The 70th instalment of the Edinburgh Northern rugby sevens, sponsored by Blyth & Blyth, consulting engineers, takes place at Inverleith on Saturday, 20 April.
Currie will be looking to complete a “hat-trick” in a field or 20 teams and success would leave them one short of the record six titles achieved by Liberton between 1968 and ‘75.
The holders are expected to field the young line-up which won through two rounds of the prestigious Melrose tournament last weekend.
First up at The Greenyards Currie saw off Hawick before gaining a last play victory over invitation side, Assassins. Eventually a clash with Durham University proved their undoing.
Edinburgh Northern stalwart Neil Leitch recalls two memorable finals: “In 1991, the Stewart’s Melville l team, minus (British Lion) Dougie Morgan, who had won the Twickenham Sevens, appeared in our tournament as the President’s VII, winning again.
“In the year of the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001 the Hawick Sevens were cancelled. Their two guest teams, Samurai and Royal Scots, with lots of Fijians, transferred to our tournament. They played out a great final, the highest standard of rugby ever seen at our ground, with the Royal Scots winning. The Royal Scots won the tournament on two other occasions, but with a 2nd VII.”
Participating teams: Edinburgh Northern, Gala YM, Inverleith, Kelso, Currie, Leith, Lasswade, Lismore, Boroughmuir, Corstorphine, Forrester, Heriot’s, Penicuik, Fijian Dura Juniors, Portobello, Trinity Acads, Edinburgh Medics, Thebans, Scottish Parliament, Napier University.
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