title: Kelso RFC
text: Kelso Rugby Football Club are a Scottish rugby union team founded in 1876.   They play their home games at Poynder Park, Kelso in the Scottish Borders.
  
  The men's team currently play in  and the Border League (the oldest established rugby union league in the world); the women's team play in .
  
  History
  Kelso RFC won the prestigious Melrose Sevens tournament seven times in the space of 12 years from 1978 to 1989. Kelso were also winners of the Scottish Premiership in 1988 and 1989.
   
  The most recent successes for the club in the 15-a-side game were consecutive Premier League championships in the 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons. Notably, however, the team also reached the final of the Scottish Cup, played at Murrayfield, in both 1998 and 1999, losing to Glasgow Hawks (36–14) and to local rivals Gala RFC (8–3), respectively.
  
  Adam Roxburgh took over as a head coach at Kelso from 2015. The captain for 2016–17 season was Dom Buckley.
  
  After dropping down to the third tier in 2016, the team secured immediate promotion back to Scottish National League Division One for the following season with a second-place finish.  The history is not without controversy.
  
  Kelso Sevens
  Kelso RFC hosts their rugby sevens tournament, the Kelso Sevens. It takes place annually in May (until recently Kelso along with Selkirk RFC held their 7s competition in August)  and the competition is part of the Kings of the Sevens tournament. The most recent winners of the trophy (2018) are Melrose RFC.
  
  Honours
   Scottish Premiership
   Champions (2): 1987–88, 1988–89
   Scottish Cup
   Runners-Up: (2) 1997–98, 1998–99
   Kelso Sevens
   Champions (18): 1926, 1927, 1928, 1930, 1936, 1948, 1973, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2008
   Melrose Sevens 
   Champions (7): 1978, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989
   Langholm Sevens
   Champions (8): 1930, 1931, 1934, 1974, 1981, 1997, 1998, 2010
   Hawick Sevens
   Champions (6): 1928, 1960, 1973, 1981, 1985, 1997
   Gala Sevens
   Champions (9): 1925, 1936, 1937, 1941, 1948, 1974, 1983, 1985, 2001, 2023
   Berwick Sevens
   Champions (4): 1983, 1984, 1985, 2008
   Jed-Forest Sevens
   Champions (14): 1913, 1914, 1926, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
   Earlston Sevens
   Champions (13): 1934, 1936, 1937, 1947, 1955, 1958, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1981, 1984, 1997, 1998
   Selkirk Sevens
   Champions (14): 1928, 1929, 1934, 1936, 1948, 1955, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1997
   Kings of the Sevens
   Champions (3): 1996, 1997, 1998
   Kilmarnock Sevens
   Champions (1): 1980
  
  Notable players
  
   Gary Callander
   Gordon Cottington
   George Fairbairn, who later went to rugby league.
   Ross Ford
   John Jeffrey
   Andrew Ker
   Scott Newlands
   Alan Tait, who crossed over to rugby league, and came back again.
   George 'Happy' Wilson, who later went to rugby league.
   Iain Fairley
   Adam Roxburgh
   Roger Baird
   Ken Smith
   Oliver Turnbull
   Bob Grieve
   Laurie Gloag
  
  References
  
  External links
   
  
   
  
  Rugby clubs established in 1876
  Rugby union teams in Scotland
  Rugby union clubs in the Scottish Borders
  Kelso, Scottish Borders
  1876 establishments in Scotland