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Border Reivers, Originally known as 'Scottish Borders Rugby' are one of three professional teams in Scotland, the Edinburgh Gunners and Glasgow Warriors being the other two. Border Reivers will play in the Celtic League , Celtic Cup and European Rugby Shield in the 2005/06 season and the squad contains many international players. They play their home matches at Netherdale (capacity 7,000) in Galashiels . HISTORY Rugby in the Borders Regions Borders Rugby has many long and proud traditions. The Border League was the first Rugby Union league to be set up anywhere in the world, and a select South team used to regularly compete against Touring sides from the Southern Hemisphere Many famous Borders clubs e.g. Gala , Melrose and Hawick play in Scotland's top flight. Border Reivers and Borders Rugby When the Heineken Cup was suggested SRU officials were concerned that the existing and long established Scottish semi-professional club sides could not compete against the best teams from France and England and that by establishing district sides they would be more capable of advancing Professionalism within Scottish Rugby Scottish Borders Rugby was created in the South District to compete in the Heineken Cup . Then financial difficulties - the SRU's high debt, partly as a result of the redevelopment of Murrayfield - called for retrenchment. After two seasons, financial difficulties forced the Union to merge the four teams into two. The now renamed "Border Reivers" merged with Edinburgh to form a team to be known as Edinburgh Reivers, causing outrage with the Border rugby fans. They were resurrected in 2002 as 'The Borders' and joined the second season of the Celtic League . Since their return as a team in 2002, the Borders failed to make an impression in any competition, finishing bottom of the Celtic League in the 03/04 and 04/05 seasons but after reverting back to the name "Border Reivers" they made a strong start this campaign beating both Scottish rugby rivals Edinburgh and reigning champions The Ospreys However, their existence remains under threat due to a lack of funds within the Scottish Rugby Union . Some claim that the Reivers suffer due to the SRU's determination, despite poor crowds and results, to make rugby a success in Glasgow (a city traditionally where Football has always been the most popular sport.) NOTABLE PLAYERS
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