The celebrations will see the youngsters competing for the Trophy and the Chrystie's Quaich in what promises to be a rugby extravaganza.

And for the hundreds of boys who have played in the competition over the years it will be a welcome trip down memory lane.

When the young Kiwi teacher George Keown arrived in Hawick in 1967 to teach at Burnfoot School, little did he know that the visit would result in a legacy that was still in existence 40 years on. George was a lock forward and played for the Linden and turned out for the Greens a few times, making his debut alongside Ian Barnes.

He was so popular that the staff at Burnfoot presented him with a silver cup when he returned to New Zealand and the Keown Cup, as it is known, is still presented to the player-of-the-year at Patumahoe Rugby Club in New Zealand.

This gift prompted George to buy the Keown Trophy and he presented this to Bill McLaren, pictured, to be played for every year by the primary schools in Hawick, and to be based around Bill's rugby ethos: "The emphasis was on participation rather than winning at all costs. This involved all the boys but nowadays we have some really talented girls too. Bill focused on fun, running and passing and I am convinced that it has been this grounding that has made Hawick one of the most successful rugby nurseries in the world."

One of the traditions of the Keown Trophy was to name the teams after the captains who Bill hand picked. And this year is no different, with Chappy's Champions taking on Darcy's Dinamites.

Former Hawick captain Brian Renwick, now the SRU's regional development manager, fondly remembers his Keown Trophy days. He told the Hawick News: "It's one of the best memories I have of playing rugby at primary school. I played for Jarvis's Juggernauts and we were beaten by Middlemas' Mashers in the final. I bet there aren't many players in Hawick who can't remember their Keown Trophy team."

As well as the support from Chrystie's Furniture Centre, this year's players will receive a T-shirt, rugby ball and commemorative medal marking the occasion. These have been made available due to generous donations from Hawick Trades and Hawick Rotary Club.

The first of tomorrow's games kicks off at 9am, with the Chrystie's Quaich at 10.10am and the Keown Trophy itself at 11am.

The Scotland v South Africa match will also be shown on the big screens in the clubrooms, with everyone welcome.