URC talent to light up Melrose Sevens, Welsh greats named for charity match

The sevens rugby doesn’t stop – even when the HSBC SVNS Series wraps up in early June.

A host of stars are set to light up sevens tournaments around the world, with Welsh greats set to headline an exciting edition of Welsh Rugby’s most popular sevens tournaments, while URC talent is set to light up The Greenyards this weekend in Melrose.

URC Talent headlines Howden Melrose Sevens tournament

The biggest day on the Scottish Sevens calendar has arrived this weekend, with The Greenyards in Melrose, Scotland set to host the 143rd edition of the Howden Melrose Sevens, the oldest rugby sevens competition in the world.

It is set to be a busy weekend of action, with 20 teams in the men’s competition and five teams in the women’s competition set to do battle for the 1883 Centenary Cup and the Doddie Claymore competition, respectively, with a U18s Open tournament also set to be played.

Headlining the news ahead of the weekend is the inclusion of a myriad of international experience in the Edinburgh Rugby side and the Scotland Sevens representative side, nicknamed the Scottish Thistles.

Edinburgh’s side will be captained by former Scotland U20 international Charlie Shiel, with URC senior squad members Harri Morris, Jerry Blyth-Lafferty, Cammy Scott and Malelili Satala all included.

It signals a statement of intent from the representative side, who have not hoisted the 1883 Centenary Cup since 2016.

“Melrose Sevens is one of the most iconic tournaments in rugby, and The Greenyards is a very special place to play,” Edinburgh Rugby Sevens Coach Craig Dods said in an interview with The Scotsman.

“It’s a great opportunity for these players to pull on the Edinburgh jersey in that environment.

“We have a real mix of senior and academy players alongside guys joining us from a number of amateur clubs, and that blend is what makes this group so exciting.

“Everyone is looking forward to getting out there – they can’t wait for that first tie.”

However, the wait has been even longer for the Scottish Thistles, who haven’t won the famous tournament since 2008, the side then featuring Scotland internationals Greig Laidlaw, Richie Vernon and Chris Fusaro.

Captained by Scotland Sevens player Fin Callaghan, the Thistles will feature academy players from both Edinburgh (Lewis Wells, Sam Leweni and Isaac Coates) and Glasgow Warriors (Brent Jackson).

“To have a Scotland Sevens programme back this year has been brilliant, and while we have been competing on the World Series with Great Britain, it’ll be special to play at Melrose this weekend representing the thistle,” Ciaran Beattie, the Thistles head coach, told The Scotsman.

“We have selected a good group of players who will really benefit from this experience at such an iconic venue. We hope that this can become a regular fixture in our yearly calendar to aid the development of our players.”

The 2026 Howden Melrose Sevens will kick off on Saturday, 23rd May.

Welsh legends charity match set to headline Heart of Wales 7s series

Some of the biggest names of Welsh rugby are set to converge on Llanidloes for a special charity match in the Heart of Wales 7s series.

June and July are set to be busy months on the Welsh 7s calendar, with two rounds of competition in June seeing elite and junior teams come together for two weekends of action, with boys and girls teams ranging from the U8s to U18s taking part.

It will culminate in a third weekend of finals, played at the Heart of Wales 7s series at Cae Hafren in July, which will feature a 12-side Elite Men’s tournament, Women’s 7s and 10s tournaments, and more.

Kicking off the weekend on Friday, 2nd July will be a special charity match in support of the Tough Enough To Care mental health charity, the competition announcing Welsh rugby legends Shane Williams, Andy Powell and James Hook will take part in the match.

Organisers have also teased more big names to be unveiled closer to the event.

“We’re incredibly proud to have built a squad packed with Welsh rugby legends – but just as importantly, local talent, club stalwarts and rugby people who represent what the game is truly about across Wales and beyond,” a spokesperson for the tournament added.

“This match is about community, good people and supporting the incredible work of Tough Enough To Care.”

The opening round of Welsh Series 7s will kick off at Carmarthen RFC on 6th-7th June, with round two taking place at Neath RFC on 20th-21st June before culminating in the finals at the Heart of Wales 7s series in Llanidloes from 2nd-4th July.