The 50th-anniversary season of the Premiership kicks off tomorrow afternoon, and defending champions Hawick will be very much the team to beat after going through the whole of last season undefeated.
The Mansfield Park club won the very first league championship back in 1973-74, and are the most successful side over the past half-century with a total of 13 titles to their name - three clear of closest rivals Melrose. And just in case they needed any further incentive to spur them on in the defence of their crown, they will also celebrate their own 150th anniversary in December.
Nonetheless, centre Andrew Mitchell is well aware that other clubs are likely to raise their own game against his side - starting tomorrow, when Glasgow Hawks are the visitors. “It is a bit different being the team that everyone wants to beat rather than being a challenger,” he said. “Maybe for the first few weeks of last season we went a bit under the radar, but that won’t be the case this year and we know that we have to be on it in every game, because clubs will all be wanting to take our scalp.
“Defending the title in such a special season for the club would mean a lot to us all, so we just have to get our heads down, work hard as a team and see where it takes us. We will not get ahead of ourselves, keep those standards high, and if we do that then we should be fine.”
Currie Chieftains, who lost the play-off final last year, have a tough first match away to Selkirk, who were the only team to avoid losing to Hawick last season when they drew at home. Newly-promoted Kelso are at Musselburgh, Jed-Forest are at home to Edinburgh Accies, and Marr - like Accies losing semi-finalists last time round - travel to Heriot’s Blues.
