early rounds, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final set for Sunday.
The concluding day of the festival will also feature a girl’s U14 competition.
Throughout the weekend, attendees can enjoy a vibrant fan-zone which features a big screen.
Discounted early bird tickets are available until October 31. Tickets can be purchased at www.melrose7s.co.uk or by calling 01896 822 993.
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