MELROSE SEVENS | FESTIVAL OF RUGBY UNVEILED
PHIL MORRIS AND MALCOLM CHANGLENG FROM THE MELROSE RUGBY BOARD UNVEIL THE FORMAT OF THE MELROSE SEVENS 2025.
As we enter 2025, we are hugely excited to have this opportunity to communicate to the Melrose Membership through The Rose and set out the ambitious plans for the May rugby festival of sevens. It is a big task to tie down a lot of the arrangements, but we are getting there!
The change of date has worked in our favour. Sponsorship revenues are at a record high and in next month’s Rose we will unveil the headline Sponsor who has been secured on a three-year deal. It is brilliant to have Siobhan Petrie and Phil drive the commercial side of the Sevens, securing a wide range of sponsorship partners, but it is also exciting to know we have for the first time in a few seasons we have secured a major event sponsor to headline the event.
This allows us to put on the Sevens and pay for the infrastructure and event costs, as well as contribute significantly to next season’s 1st XV squad and all of the costs that go into running the other squads from the Storm, through to the Youth set-up.
The main stand is almost sold out, so this is a reminder that it’s on a first come first served basis!
The hospitality packages are proving very popular with another plea to get Doddie Club tickets now, as we will easily break the 400 number that were in the tented area last season. We have ordered larger tenting for this and we will expand towards the rugby posts at the Tweed end.
The festival starts on Wednesday 21 May, with all members invited to the 1877 bar to meet some of the 6 guest sides - especially Te Awamatu, who travel from Waikato in New Zealand, and Sydney Rugby all the way from Australia featuring old friends from Randwick and Manly. This is a return to an evening that was traditionally put on to welcome our rugby friends from afar, and we are looking forward to a Scottish themed night with haggis for all!
“...NEXT MONTH WE WILL UNVEIL
THE HEADLINE SPONSOR WHO HAS BEEN SECURED ON A THREE YEAR DEAL...””
Tickets are flying for the Jackson Hall of Fame dinner on Thursday night in the VIP tent. We have three huge names from the world of Rugby Sevens lined up to add to our Sevens Hall of Fame. A famous son of Kelso and a New Zealander who has dominated Sevens rugby for three decades are my only teasers!
We will also celebrate the Melrose Sevens squad who won the ‘Sports’ 50 years ago in 1975 on the evening and we are looking forward to seeing Melrose stalwarts Rob Moffat (can he still fit into his playing top?!), Keith Robertson, Robin Wood, Jim Henderson etc at the evening.
