The Thistles will contain several current Scotland 7s stars who will be looking for game-time on account of the HSBC World Sevens Series legs in Singapore and Hong Kong being postponed because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) threat.

The team have competed at Melrose 7s in the past, most notably winning the famous Ladies’ Cup in 2008 with a squad containing future Scotland internationals Greig Laidlaw, Chris Fusaro and Richie Vernon, as well as now full-time referee Mike Adamson.

Current Scotland 7s Head Coach, Ciaran Beattie, said: “An invite for the Scottish Thistles to compete at Melrose for the Ned Haig Cup is something that is not only prestigious in itself, it will allow players to keep up valuable match sharpness against strong opposition ahead of upcoming scheduled rounds of the HSBC World Sevens Series in Paris and London.

“For some of the Scottish players, getting to play at the historic birthplace of sevens in Melrose is an rare opportunity, so they are sure to make the most of it on what should be a special weekend.”

Phil Morris, Melrose Sevens tournament director, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that the Scottish Thistles will be taking part in the new look Melrose Sevens this April. This year is shaping up to be a fantastic event with some great talent from all around the world. But having a team like the Thistles involved, at the home of Sevens, is really special. We’re sure to see some Scotland International stars of the future on display as they look to repeat the team’s Sevens success of 2008.”