SCOTLAND Rugby League have forged a partnership with one of the country’s best-known and most successful rugby union clubs to establish a more regular base for their international matches.
Hawick, the Borders side who produced Great Britain’s 1954 RL World Cup-winning captain Dave Valentine, then a Huddersfield forward, will make their Mansfield Park ground available for what Bravehearts officials call “several” fixtures.
It means Scotland, working to regain the full International Rugby League membership which was lost in March 2024, are following the example of Wales, who are now using Neath’s stadium The Gnoll as their go-to venue.
The development comes amid preparations for a triple-header of matches against the USA in Las Vegas next month.
The Bravehearts are to send men’s, Under 19 and women’s sides to play their American counterparts alongside the NRL and Super League (Hull KR versus Leeds on Saturday, February 28) games in Nevada.
Scotland’s last home match, a 36-6 defeat by Ireland in October 2024, took place at Gateshead International Stadium.
Two years earlier, they were beaten 28-4 by England Knights at Myreside Stadium in Edinburgh, the home of rugby union team Watsonians, in a warm-up match for the 2022 World Cup.
Scotland had previously used Lochinch Sports Pavilion in Glasgow, and Netherdale, the home of Hawick’s neighbours Gala.
Now the focus will be on Hawick, whose other Rugby League products include former Huddersfield centre Alex Fiddes and backrower Rob Valentine, one of Dave’s brothers, and ex-Leeds duo, stand-off Andrew Broatch and winger Drew Turnbull.
Scotland RL operations director Barry McGuffog said “It’s fantastic to finally be able to announce that we’ll be playing at Hawick this year.
“The club are steeped in history in both codes of rugby so it’s great to be able to bring League to Mansfield Park, and kind of give a tip of the cap to the codebreakers who travelled south from there to play Rugby League in northern England.
“I would like to thank the board at Hawick RFC for their assistance in making this happen and enabling us to bring Rugby League to the Borders again.
“Hopefully this partnership will prove mutually beneficial to both parties in various ways.”
Hawick RFC spokesman Ian Landles added: “Hawick RFC are delighted to welcome Scotland Rugby League to Mansfield Park.
“How times have changed since the days when League scouts lured Greens players to change codes and move south, among them Dave Valentine.
“The coming together of both our codes has been a great development of recent years and we look forward to hosting this summer’s fixtures which hopefully will be the start of a long relationship.”
Mansfield Park will also host the Scottish domestic grand final in August.