CURRIE Chieftains have been drawn at home to fellow-Premiership club Hawick in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup. The draw, made earlier today, has produced another tie between two top-flight clubs, with Edinburgh Accies hosting Jed-Forest. Highland of National One have a home game against Premiership leaders Marr, and Heriot’s Blues visit Gala.
Hawick were the first winners of the competition when it was held back in 1996, beating Watsonians, and they lifted the trophy again in 2002 with a narrow win over Glasgow Hawks. They have reached the final just once since, in 2015, when they were thumped 55-17 by Boroughmuir.
The closest Currie have come to winning the cup was in 2006, when they were defeated by Watsonians. They will start as favourites against Hawick, having already beaten the Borderers convincingly in a league game at Malleny Park.
Gala and Heriot’s are the only other quarter-finalists to have won the cup. The Netherdale club were victorious in 1999 and 2012, while Heriot’s have won the trophy four times, most recently in 2016.
All four quarter-finals are due to be played on 25 January, as are three of the four National League Cup last-eight ties. The exception in the latter competition is the match between Stewart’s Melville and the winners of the first-round game between Murrayfield Wanderers and Preston Lodge. As the latter game is currently scheduled for the 25th, the quarter-final at Inverleith has yet to be given a date.
Scottish Cup quarter-finals (all 25 January):
Currie Chieftains v Hawick
Edinburgh Accies v Jed-Forest
Gala v Heriot’s Blues
Highland v Marr.
National League Cup quarter-finals:
Hamilton Bulls v GHK (25 January)
Howe of Fife v Strathmore (25 January)
Lasswade v Peebles (25 January)
Stewart’s Melville v Murrayfield Wanderers or Preston Lodge (tbc).
