South of Scotland back in action in rugby’s Scottish inter-district championship for first time in over 20 years next week

The championship, last staged in 2002, is back and it will begin with the South hosting Edinburgh at Netherdale in Galashiels next Tuesday, with kick-off at 7pm.

The red-and-white hooped regional representatives will then play either Glasgow or Caledonia Reds in a final or third-place play-off at Tennent’s National League Division 1 side Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians’ Braidholm ground on Sunday, May 21.

Glasgow and Reds play their qualifier at Canal Park in Inverness on Saturday, May 13.

South head coach Matty Douglas, also gaffer of Tennent’s Premiership champions and Scottish cup contenders Hawick, is looking forward to going from green to red and white, telling Borders Rugby TV: “These players are due an opportunity to showcase what they can do.

“It’s the first time for a while that we’ve been able to get this sort of squad together and there are a lot of boys that will be keen to represent the South.

“They’re all zoned in and they’re keen to get that jersey on.

“A lot of these boys haven’t been there in the past.

“Hopefully the inter-district is here to stay now and it’s not going to be that we play it one year and it’s off for three years because these players deserve to be in the limelight.”

Entry to Tuesday’s match is £10 for adults and £5 for concessions.

The South have been reunited for four one-off matches since the demise of the championship – in 2009, 2011, 2016 and 2017.