Origin of Rugby Sevens
In 1883, with the club short of funds, Haig suggested hosting a tournament as part of a sports day to raise money. As it would not be possible to play several rugby games in one afternoon with a full squad of 15, teams for the tournament were reduced to seven men, with the match time reduced to 15 minutes.
The inaugural Melrose Sports took place on the 28th April 1883, and included foot races, drop-kicks, dribbling races and place kicking as well as the main attraction of the rugby tournament, which attracted eight teams. Haig played on the Melrose team, which would go on to defeat local rivals Gala in the final, receiving a cup donated by the ladies of Melrose (now known as The Ladies Cup). The immediate success of the tournament meant that other clubs in the Borders region also set up their own Rugby Sevens competitions.
After Haig retired from competition, he continued to take an active part in the running of the club, serving for several seasons on the General and Match committee. He died in Melrose on 28 March 1939.
In 2008, Haig and Melrose RFC were honoured for their role in the creation of rugby sevens with induction to the IRB Hall of Fame.
Read more about this topic: Ned Haig
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