In 1883, Ned Haig had a brainwave that was to lead to a world-wide transformation in the game of rugby, when he came up with the idea of rugby sevens.
Haig’s family moved from Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, where he was born, to nearby Melrose as a child when he was a child. On leaving school, he began working as a butcher.
Haig’s interest in ball sports was sparked when he took part in the local Fastern’s E’en Ba Game which was traditionally played during Shrove Tuesday celebrations in Scotland (along with feasting on the food which would be given up during the pre-Easter fasting period of Lent).
He started playing rugby union in his spare time, joining Melrose Rugby Football Club (MRFC), as it was then known, in 1880. Haig was a talented player who quickly advanced from being part of the second team to playing for the first and he was soon selected to play for the South of Scotland team.
Three years later, he suggested holding a sports day to raise much needed funds for the MRFC. He calculated that if teams were reduced to seven men, instead of 15, that matches could be completed in 15 minutes, rather than 80, thereby enabling a tournament to be completed in an afternoon.
The event was a huge success and soon clubs across the Borders began setting up their own teams. Haig continued to be involved with his beloved club throughout his life and his influence lives on with Sevens being played all around the world to this day.
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