ONE of the longest running sevens tournaments in the world has been cancelled due to a shortage of teams.

Haddington RFC’s annual event was due to take place in Neilson Park tomorrow (Saturday) after being sidelined for the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the club took to social media to break the bad news that the tournament, which is thought to be the 10th oldest surviving sevens tournament in the world, was again shelved.

A spokesperson for the club said: “With regret we have had to cancel tomorrow’s annual sevens due to a shortage of teams.

“However, the club will be open from 1pm for those seeking some refreshment and company.

“We had just enough teams confirmed for a meaningful tournament at the start of the week, with a second Haddington team on standby, but the subsequent calling off by three teams, the last of which was today, makes it unavoidable.

“This is a combination of season overrun for many clubs, and the challenges they face in fulfilling fixtures, but is hugely disappointing.

“We trust that this decision is understood, and apologise for any inconvenience.

“We will assess the possibility of another date.”