Jed-forest Mini Rugby Club  

    In 1975 the idea if mini-rugby began to formulate at Riverside Park, Jedburgh, so the senior players began to encourage youngsters to join. As the number of interested boys increased it was realised that a separate club would have to be formed.

    An inaugural meting was held on 3^rd April 1977 to form a committee detached from the senior club, under the chairmanship of Ronnie Leask esq., who was also the secretary, organiser, treasurer, as well as the press and publicity officer, and from this moment on Jed Mini-Rugby was born as a separate identity from the senior club.

     The first meeting agreed that no-one wanted the Mini-Rugby section to become too big and to carry on in a fairly low key, but it was felt that only one or two away matches would be useful to the development of the players. How wrong this proved to be.

    Early opposition included Gosforth (now Newcastle Falcons), Galashiels, Berwick, Kelso and Selkirk, many of which are still regular fixtures today. Early officials were Bill Millar, Charlie Murdoch, Jock Wilson and Margaret McCraw. It was interesting to note that some of the first Jed Minis such as Harry Hogg, Kevin Liddle, Kevin Barrie, Gregor McKechnie, Brian Law, Ronnie Kirkpatrick, Kevin and Gary Armstrong all went on to greater things in rugby with Gary Armstrong, we believe, to be the first Scottish internationalist to play mini-rugby. 

    Since it’s inception, Jed Mini-Rugby Club has expanded it’s horizons beyond the local Borders and North East England to play in such places as Aberdeen, Helensburgh, Deri and latterly in the Minis World Cup in France and the inaugural International Festival of Youth Rugby in St. Andrews. This year (2002), the club is planning a weekend tour to Ealing in West London to play in their annual tournament.

    The main objectives of Jed Mini-Rugby Club are to involve the youngsters in the town and surrounding area with Jed-forest rugby at an early stage to provide coaching and guidance to, what is in effect, the nucleus of future rugby in Jedburgh.

    The continuity and dedication of the many mini-rugby coaches and helpers has been of paramount importance to the Mini-Rugby Club, with such stalwarts as Lawrence Armstrong, Charlie Murdoch, Roddy McCraw, Charlie Bird, Billy Grieve, Dennis Laing, Davie Redpath, Davie Laidlaw, Chico Woods, Craig Weir, John Jackson, Donald Miller and Brian Lockie to name but a few. This fine work is being carried on by more recent coaches Jimmy Raeburn, Jimmy Nagle, Harry Hogg, Kevin Wood, Brian Ramsay, Alan Scott, Colin Mercer, Garry Young, Brian Cockburn, Bryson Middleton and Eric Cockburn.

    The Mini Rugby Club has maintained it’s independence from the senior club by organising its own finances and from humble beginnings has become financially viable. The Club carries out numerous fund raising activities in producing sufficient funds to ensure that players are not prohibited from joining on financial grounds. An annual membership fee is charged to cover insurance, buses, catering and fixture card, which allows the mini-rugby player free access to all Jed-forest matches at Riverside Park.

   Jed-forest Mini-Rugby has been very successful during it’s short life, judging by the trophies in the cabinet at Riverside, but with the help and dedication of so many people, this can only get better and the numbers of players who go on to play for the senior club, district and country will be higher.

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