Melrose win Ayr Ladies 7s

Five teams gathered in the sun at Millbrae on Saturday afternoon for the inaugural Ayr Ladies 7s.

Organised by Ayr Ladies' assistant coach Robbie Fergusson, with proceeds going to Cancer Research UK, the tournament took on a round-robin format with all sides playing four games each.

Ayr kicked things off, facing south-west rivals Stewartry Sirens in the opening tie.  Jackie O'Neil scored the first try, with Laura Turner converting.  Lynda Morgan scored next, before Catherine Shennan and Turner crossed at the end of the half.

The Sirens scored two converted tries in the second half but they couldn't claw their way back into it.  Ayr Ladies 22 Stewartry Sirens 14.

The second tie was something of a marquee match, featuring two of the best ladies' teams in the country, Stirling County and Melrose.  They face each other every year for the Gentlemen's Cup at the Melrose 7s and always put on a fiercely competitive display, and their efforts at Millbrae were no different.  

The lead changed hands numerous times, but Melrose pulled away, scoring four converted tries to Stirling's three, of which one was converted.  Stirling County 17 Melrose Ladies 28.

The hosts were back on the pitch for tie three, facing some familiar faces in the Barbarians side, which was largely made up of other Ayr players.  Emily Irving, newly returned from a lengthy injury, opened the scores, before Turner took a try which was converted by Shennan.

Morgan streaked away for a try at the start of the second half, and Shennan then converted her own score.  Lisa Croniken repeated that feat, scoring under the posts and easily knocking the ball over the crossbar.  The game ended with Rachael Mulholland fighting her way through the Barbarians' defence to score and convert.  Barbarians 0 Ayr Ladies 38.

In the fourth tie, Stewartry Sirens gave a good account of themselves against Stirling County, fighting back after ending the first half with no points on the scoreboard.  County raced away to a 24-0 lead but the Sirens scored three tries, two of which were converted, to run their experienced opponents close.  Stewartry Sirens 19 Stirling County 24.

The Barbarians were up against it in tie five, facing a rampant Melrose, who ran in five tries.  Barbarians 0 Melrose Ladies 41.

Tie six was possibly the best of the day as Ayr Ladies gave everything to overcome Stirling County in a nail-biting fourteen minutes.

A league below their opponents in the fifteen-a-side game, Ayr were determined to ignore the gulf and give their fans something to shout about.  County got off to the better start with a converted try, but it wasn't long before Turner shot off to score under the posts and Shennan converted.  They led at half-time thanks to an unconverted try from Mulholland.

Stirling quickly got a converted try in the second half but Ayr didn't let their tails drop and showed great patience to regain possession before Croniken got the unconverted try to win the game and secure second place in the tournament.  Ayr Ladies 17 Stirling County 14.

Stewartry again proved themselves worthy opponents as they stopped Melrose from running riot in tie seven.  They were 0-19 down at half-time, but scored a well-worked try in the second half to ensure the Borderers didn't have things all their own way.  Stewartry Sirens 5 Melrose Ladies 26.

It was a tough day for the Barbarians, but even though they were comprehensively beaten by Stirling in the eighth tie, they looked like they enjoyed their run around in the sun.  Barbarians 0 Stirling County 38.

Tie nine was a step up for Ayr and they couldn't live with the speed and creativity of Melrose.  Player of the tournament Lisa Thomson put on a masterclass in sevens, angling her way through the defence to touch down several times.  Melrose eventually scored six tries and converted five to win the title.  Ayr Ladies 0 Melrose Ladies 40.

The final tie of the day saw Stewartry and the Barbarians get two tries each, with Stewartry's conversions of both their scores being the difference.  Stewartry Sirens 14 Barbarians 12.

Players, their support staff and fans then gathered in the clubhouse for dinner and the presentation of the prizes, including one to Ayr Ladies' Jackie O'Neil for try of the day.  Congratulations to all who took part and Robbie for organising a great day!

- Elena Hogarth