While the iRB deserves credit for creating a
World Sevens Series to spread the game of Rugby around the globe, it is a 19th
century Scottish butcher and his apprentice who were the real architects
of what modern day fans now know as Sevens Rugby.
In 1883, a Rugby Committee met in the small
Scottish town of Melrose to consider organizing an athletics meeting or Sports
Day to raise funds at the end of the Rugby season. It was at this meeting
that the local butchers apprentice and Melrose 20-a-side quarterback, Ned Haig,
suggested having a Rugby Tournament as part of the Sports Day Venue.
To run a Tournament for 20-a-side Teams was,
however, considered unworkable and it was at this point that Ned's boss, David
Sanderson, mentioned playing in a Tournament over the Border that required
reduced numbers of players in each Team.
Subsequently, on the 28th of April, 1883, seven
Clubs took part in the Melrose seven-a-side Tournament, with the time of each
match limited to 15 minutes. The Tournament was an instant hit with the
public and about 1,600 tickets were sold on the day. Fittingly, Haig and
Sanderson (Captain) were members of the Melrose Team that eventually won the
competition. The victory, though, was not without controversy.
Sanderson led the Melrose Team from the field
after personally scoring the first try in extra time, while the Gala Team
protested that the full period of extra time had not been played. Gala's
protests proved fruitless, with the Melrose Team steadfast in their opinion that
it was their Tournament and they were, therefore, the ones that made the rules.
The popularity of
Sevens has continued to grow apace since the Tournament in Melrose. It is
worth noting, though, that the idea of a Sevens Tournament is not the only
legacy of the Melrose butcher and his apprentice. Today, the World Sevens
Series still follows the rule that the first Team to score in extra time is the
winner of the match.