Borders rugby

From the Herald:

Heartbeat of a nation . . .

by Brodie Smithers

The bones of Scottish Rugby are being picked over once again.

We have been left searching for an answer to balance the disappointment of poor results against the beams of potential that shone through sporadically. Resounding defeat is never an easy thing to digest, but the emergence of young talent leaves a taste of optimism on the palate. Players such as David Denton, Duncan Weir, Jon Welsh, Matthew Scott, Greig Laidlaw, Lee Jones and Stuart Hogg arrived on the stage with a confidence that was, at times, both exciting and heartening.

Three of these promising debutants, – Hogg, Laidlaw and Jones – are products of the well-worn and fiercely competitive Border rugby youth structure. Alongside them are established seniors Ross Ford, Geoff Cross and the injured Kelly Brown who join a long line of internationalists from down the A7. The Borders contribution down the years to Scottish rugby remains remarkable. For a region that makes up a four hundredth of the population it has contributed one sixth of all Scotland's international players.

Both of Scotlands recent grand slams were orchestrated by Borderers. In 1984 there were 12 in the squad, of which Roy Laidlaw and John Rutherford were the obvious lynchpins. In 1990, there were seven, and two – Tony Stanger and Craig Chalmers – scored all the points on a giddy afternoon at Murrayfield in March against England. It is worth recalling, too, the meticulous coaching and motivational skills of Melrose man Jim Telfer and Derrick Grant in overseeing those victories.

Given the economic problems bestowed upon the area and the closure of the Border Reivers professional side in 2007, it is remarkable that this steady trickle of top-class players continues.

But what makes this region produce? What factors contribute to make this extraordinary area such a rugby hotbed? For current Scotland stand-off and proud son of Jedburgh, Greig Laidlaw, it is the unique geography: "It's the closeness of the community, the tight-knit families and the local rivalries. Having that many towns in such close proximity creates an intense environment. I can't speak for other players from clubs in the cities, but for me, the intensity definitely helped my career and prepared me for the pressure of big games."

When asked if he misses it, a wry smile breaks across his face. "I miss being a part of the club at Jed and playing in some of those matches but I think playing for Scotland and being a professional rugby player is a good substitute. I'd like to think I'll go back one day in some capacity. I would certainly like to give something back to the club."

There is a humility about Laidlaw when discussing his hometown club. Instilled in Borders players from a young age is a strict missive that regardless of what you achieve and where your career takes you, no one gets to act the 'Big Time Charlie' back home. John Jeffrey might have won the grand slam in March 1990 but by April he was at the Langholm Sevens playing for Kelso and taking pelters from the swollen Milntown crowd.

"One of the great things about Borders people is that they would never let any of their own players get above themselves, says Stuart Cameron, editor of the Border Rugby TV website. "In the old days players used to bump into their fans on a Monday after a game, and, if they had had a poor performance, they would know about it very quickly indeed.

"Even now international players of the likes of Roy Laidlaw, Gary Armstrong, John Rutherford and Jim Renwick mingle on a daily basis with rugby people and non-rugby people in the Borders. My own experience is that they are more than willing to offer support and advice, particularly to the next crop of stars coming through."

There is an egalitarian element to rugby in the Borders that doesn't exist in the historic fabric of other rugby areas. Never was this attitude more apparent than during the post-war years when the Borders lost 77 of its best club players to the lure of professional rugby league. Most of them faced vilification as a result. It upset the near socialist attitude to the game. You were expected to serve your town and, if called upon, your country, with honour and humility. Playing for money was seen as betrayal of the very essence of these small rugby communities. Turning out in the green of Hawick or the maroon of Gala was honour enough.

The hangover of anti-professionalism still lurks in certain quarters and goes some way to explaining why the region never took to the Border Reivers, a team put together by the SRU.

As an outsider, Nick De Luca is one of several current Scotland players involved in the Border Reivers set-up before its demise in 2007. He recalls, with fondness, the passion witnessed during his time in Galashiels.

"Sitting in the stand at Netherdale when I hadn't been picked for the Reivers I remember seeing a woman gallop past on a horse, on the pitch, waving a huge flag. I was shocked," he says; "I'd never seen that before. The crowd went mental, they loved it."

In typical style the eventual response to the loss of the Reivers was to revive the dormant South district side in 2009. Just as they had done during the formation of the Border League back in 1901 the clubs took matters into their own hands. It is a move which has, so far, been both successful and popular.

It is also a mark of the spirit of Borders rugby that Melrose are reigning Premier League champions after a season in which they also reached the Scottish Cup final and won their own Sevens tournament.

Robert Chrystie, a native of Hawick and a former Reivers and Scotland U21 player, was scrum-half for that Melrose team and agrees that the community aspect has a positive impact on the DNA of players.

Chrystie runs the Rugby Performance course at Edinburgh's Telford College and brings a lot of young players through the system.

"I see boys that have been brought up in a rugby community tend to understand the game more. Some guys come on our course who are physically well developed, they're strong, they're fast, they can tackle, they can pass the ball but they don't have that game understanding of how to play the game and what to do in the right situations.

"Again, I think that's something the Border teams do really, really well. At times, you look at their team on paper and you think that you've got mis-matches all over the place but they understand ways of playing against other teams and beating them. A brilliant example of that is Greig Laidlaw who maybe falls short in certain areas but more than makes up for it in his understanding of how to play the game."

Therein lies the essence. Playing in the Borders equips young players with a fiercely competitive drive to improve and succeed whilst imparting humility and gratitude to those communities that help shape them. Long may it continue.

Was it not the very tribalism that produces such competitivness that was the downfall of the professional side in the Borders - it was imposed on them from outside and they wouldn't buy into it.

If only the various mafioso in the Borders could get together and produce a team that reflected the best of that region!

I don't want to replay a regarding Scottish rugby and the CL and the centralising of the Scottish effort in not only Edinburgh but more particularly the the football-swamped City of Glasgow.

Roll the clock back and who'd vote for it with 20-20 hindsight?

Same goes for Wales.

nobody went to ateh borders regional side - they want the clubs to play.

As a region still produces our best players. No interest in the wider game though - there's some nice trees in Gala/Hawick/Melrose ....... Why bother about the wood.