THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS
HARRY PINCOTT
WHILE Stellenbosch University will not be returning to defend the Ladies Centenary Trophy at the Cala Melrose sevens at the Greenyards on Saturday, 8 April, South Africa will be still be represented, this time by the Orange Free State University.

The visitors will be gunning for the winners' prize of £5,000, but they have been given a difficult draw, opening against a rejuvenated Currie, with Scottish Thistles and Oxford University, back after a ten-year break, lurking in the same half of the draw.

Melrose themselves contributed hugely to last year's tournament, going down narrowly to Stellenbosch in a thrilling final, and they are in what looks like the easier top half, though Watsonians, Newcastle Falcons and previous winners Boroughmuir, whom Melrose meet in the first round, will provide stiff opposition.

Many of the teams will get a taste of sevens the previous weekend in the Allied Irish Bank (GB) Gala tournament at Netherdale on Sunday, 2 April.

Meanwhile, Edinburgh Gunners back-row forward Dave Callam, Glasgow Warriors apprentice Scott Forrest and Edinburgh Academicals scrum-half Matt Coupar will join the Scotland squad for this weekend's Hong Kong Sevens.

The trio replace David Gray, Alasdair Strokosch and Rory Lawson who competed for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games. Lawson and Strokosch have returned to Edinburgh, while Gray has a stress fracture of the leg.

MELROSE DRAW (12:45pm): First round: Selkirk v Gala; Peebles v Glasgow Hawks; Kelso v Hawick; Heriot's v Langholm. Second round: Watsonians v Selkirk or Gala; Ayr v Newcastle Falcons; Jed-Forest v Peebles or Glasgow Hawks; Boroughmuir v Melrose; Biggar v Kelso or Hawick; Currie v Orange Free State; Stewart's-Melville v Heriot's or Langholm; Scottish Thistle v Oxford University

This article was posted on 28-Mar-2006, 06:50 by Hugh Barrow.