Kelso RFC Historical Timeline
1876 Kelso Rugby Football Club founded
1879 First floodlit match played in Scotland in Bridgend Park
1908 First game at Poynder Park
1912 Kelso became members of the Scottish Rugby Union
1926 Jimmy Graham became Kelso’s first Scottish International player
1931 Kelso’s first win in the Border League
1935 Kelso supply 2 players for the Scottish team for the first time: Gordon Cottington and Bob Grieve
1948 Kelso win the Scottish Unofficial Championship jointly with Aberdeen Grammar
1950 Kelso become owners of Poynder Park
1951 Oliver Turnbull becomes the first back to be picked for Scotland
1959 Ken Smith becomes Kelso’s first British Lion
1961 Kelso’s permanent floodlights are switched on
1972 Kelso Harlequins win the Border Semi-Junior league for the first time
1974 Kelso wins promotion to the 1st Division after the first season of National leagues
1978 Kelso win at Melrose Sevens for the first time
1983 Roger Baird becomes Kelso’s second British Lion
1987 Kelso High School wins the Scottish School Cup
1988 Gary Callander captains Scotland for the season
1988 Kelso provide 4 players for the Scottish team v Ireland
1988 Kelso provide 5 players for the Scottish team for the 5 Nations Championship season
1988 Kelso team has 6 Scottish international players in their team
1988 Kelso win the First Division for the first time: repeated in 1989
1989 John Jeffrey becomes Kelso’s 3rd British Lion
1992 Kelso Harlequins win the Scottish Youth Cup: repeated in 1993
1997 Alan Tait becomes Kelso’s 4th British Lion
1998 Kelso make their 1st appearance in the Scottish Cup final at Murrayfield: repeated in 1999
2002 Ross Ford plays for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games 7s at Manchester
2009 Ross Ford becomes Kelso’s 5th British Lion
2012 Ross Ford becomes Scottish captain
2010 Scott Newlands plays for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games 7s in Delhi
2012 Ross Ford captains Scotland for the first of 8 times
2015 Kelso Ladies established
2016 Ross Ford wins his 100th cap for Scotland
2016 Kelso High School win the Scottish Schools under 16 Plate competition
2017 Ross Ford becomes Scotland’s most capped male player
2020 Kelso rugby shut down due to the coronavirus