SUMMARY
1883
First ever 7’s competition – The Melrose 7’s.
Seven Border clubs – Gala, Selkirk, St. Cuthbert’s Hawick, Earlston, Melrose, Gala Forest and St. Ronan’s Innerleithen – along with Tynedale, competed in the tournament held on 28 April, 1883 at the now famous Greenyards ground.
1884
Gala hosted their first tournament in 1884 with Tynedale losing to Gala (0-1T) in the final. (see ‘report’ below)
1885
Tynedale won the 2nd Gala tournament in 1885, beating Hawick (1G,3T-0) in the final.
Two weeks later Tynedale won Hawick’s first tournament, beating Gala (1T-0) in the final.
1886
Tynedale completed the hat-trick when they won the fourth Melrose 7’s in 1886 defeating Melrose (2T-0) in the final.
(The next non-Scottish team to win the Melrose Tournament was 65 years later in 1951 when Rosslyn Park were victorious.)
1894
On Whit Monday, May 21st,1894 on the Sele at Hexham, Tynedale hosted, and won, the first ever Sevens competition to be played in England.

FURTHER DETAIL
1884 Inaugural Gala Sports
(Sevens tournament were known as "sports" and contained athletics and goal kicking competitions as well as rugby.
In searching amongst the club's records which were damaged in the January 2005 floods Douglas Hamilton came across a thin sheet of "banda" type transparent paper. Handwritten at the bottom was a note which said "This is the first record of 7-a-side Play" and "Tynedale were the first English club to be invited to a Sevens".
Typed on the sheet was the following report:-
16th April 1884
"Success of Tynedale players at a football contest"
A contingent from Tynedale RFC journeyed Saturday last to Galashiels to play in a 7 a side contest for 7 medals in connection with Gala sports club.
There were 8 entries, and each contest had to last 15 minutes, and if, at the end of the game no score had been made on either side, they were to change ends and play on to the first score. Tynedale in the first heat beat Hawick by 2 goals, 1 try to Nil, and for the second heat they got a bye, which put them in the final against the Gala club, who by the way, had Scarborough, late Yorks. Co. man and Clay and Sanderson, both Edinburgh University men.
Notwithstanding this fact the first quarter was played without a score being registered, and after changing ends they played 23 minutes more before Scarborough got in for Gala and thus won the medals.
Tynedale won the place kicking also the drop kicks.

2nd Gala Sports – Saturday 11th April 1885
Among the 11 Clubs competing Tynedale were the only English side.
In front of a crowd of 3,000 Tynedale disposed of favourites Melrose in the first round, scoring the only try of the game. They then defeated Gala in their semi-final leaving them to face Hawick in the final. However, as it was by now too late to play the final in the gathering gloom it was agreed to hold the final over to the following Monday and to play the final at Hawick.
Tynedale stayed on for the weekend and to allow the Tynedale men time to travel back home on the Monday – some on horseback – the final was kicked off at 8am. Tynedale proved the stronger and won the final by a goal and three tries to a single try.
Clutching their gold medals Tynedale’s victorious seven rode back over the border in triumph. For the team of William Pattinson, Tom Robson, John Dodd, Harry Robb, William Robson, Tom Elliott and Gus Bailey it had been a weekend to remember.

Inaugural Hawick Sports - April 1885
A fortnight after their success at Gala the Tynedale team, with two or three changes among the forwards, did it again when they won the inaugural Hawick Tournament with victories over Pilmuir Wanderers, Buccleugh Union, Hawick St. Cuthberts and Gala in the final by one try to nil. Tynedale’s John Dodd won the individual drop-kicking contest.

4th Melrose Sports – 17th April 1886
Tynedale completed their third Sevens success in two years with victories over Abbotsford, Gala Waverley and Gala Thistle in their semi-final. One more, however, darkness prevented the final, against the hosts, being played the same day. This time the final wasn’t played until the following Friday when Tynedale again carried off the medals, scoring the only two tries of the game. The individual place-kicking competition was won by Tynedale club captain Tom Robson.

First Sevens Tournament in England – 21st May 1894.
Tynedale became the first Club to stage a Sevens on English soil when the tournament took place on the Sele at Hexham on Whit Monday, 21st May 1894. Six teams entered the competition from Blaydon, Hawick and Hexham Districts although Hawick were a late withdrawal. A Tynedale ‘B’ side won the competition “before a large concourse of people” defeating Hexham Unionists in the final by three goals (one dropped) and a try to nil. The winning players were awarded gold medals (considerable value of one guinea each) whist the runners-up received silver medals.