Scottish rugby union team
Rugby team
Hawick |
| Full name | Hawick Rugby Football Club |
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| Union | SRU |
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| Founded | 1885; 139 years ago (1885) |
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| Location | Hawick, Scotland |
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| Ground(s) | Mansfield Park (Capacity: 5,000) |
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| President | Ian Landles |
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| Coach(es) | Head Coach: Matty Douglas
Forwards Coach: Lewis Bertram
Backs Coach: Graham Hogg
Team Manager: Mick Gillan
Director Of Rugby: Gary Muir |
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| Captain(s) | Shawn Muir |
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| League(s) | Scottish Premiership |
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| 2022–23 | 1st (Champions) |
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| hawickrfc.co.uk |
Hawick Rugby Football Club is an semi-pro rugby union side, currently playing in the Scottish Premiership and Border League. The club was founded in 1885 and are based at Mansfield Park at Hawick in the Scottish Borders.
Splinter from Hawick and Wilton RFC
The premier club of Hawick was Hawick and Wilton RFC. This was formed by the Hawick and Wilton Cricket Club members as a sport to play in the winter. It ran the Hawick and Wilton Sevens; the fourth oldest rugby sevens tournament in the world (behind Melrose [1883]; Gala [April 1884] and Selkirk Cricket Club [May 1884]). For the members of Hawick and Wilton RFC however cricket came first and this led to the splinter club of Hawick RFC forming in 1885. Hawick and Wilton RFC continued on after Hawick RFC formed as rivals; and for a time both the Hawick and Wilton Sevens and the later Hawick Sevens co-existed. Hawick and Wilton RFC eventually folded in 1890 as its members decided to purely focus on cricket.[1]
Establishment of the club
1885 saw some rugby players of Hawick and Wilton RFC found a new club to instead solely concentrate on rugby: the Hawick Football Club, moving to new premises at the Volunteer Park, just beyond the cricket pitch. New colours were adopted, dark green jerseys and stockings with white shorts, and in 1886 Hawick was admitted to membership of the Scottish Football (later Rugby) Union, only the 19th club to be admitted, the only earlier Border clubs being Gala and Melrose RFC.
In 1888 Hawick Football Club moved to its present home, Mansfield Park, at the other end of the town. The early seasons brought keenly contested games against Edinburgh Academicals, Gala, and Watsonians, and in 1896 Hawick won their first Scottish Unofficial Championship.[2]
1945 to 1972 – Scottish domination
Between 1945 and 1972, Hawick club firmly established among the leaders of Scottish rugby, winning the unofficial championship eight times, taking the Border League title fifteen times, and earning fame as sevens specialists.
In the 1950s, all 15 of Hawick RFC were approached by rugby league scouts from Yorkshire.[2]
In this period, Hugh McLeod, George Stevenson, Adam Robson, and Derrick Grant alone won 100 international caps between them, while fifteen other Greens played for their country.
1972 onwards
The official Scottish championship began in season 1973–74 and since that time Hawick has won the championship on twelve occasions. The proud record of winning the first Border League in 1901–02 and the first Scottish championship in 1973–74 was added to in 1995–96 when the club were also first winners of the Scottish Cup. Indeed, in season 2002–03, the Greens completed the treble, winning Scottish League championship, Scottish Cup and Border League championship.
In 2009, the club was relegated to the second tier for the first time in their history. Hawick regained their place in the Premiership at the end of the 2012–13 season with a 39–38 playoff victory over Dundee HSFP.[3]
Hawick Force
The club run a 2nd XV called Hawick Force, who play in the new Border Junior League.
Forwards Coaches: Matthew Landels,
Backs Coach:
Team Manager: Kenny "Shovie" Colville
[4]
1888 British Isles tourists
Three Hawick players took part in the 1888 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia
Other famous players
The famous rugby commentator Bill McLaren also played for Hawick.[2]
