​Howe of Fife celebrating golden anniversary of their first win at their own rugby sevens

​A commemorative dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of the first time Howe of Fife won their own rugby sevens tournament is now less than a month away.
By Darin Hutson
Published 3rd Apr 2024, 16:14 BST
Updated 3rd Apr 2024, 16:15 BST
1974 Howe of Fife Sevens winners, back from left, Jack McIntosh, Bob Scott, Dave Strachan, Jim Russell, Bill Graham and Tom Pearson, with, front, Jock Imrie, captain Ian Kirkhope and Chris Reekie with their trophies for Waid Academy and Caithness's sevens as well as their own (Pic: Howe of Fife)1974 Howe of Fife Sevens winners, back from left, Jack McIntosh, Bob Scott, Dave Strachan, Jim Russell, Bill Graham and Tom Pearson, with, front, Jock Imrie, captain Ian Kirkhope and Chris Reekie with their trophies for Waid Academy and Caithness's sevens as well as their own (Pic: Howe of Fife)
1974 Howe of Fife Sevens winners, back from left, Jack McIntosh, Bob Scott, Dave Strachan, Jim Russell, Bill Graham and Tom Pearson, with, front, Jock Imrie, captain Ian Kirkhope and Chris Reekie with their trophies for Waid Academy and Caithness's sevens as well as their own (Pic: Howe of Fife)

​It’s being held at the Cupar club’s Duffus Park home ground on Friday, May 3, and guest speakers including former Scotland internationals Iain Paxton and Chris Fusaro are being lined up.

Tickets cost £40 per person and they’re available by emailing [email protected]

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“We’re inviting all former and present players and members to join us to celebrate 50 years since Howe won their first Howe Sevens,” said Reekie, a member of the winning squad.

Also in the squad, coached by later Scottish Rugby Union president Tom Pearson and captained by Ian Kirkhope, that won their own sevens and those at Waid Academy and Caithness were Jack McIntosh, Bob Scott, Dave Strachan, Jim Russell, Bill Graham and Jock Imrie.

Clubs were only allowed to field squads of seven players for sevens tournaments back then rather than the ten deployed nowadays so Graham was drafted in as a replacement for Scott at Caithness.

Howe’s JR Gray Trophy win at their own sevens was their third in short-sided competitions that season.

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They secured their own cup for the first time by fighting back from going 10-0 down to beat Marr College Former Pupils 20-10 in that year’s final.

Their route to the final consisted of a 16-4 win against St Andrews’ Madras Former Pupil in round one, a 14-10 second-round knockout of Leith Accies and a 6-4 victory over Boroughmuir in the semi-finals.

Marr booked their place with a 32-10 preliminary-round knockout of Stirling County, a 22-3 first-round win against Gordonians, a 14-8 round-two victory over Glenrothes, then a 20-6 disposal of Dunfermline in the last four.

Dunfermline-born Paxton, 66, was capped 40 times between 1981 and 1988 at No 8 and also played in all four of the British and Irish Lions’ internationals during their 1983 tour of New Zealand, later going on to coach at Glenrothes, Boroughmuir and Edinburgh.

Kirkcaldy-born ex-Howe flanker Fusaro, 34, made four appearances for Scotland at XVs in 2014, having also represented his country at sevens from 2007 to 2010.

Related topics:Chris FusaroTicketsScotland