You know it’s summer when the pink shirts of our Hearts +Balls Mighty Bovs are spotted across the sevens pitches of Scotland and beyond – and this year saw their performances peak across Europe.
With the jerseys washed and packed away for the next few months, we asked team manager, Dylan Russell, to review the summer of ‘25.
“Reflecting on last season it was a move in the right direction again,” he says. “It was great to see the men’s team not only back to winning ways but also competing in the highest level of Edinburgh City 7s – and coming away with a win!
“The women’s team continued their winning ways, bringing back the lion’s share of the silverware. A highlight for me, and many supporters, was also seeing them compete with some top English outfits at Melrose 7s and Edinburgh City 7s.”
This year saw the squad draw on its biggest player pool of any season to date. “That’s testament not only to how many people want to play for us,” Dylan adds, “but also the constant battle of player retention faced by clubs as they share top players with Scottish Rugby and other competitive outfits.”
While also raising awareness of Hearts + Balls through the teams’ participation, we were delighted that Centrale 7s chose us to be their charity during the weekend of their tournament in May, raising a fantastic €1100 for the Trust. Many thanks to Maxime Tardy and the organisers for thinking of us.
Meanwhile plans are already in hand for season 2026 as Dylan explains, “Next year we are moving in a new direction which should offer players the ability to play at a high level – whilst still enjoying the culture we’ve created at Hearts + Balls Mighty Bovs – evolving into a pathway for players in the sevens game.”
While next season is almost finalised, the action kicks off again in December with the squads’ festive fixtures, central to which this year is in memory of Ian McLaughlin & Jim Taylor at Oriam on 28 December – stay tuned for more details!
As Dylan teases, “It’s gearing up to be another brilliant Christmas showcase of what our players can do in the 15s format!”
Huge thanks to all our shirt sponsors who have supported the teams so well this season: VSN Sport Mackenzie Construction HIT Ltd Vision Scotland The Physiotherapy Place – Edinburgh The Malcolm Group Sports Hall Medical Supplies Fans Jock Borthwick Truck Racing J Borthwick Haulage
