08/07/12 Scottish National Championships
The National Championships took place at West Park farm Auchterarder after the cancellation of the Stirling Highland Show.
Team competing Men Cornhill,Grampian,Kinneff,Tinto
Ladies Ayrshire, Cornhill,Strathearn.
580kg 1st Kinneff 2nd Grampian.
600kg 1st Kinneff 2nd Grampian
640kg 1st Cornhill 2nd Kinneff 3rd Tinto
680kg 1st Cornhill 2nd Grampian 3rd Tinto
700kg 1st Cornhill 2nd Grampian 3rd Kinneff
Photographs
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09/06/12 Stirling Agricultural Show
Teams competing Men Bathgate,Biggar,Cornhill,Callendar, Strathearn,Tinto.
Ladies Ayrshire,Tinto,Biggar, Cornhill
600kg Mixed 1st Ayrshire, 2nd Tinto,3rd Cornhill
C/W 8 man 1st, Callendar, 2nd Lanark
C/W 6 man 1st Callendar, 2nd Biggar
C/W Ladies 1st Ayrshire, 2nd Cornhill,3rd Ayrshire B
20/05/12 Kinneff TOWC Open
Teams competing Men, Cornhill,Durris, Kinneff, New Deer, Strichen.
450kg 1st Kinneff. 2nd Durris
480kg 1st Kinneff. 2nd Cornhill
640kg 1st Kinneff. 2nd Cornhill
C/W 1st Cornhill. 2nd Strichen
Mixed 1st Cornhill. 2nd Kinneff
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13/04/12 Walkmill Fish Farm TOWC Open
Teams competing: Men , Cornhill, Inverurie,Kinneff, New Deer, Uday, Strichen. Ladies: New Deer,Inverurie.
450kg 1st Kinneff. 2nd Inverurie
C/W 1st Cornhill. 2nd Kinneff. 3rd Strichen
C/W Ladies New Deer. 2nd Udny
640kg Mixed 1st New Deer.2nd Inverurie
640kg 1st Kinneff.2nd Strichen
480kg 1st Cornhill.2nd Kinneff
Next competition Sunday 20th May Stonehaven Rugby Club. WI 12.00 FP 13.15
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Perth Kilt Run 2012 Targets World Record
An attempt to break the official world record for the Largest Ever Kilt Race is to be held in Perth as part of this summer`s local Diamond Jubilee
Celebrations and you can get involved.It is hoped that around 1,500 entarnts dressed in kilts and checked tartan will take part in the fun run,beating
the world record currently held by Perth`s twin town in Ontario, Canada.Registration opens for the Kilt Run on Monday 30th January 2012 at the deidicated web site
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World Indoor Championship Results
Open Competition
Ladies 500 Kilos - Gold - Badaiotz - Silver - Chinese Taipei - Bronze - Sheen Ladies - 4th - Ayrshire
Ladies 540 Kilos - Gold - Chinese Taipei - Silver - Badaiotz - Bronze - Sakana - 4th - Stans Oberdorf
Under 23 600 Kilos - Gold - Chinese Taipei A - Silver - Chinese Taipei B - Bronze - Cockhill - 4th - ETOWA
Men 560 Kilos - Gold - Country Club - Silver - Abadino A - Bronze - Amaiur - 4th - Chinese Taipei
Men 600 Kilos - Gold - Kilroe - Silver - Mountain View - Bronze - Abadino - 4th - St Pats
Men 640 Kilos - Gold - Ayrshire - Silver - Clonmany B - Bronze - Clonmany A - 4th - TTV Deinum/Britsum
Men 680 Kilos - Gold - Clonmany A - Silver - St Pats - Bronze - TTV Lagerweij - 4th - TTV IT Heidenskip
Mixed 600 Kilos - Gold - Ibarra - Silver - Abadino A - Bronze - Sakana - 4th - Chinese Taipei
Closed Competition
Ladies 500 Kilos - Gold - Chinese Taipei - Silver - England (represented by Sheen Ladies) - Bronze - Scotland - 4th - South Africa
Ladies 540 Kilos - Gold - Chinese Taipei - Silver - Netherlands - Bronze - South Africa - 4th - Switzerland
Men 560 Kilos - Gold - Northern Ireland - Silver - Scotland - Bronze - England (represented by Norton) - 4th - Ireland
Men 600 Kilos - Gold - Scotland - Silver - England (represented by Kilroe) - Bronze - Ireland - 4th - Northern Ireland
Men 640 Kilos - Gold - England (represented by Sheen) - Silver - Scotland - Bronze - Ireland - 4th - China
Men 680 Kilos - Gold - Ireland - Silver - Netherlands - Bronze - Scotland - 4th - England (represented by Uppertown)
Mixed 600 Kilos 4+4 - Gold - Chinese Taipei - Silver - England (represented by Sheen/Sheen Ladies) - Bronze - Scotland - 4th - China
Report, photos and video to follow.
Ayrshire Tug of War Club enjoyed the most successful National Indoor Tug Of War Championships at Bo’ness in its 6 year history. Ayrshire defended the 680 Kg for men but added to that success with wins in the 640 Kg for men and the 600 Kg mixed event. These successes will stand the club in good stead for the forthcoming UK Championships in England (21-23 January 2012) and more importantly for the World Championships in Perth (23-26 February 2012). BRC was the other winner on the day, retaining the 600 Kg for men.
Scottish tug of war was a big winner on an excellent day of competition. There were plenty of individual performances to catch the eye of the Robert Paterson, the National Coach, as he looks to build squads that are capable of winning UK and World Championships. He will have been pleased to see that the 4 Scottish clubs have all been hard at work making their own teams as competitive as possible and this will give him a wide choice of men and women for the major events coming up in 2012.
Kinneff, while not winning any of the titles were very competitive and gave BRC a run for their money in the 600 Kg for men. Tinto and BRC both pushed Ayrshire hard in the 640 and 680 and the mixed event showed that the girls are coming up to the required standard very quickly.
Squad training now starts and that means the real hard work begins for all of Scotland’s pullers.
Results
600Kg Men
640Kg Men
680 Kg Men
600 Kg Mixed
Scottish National Indoor Championships
14 January 2011
The twice postponed 2010 Championships finally took place on a cold Friday night, however this didn’t put off the Scottish clubs and there was full turnout. This proved to be the most closely fought Nationals for many years with very little to split the teams and small margins decided the destination of the titles and the colour of the medal.
The 680 Kg was first up with Tinto and Ayrshire laying down markers for how the rest of the evening was to pan out. The Tinto team in their traditional royal blue attacked from the drop and put some distance into Ayrshire. Ayrshire have shown in the last few years that they are a resilient bunch and simply waited for the best opportunity to attack. When it arrived the men in purple made no mistake and took Tinto all the way back. The second end saw Ayrshire start more positively but Tinto were back on the attack. However there was no panic in the Ayrshire ranks as they once again settled in to wait for the main chance. At the first sign of weakness Ayrshire attacked and the contest was as good as over.
Tinto were to suffer the same fate at the hands of BRC in the next match but the performance from what was a largely new team must be very pleasing and promising for the future of the club.
The final group match was a tactical affair with both Ayrshire and BRC feeling out the opposition. Unsurprisingly it finished in a draw. The same could not be said in the final. BRC attacked from the word “Pull” and forced Ayrshire to defend the whole way to the line. This was no tactical decision by Ayrshire as the team had to work the whole way. The second end saw BRC put on the defensive by a big Ayrshire drop and the team in gold were kept under pressure until they wilted and Ayrshire got a drive going that eventually took them to the line and the equalising end. Ayrshire coach Lorna Bennett won the toss and kept her men at the winning end. It was a wise decision as her team attempted a repeat performance. Ayrshire attacked but BRC were ready and countered forcing Ayrshire to defend and concede ground. In previous years they might have crumbled but this time experience told and they settled to the task, waiting for BRC to weaken. When the pushes slowed Ayrshire kicked hard and went for the line, only for BRC to stop them. Both teams were really hurting now and were having to dig very deep. Eventually Ayrshire turned BRC and drove home to retain the title won in 2009.
The 600 Kg was a straight final with neither Ayrshire or Tinto able to make the weight. Kinneff were seeking to upset the favourites and defending Champions BRC. The task looked to be beyond them especially when BRC took a very tight first end leaving the Kinneff boys looking very tired. However the change of ends rejuvenated them and they went on an all out attack that saw them take the advantage and quite a bit of ground. BRC were not to be phased by this and stopped the drive before turning up the pressure themselves and eventually turning Kinneff around and finishing the contest.
The 640 Kg event provide some of the tightest contests of the night. Ayrshire and Kinneff battled to a draw in the first match, leaving the Ayrshire team slightly disappointed and at a disadvantage being heavier. BRC put the inexperienced Tinto team to the sword but then were made to work very hard for their win against Kinneff. Ayrshire dominated the match against Tinto and looked to be growing into competition, albeit one match too late. The final round of group matches saw a good contest between Tinto and Kinneff that the Lanarkshire team lost. Ayrshire couldn’t take the point they needed from BRC to propel them into the top two but looked more assured than ever.
The semi-final draw paired Kinneff with Tinto and Ayrshire with BRC. Kinnef repeated the result in a routine re run of the group match. The other semi final was a different matter altogether. BRC took the first end with a good drop and drive and didn’t let Ayrshire in to the pull at all, but to be fair Ayrshire missed the drop. The second end saw both teams go hard from the drop and BRC gained a slight advantage. However Ayrshire were defending well and putting plenty of pressure on. Suddenly BRC began to crack and Ayrshire got a decent drive going that looked to be heading for the line. Luck wasn’t on their side though as the rope lurched through the two youngest Ayrshiremen lost position and it was enough for BRC to turn them over and take the win.
Kinneff had been keen spectators and obviously fancied their chances in the final. BRC were no longer looking as smooth and Kinneff were putting plenty of pressure on them. Cracks started to show on both sides and it was Kinneff who were handling it much the better. They got a drive going and were heading for a win when the back of the rope collapsed allowing BRC to regroup. When the teams came off the floor BRC had recovered their composure and began to turn the screw. Kinneff kept up the fight all the way to the line but BRC took the first end. There was a sense that Kinneff had missed their best opportunity to cause an upset and this was duly reinforced when BRC took the winning end despite the men in red trying everything.
United Kingdom Championships
Enniskillen
13 August 2010
Scotland endured both agony and enjoyed ecstasy in Enniskillen. The men lost out in the bronze medal match of the 680 Kg but that was more than offset by the triumph of the girls in both the 500 Kg and 540 Kg
Men 600 Kg
There was only one Scottish team and they got of to a flyer taking the first end in some style from England B. They should have made a better fist of the second end too but had to be content with a draw. Sadly this was as good as it got. While not pulling badly, Scotland could not impose themselves on any of the remaining matches and finished in 6th place.
The medals went to England A, Northern Ireland B and Northern Ireland A in what was the most open and unpredictable contest for many years.
Women 500 Kg
Disappointingly there were only two teams to make the weight. Scotland and Wales were therefore guaranteed gold and silver medals. The Scots proved themselves to be by far the strongest to take a straightforward victory. It would have been very interesting to watch had England’s world Championship team been present.
Men 680 Kg
Scotland had two teams in this event with very different goals. The A team were after medals while the B team was looking to blood four new men at this level for the future.
The B team endured a torrid time having to fight in every end and defending constantly. There were opportunities to take point, most notably against Wales B, but none were taken.
Meanwhile the A team had accumulated enough points to go through to the semi finals but that was as far they got. In the bronze medal match with Wales A the scores were level going into the deciding end. Scotland applied real pressure and took Wales almost to the line. However the Welshmen managed to stop the drive just short of the line and dragged the Scots all the way to line to take the bronze medal.
Another upset happened in the final when England A, previously imperious, lost out to the dogged England B.
Women 540 Kg
This weight was contested by Scotland A and B England and Wales. It turned into a cracking event with the Scotland A team looking untouchable and nothing much between the others. Scotland’s A squad never looked likely to be beaten and took a second gold medal, overcoming Wales in the final. Scotland’s B squad looked to be a match for England but twice took their opponents all the way to the line only to be stopped and dragged back.
UK Open Clubs Championship
14 August 2010
Men 600 Kg
Scottish teams got off to a flier when Kinneff came through the group matches against some more fancied opponents to make it to the semi finals. They faltered there but certainly didn’t in the bronze medal match. The lost the first end to Bancran of Northern Ireland but came back very strongly to take the next two ends and the bronze medal.
Women 500 Kg
Once again the Scots came out on top. Ayrshire proved to be too strong for Llangadog of Wales. The Welsh girls had done their homework and tried to disrupt Ayrshire’s rhythm but Ayrshire were good enough to settle and then pressure their way to the win.
Men 680 Kg
Cornhill and East Kilbride were Scotland’s representatives here and both did very well. It was Cornhill that made it to the semi-final where they once again failed to progress. It was back to the bronze medal contest and once again they were to lose out when seemingly in control.
Women 540 Kg
Ayrshire and Cornhill took Scotland’s challenge forward and Ayrshire looked to be heading for another win. The one blip was a dropped end to Sheen of England. Cornhill looked a rejuvenated team from the dejected outfit of the day before. In the bronze medal match the spirit showed through when they defeated Llangadog. Ayrshire’s contest went unexpectedly awry when Sheen continued their improvement and won in the final.
Men 640 Kg
There were 12 teams for the 640 so there were 2 groups of 6. East Kilbride could have been forgiven for thinking that someone was having a joke at their expense when all the favourites bar Lakehill of Eire were drawn in their group. Cornhill were also there and progressed to the semi final again. Meanwhile Kinneff were doing their best to upset the more fancied outfits in the other group. Unfortunately it was not quite enough to progress. In the semi final it was a familiar story as Cornhill missed out to eventual winners Lakehill. For the third consecutive time they took the lead and wer in control only to lose out at the last gasp.
Mixed 600 Kg
East Kilbride were hoping to finish on a high and it looked good when they easily beat Leo’s of Northern Ireland in the group. Mountain View and Lakehill of Eire proved too strong and EK went into the bronze contest. At one end all EK took control and drove all the way to the line only to have a spectacular collapse on the line. Once again a Scottish team snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Cornhill Dominate Scottish Nationals Once Again
Cornhill Tug of War Club once again dominated the Scottish National Championships in 2010. The event, held at Dunblane & Doune Show, provided the team from Banff with the perfect platform to showcase their talents. The ground was good and the crowds were good all day. They saw Cornhill take the 640, 680 and 600 kg titles. The only reverse they suffered was in losing out to Kinneff in the 580 kg.
From the results alone you might be forgiven for thinking that it was a one team show, however that couldn’t have been further from the truth. There were other clubs present who left their mark throughout the day. At the forefront of these was Kinneff who took one title and pushed Cornhill hard in two others. There was also Callander, winners of the Royal Highland Show and local favourites, who showed up well across the weight categories. Then there was East Kilbride with a scratch team providing a shock result. Finally there was Halkirk, the furthest travelled (from John ‘O’ Groats), who have had difficulties this season but still pushed everyone hard.
The first event of the day was the 640 and there was a bit of everything in it. East Kilbride started looking all over the place but improved with every end. Callander were the epitome of youthful aggression. Kinneff played it canny and tactical. Cornhill looked untouchable. In the shake up for medals Callander just got the better of East Kilbride for bronze and in the final Kinneff did enough to ruffle Cornhill’s feathers but not enough to beat them.
The 580 was a staight final with only two teams making the weight. Kinneff continued their fine tradition at the lightest weights by seeing off Cornhill.
The 680 provided the big crowd with the most thrills of the day. Callander had targeted this weight as their best chance of winning, but there wasn’t much between any of the teams and points were being dropped all over the place. Halkirk’s power was proving hard to handle but they picked up a lot of cautions and this cost them dearly. East Kilbride pocketed enough points to make the semi finals and then worked the team into shape. Kinneff again played a tactical game but Callander upset them to finish second leaving them the unenviable task of having to beat Cornhill to make the final. It was a task that they couldn’t complete. Callander meantime had an improving East Kilbride team to overcome. The first end was a victory for experience over youth as the Lanarkshire team’s old heads dictated the pull. The second end was a complete reversal with Callander never letting EK settle. The deciding end was a battle of attrition with East Kilbride having enough in the tank to hold on to all of Callander’s power and stop them just short of the line before dragging them all the way back to win. This match effectively ended both teams’ chances of winning their next matches. Kinneff took the bronze from Callander and Cornhill saw off East Kilbride in the final.
The final weight of the day took place in the main arena. The 600 Kg proved to be a big hit with Show’s big crowd and they saw a fine display from Cornhill, Kinneff and Callander.
STOWA would like to thank Dunblane & Doune Show for their hospitality, the large and noisy crowds for their contributions and the clubs for making the National Championships a resounding succ
World Indoor Tug Of War Championships 2010
Cesenatico, Italy
25-28 February
Open Clubs Championship
For the first time in many years there were no Scottish clubs participating in the Open Clubs Championships on the Thursday and Friday of the Championships. This was because the new weigh in rules meant that members of the Ayrshire and BRC teams who have won medals at recent events would be in the sauna getting weight off for the International events on the Saturday and Sunday so that the Scottish teams would be competitive.
There were some Scots in action though. Leigh Jardine was invited by Glens of Antrim to anchor the ladies’ team in the 540 Kg. Leigh’s baptism in the Championship was of the “Fire” variety but nonetheless she enjoyed the experience. Lorna Bennett, Elaine Young, Rachel Nelson and Amber Hogan made up half of the Glens of Antrim team that contested the 520 Kg and eventually came 5th. Willie Orr was the only man in action helping out Cockhill and performing better than many of that club’s regulars.
World Championship
Saturday
Men 560 Kg
Scotland fielded a very strong eight but made a sluggish start by drawing with The Netherlands. The Dutch looked to have a strong side but the points should not have been dropped and this proved costly later. Japan were more convincingly dealt with in a straight ends victory. The next team was England who were also very strong. In the first end Scotland eventually wore England down and took a good point. In the second end though Scotland had total control only to hit the ground at the crucial moment. England recovered quicker and took the point. More precious points lost. Italy were swept aside in convincing fashion as were France and Chinese Taipei. Northern Ireland, the defending Champions, came next and this was an altogether different proposition and the two sides set about each other. There was little difference in the teams but Northern Ireland came out on top. By now it was obvious that James Gerrard was struggling and he was an enforced change, replaced by Ali Cook. This transformed the team and they easily defeated the Republic of Ireland and China to qualify for the semi-finals in third place.
It was now that the silly dropped points came into play. Scotland definitely had to face Northern Ireland or England instead of the weaker Netherlands. The toss dictated that it would be England. Both semi-finals were tremendous adverts for the light men. The Dutch side forced Northern Ireland into a deciding end before succumbing. It was the Scotland England clash however that had the galleries shouting to the rafters. England took a tough first end only for the Scots to equalise in an equally tough second end. To be fair the Scots now looked to have the momentum but England went for them in the deciding end. Scotland defended and took an advantage before England countered and got a drive going. Scotland stopped and then the cautions started. With both on two cautions and on the ground a “no-pull” was called. The rope was centred and they started a gain. The results were predictable with the centre tape going back and forth and both sides accumulating cautions for a variety of offences. Just as England looked to be gaining the upper hand a “no-pull” was called again. This time it was the Scots with the upper hand and they seemed to be in control. Once more both teams had two cautions but Scotland was driving for the line and England had three locks on trying to stop it. Inevitably Scotland hit the mat and the judge pointed to the middle once more. It was a tough one on the Scots and from the drop England took charge to advance to the final.
Scotland finished with a good display to take the bronze medal from The Netherlands. In the final Northern Ireland retained their Championship but needed two “no-pulls” in the second end to do it.
Scotland Team: Colin Montgomery, Bob Warnock, Ross Davidson, James Gerrard (replaced by Alistair Cook), Robin Shankland, Alan Brodie, Kevin Campbell, Alan Young, Coach Robert Paterson, Trainer Jo Welsh.
Men 640 Kg
The heroics of the 560 Kg were still fresh when the 640 Kg began. The atmosphere was somewhat subdued, almost as if the stadium was catching its breath. Scotland had no sluggish start this time. The Netherlands, China and Switzerland were all dealt with in quite ruthless and professional fashion. The first test came with England, the pre tournament favourites, and the Scots treated it as a chance to probe for weaknesses. There was much thrust and parry of the two sides before England eventually took the match in straight ends. Next up was Ireland, a potential banana skin if ever there was one, however the Scots again won with relative ease. Business as usual was resumed with routine wins over Chinese Taipei, Serbia and Italy.
Scotland had progressed to the semi-finals in second place and drew the Republic of Ireland with England and the Netherlands completing the draw. Once again Scotland beat the Irish with a display of control and power, while England was doing the same to the Dutch.
The final saw two highly motivated and evenly matched teams go nose to nose, almost literally. The first end saw England’s power come up against Scotland’s technique. The power eventually won out but the Scots looked much the fresher of the two teams. With this in mind England attacked from the drop and forced Scotland to defend and counter. The counter attacks worked to good effect but England kept going when a lesser team might have buckled and once more their power began to tell. Scotland were picking up cautions and forced into desperate measures but to no avail.
Scotland Team: Tom Nelson, Dave Goodfellow, Alistair Cook, John Lyon, Colin Montgomery, Graham Hendry, Steve Garner, Gary Gillespie, Coach Robert Paterson, Trainer Jo Welsh.
Sunday
At the start of play on the Sunday the Scotland squad was under some pressure to deliver. Where else in Scottish sport would anyone look at a bronze medal, followed by a silver medal as any kind of failure? This just reinforced the high standards that Scotland’s pullers have set themselves.
Men 600 Kg
There were no slow starts this morning from the men in dark blue. Italy were dealt with in an efficient manner to start with and this set the tone with the team. There was a grim determination not to slip up in any way. Northern Ireland were next and although they put up some stern resistance initially the points were taken. There were some rumblings that the Ulstermen could be holding something back for the knockout stages later on. The Republic of Ireland always put up a good defence and this time was no different. Scotland took it very steady in the first end but really fired into the men in green in the second to demolish any plans that the Irish might have had of an equalising end.
There was a sense in the Scottish camp that this could be the start of better things. Confidence was growing and performances were starting to show that. Chinese Taipei are a difficult team if they are allowed to work their way into matches. Scotland simply didn’t allow it and the pulls were over before they new it.
The big match up of the group came with England. The Englishmen had a very big side for a 600 Kg and had plenty of power that Scotland would need to harness. The waiting game was employed and paid off when the English capitulated leaving Scotland top of the pile with none of the big threats left to pull. France were out in under 30 seconds in both ends as were Switzerland and China. Japan faired little better.
The semi-final draw paired Scotland with Northern Ireland and England with the Republic of Ireland. The Scots had definitely pulled the most dangerous opponents that they could. This was immediately reinforced by the first end that took Scotland over 4 minutes to win. The second end was a bit better with “only” 2 minutes 16 seconds the winning time. Meanwhile Ireland had decided to save themselves and went down in under 30 seconds to England in both ends. It did them little good however as Northern Ireland comprehensively beat them for the bronze medal.
The final was already set for a battle but the tension was heightened even further with a contretemps between coaches and pullers as teams lined up. England went for the big attack right from the drop and moved Scotland well forward but the Scots dug in and halted any drive before countering themselves. The centre marker was firmly on the English side though as they put the big hit in again and moved the Scots down the mat, only to be stopped and have to defend another counter attack. The amount of work that England were putting in began to take effect and they began to concede ground as the Scots turned the screw and brought the tape over the centre to their advantage. England began to get more desperate in the attacks but they were less effective and they were also incurring the scrutiny of the judges. After 3 minutes and 5 seconds the Scots finally broke their resistance and took the first end. The second end followed the same pattern of English attack and Scottish counter but it was the Scots who looked to be in control all the way. There was a scare when England hit the floor and took Scotland with them and then recovered quicker to get a small drive going but the Scots recovered their composure and began the counter attack. Soon England were on two cautions and when they brought the rope down just short of the line they were blown out. Scotland became the first team to defend the 600 Kg successfully twice.
Scotland Team: Tom Nelson, Dave Goodfellow, Graham Hendry, Colin Montgomery, Robin Shankland, Alan Brodie, Kevin Campbell, Graeme Duncan, Coach Robert Paterson, Trainer Jo Welsh.
Men 680 Kg
The 680 Kg men had something of a mission to fulfil having lost the final two years ago in controversial circumstances to the Netherlands. The chance to lay that particular ghost to rest came early on when the Dutch were the third up. The Scots made no mistakes and took both ends in relative comfort. The immediate suspicion was that it was a tactical loss and that the Dutch were only feeling out the Scots. Prior to that there had been good wins against two of the fast emerging nations Switzerland and Italy.
The business end of the competition really began with the match against England. The plan was to see what they had and so Scotland dropped to defend. England piled on the power but could only drag the Scots very slowly down the mat. The effort was clearly taking its toll on the men in white but they eventually took the point in 1 minute 43 seconds. The second end was to be played out the same way but England were still suffering and the Scots ended up with a relatively easy point. The Irish were next on the agenda and this was to prove a sterner test. In the first end all went according to plan for Scotland however the second end went awry. The Irish needed a point to make the semi-finals and put in a huge counter attack when Scotland was well on the way to the line. The attack caught out Dave Galloway, in his first Championship, and he quickly received cautions for locking as he tried in vain to regain his position. Scotland were blown out to tie the match. Coach Rab Paterson decided to make a change and brought in Robin “The Grim Reaper” Shankland.
The last match was against TWIF new boys Serbia and proved to be little more than a warm up for Robin.
The semi finals paired Scotland and England and The Netherlands with the Republic of Ireland. In the first end there was concern as England went on full out attack from the drop. There was little problem for Scotland until a “footwear failure” saw the whole side under pressure as they temporarily dropped to seven men. Just for a second things looked decidedly iffy until the offending shoes delivered enough grip to restore full power. The Scots then wasted no time in putting down the hammer and taking the point. In the second end there was no hanging around and Scotland took the offensive from the drop and never looked back. A fourth successive final now beckoned for the big men. To add a little intrigue the Dutch eased past Ireland to set up a rematch of the 2008 final.
The plan was simple; drop in and soak up the pressure and wait for any cracks to appear. The Dutch attacked straight away and Scotland settled to the defensive position. The men in orange were putting in big kicks but the Scots didn’t break and slowly the kicks became less and the Scots sank lower and lower as the pressure lessened. Just before Scotland hit the mat they put in a series of big pushes to come up driving hard. The Dutch team broke completely and it was all the Scots could do to stay on their feet as they drove for the line. The Dutchmen regrouped just short of the line but they couldn’t prevent Scotland taking the first end in 2 minutes 12 seconds. In the second end The Netherlands again attacked but this was short lived. The Scots counterattacked and purposefully drove them all the way back and in 1 minute 19 seconds it was all over. Scotland had world Champions for the third time in four Championships.
Scotland Team: Dave Galloway (Robin Shankland), Dave Goodfellow, Tom Nelson, John Lyon, Colin Montgomery, Graham Hendry, Steve Garner, Craig Mitchell, Coach Robert Paterson, Trainer Jo Welsh.
And Finally …..
This World Championship saw many ups and downs from missed flights and travel panic to hours in the sauna. The up side is that Scotland is still the number one nation at indoor tug of war in the world with two Gold medals, one Silver medal and one Bronze medal from four events. This success is not down solely to the men on the rope. There are the support team that deserve our appreciation and we shouldn’t ever forget that.
The World Championships 2010 are now over and the real work on planning Scotland 2012 can begin.
UK Indoor Tug Of War Championships 2010 Photographs
Glyndwr University, Wrexham
16 January
The men’s 600 Kilo class produced an enthralling competition in the first event of the UK Championships. There were seven teams contesting the trophy. Scotland, England and Northerrn Ireland all supplied ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams and the hosts Wales provided one. It was England B who dominated the group stages winning all of there matches en route to the semi finals. They were particularly impressive when beating the holders Scotland ‘A’. The top Scots were having an up and down competition and also dropped an end to England ‘A’ and never looking totally comfortable. The Scotland ‘B’ team was being used to bring on a number of younger pullers and it certainly succeeded. They beat Northern Ireland’s ‘B’ team and Wales and pushed Northern Ireland’s ‘A’ team very hard before missing out on the semi final place.
The semi finals matched England ‘A’ and ‘B’ and Scotland ‘A’ and Northern Ireland ‘A’. Both matches produced excellent contests. Scotland overcame a gutsy Irish team and England ‘A’ reversed their earlier loss to ‘B’. They changed their footwear and it appeared to give them a level of traction that the other teams didn’t have on the mats.
The final saw Scotland rising to the occasion and overcoming an onslaught from England that would have seen lesser teams crumble. Slowly the Scots worked their way back into the pull and exert some pressure on England. However England responded and we had a back and forth battle that saw each team gain the upper hand before losing it and having to regroup. Eventually Scotland began to drive for the line and with both sides facing disqualification they took the point. This description does not do justice to the pandemonium that took place in the closing stages of the pull amongst the supporters present. In the second end the Scots had the psychological advantage of seeing their rivals changing shoes as the soles began to deteriorate under the pressure from them. So from the drop the Scots went to dominate and did so. However England fought all the way and in one moment almost overturned the Scots’ advantage. However Scotland unleashed another strong drive to take them over the line and secure a memorable and not totally expected win.
IN the men’s 680 there was a less happy ending. Scotland’s ‘A’ team had looked unstoppable until they met England ‘A’. Both teams were keen to gain an advantage but in the group phase it finished with one end each. The surprise packet was Scotland’s ‘B’ team. They only weighed in at 623 kilos but were making things very difficult for much heavier squads. They took the first end from Northern Ireland ‘B’ and should have taken the second too. They then demolished England ‘B’ to put them in with a chance of reaching the semi finals. Unfortunately the last pull was between the two Irish teams and the contrived draw saw the Scots miss out.
In the meantime Scotland ‘A’ moved easily into the final where they met England ‘A’. The ensuing match swung both ways but saw the Scot’s receive three cautions in the first end and so disqualified while still ahead. This was an indicator of the pressure being exerted by both sides. In the second end the Scots looked to have it won when both teams had two cautions, but a surge by England saw the Scots receive another caution and so disqualified again.
The last event of the day was the 600 kilo mixed, making its debut in the International event. This event has teams made up of four men and four women. Scotland had a strong team and qualified for the final against England’s ‘B’ team. They dominated throughout despite some questionable tactics by there opponents. The result was never really in doubt and the title went to Scotland
Scottish Indoor National Championships
6 December 2009
Bo’ness Recreation Centre
Four clubs entered the National Championships at Bo’ness and it was fantastic to see Tinto back into the fray after a hiatus of several years. They were joined by Ayrshire, BRC and Kinneff.
The first weight of the day was the 640 Kg and saw Ayrshire and BRC very evenly matched. Tinto were a bit off the pace but gave a very good account of themselves. The group match between Ayrshire and BRC had been drawn and it was expected that the final would be equally tight. This was proved when first Ayrshire and then BRC had the upper hand in the first end. Eventually BRC got a drive going that Ayrshire didn’t control took it. The second end looked to be going the other way when Ayrshire began to take some distance with big slow time pushes. However the BRC boys managed to counter with a big kick of their own and the Championship was won.
In the 680 Kg BRC came in as the lightest team and Tinto the heaviest. Ayrshire and BRC again drew their group match. Tinto used their weight advantage to good effect and took BRC in straight ends. That meant that Ayrshire needed at least a point from Tinto to make the final. The thought must have focussed their minds because the first end was an example of applied pressure which saw Ayrshire gain the point they needed. Tinto then took the second end. The final saw both teams in no mood to capitulate. Ayrshire used their superior technique to apply the maximum amount of pressure in the first end. Eventually Tinto were dragged over the line, but the win had taken a major effort. Tinto looked to have recovered the quicker and used their power to put Ayrshire on the back foot from the drop. Ayrshire defended doggedly all the way to the line and Tinto levelled the match up. In the deciding end Ayrshire got an edge from the drop but then had to defend as Tinto went for it. As the pushes became less potent Ayrshire counter attacked and slow timed their way back. Eventually Tinto broke and the Ayrshire team powered home for the win and a first National title since 2007.
The 600 Kg saw Kinneff attempt to upset BRC’s dominance of the event. There was to be no upset though as BRC controlled both ends from the drop. Kinneff tried every trick in the book but could not break the BRC rhythm. The men from Bo’ness then took their second gold medal of the day.
Robert Paterson, STOWA’s Chairman, declared himself well pleased with the event. There were good contests throughout the event and this augurs well for the preparations for the UK and World Championships in 2010. The Scotland squad training sessions begin on 9 December and the signs were there that Scotland will have strong teams in all competitive weights for the International season.
UK Outdoor Championships
Banff
22/23 August 2009
The Scottish Tug Of War Association hosted the UK Championships for the first time in the North East of Scotland. The location was Banff, the home of Scotland’s most successful club of the last 5 years, Cornhill. The decision to take the event so far north could have backfired however the event was spectacular success. The local community got fully behind the Championships and contributed to what has proved to be STOWA’s most successful UK event so far. Our thanks go out to everyone in the Banff and MacDuff area for making it the tremendous success it was.
The event was successful for Scotland on the rope as well. In the Closed Championships that took place on the Saturday it was England’s men who took the honours. The 680 Kg was won by the A side represented by Bosley and they looked confident and assured all day. The silver medal was won by Llanboidy for Wales and the bronze medal by England’s B team. As ever some of the most keenly contested pulls happened further down the order and Wales B and Scotland B showed just how exciting our sport can be when two teams that are evenly matched go for it.
In the 600 Kg for men England’s A and B teams did the double with gold and silver medals. The styles were totally different throughout the event. Norton, the A side, were imperious and spent very little time on the rope. They used power and aggression to maximum effect and no team really got close to them. Felton in the B berth could not have been more different. They didn’t have the power and struggled in the group matches and contributed to the majority of the long ends throughout the day. However they got better as they went on while other sides struggled and thoroughly deserved their reward. Wales took the bronze after a battle with Northern Ireland.
In the Women’s event the Scots took the honours. Ayrshire and Cornhill represented in the 520 Kg and took the gold and bronze medals respectively. Ayrshire’s win coming from behind to beat England in the final was the one event of the day that had the entire crowd totally involved. The 560 Kg saw a combination of Ayrshire and Perthshire go into the final against Wales A represented by Llangadog. It wasn’t to be gold for Scotland as the Welsh girls had been untouchable all day and dominated the final. The girls from Cornhill suffered heartbreak in the bronze medal match by losing to England’s A team.
Unfortunately the glorious weather of the Saturday gave way to cloud, wind and rain on the Sunday. There was still a very good turnout of clubs for the Open Clubs Championships and the competition throughout the day was fierce. The Scottish clubs dominated in both the men’s and women’s events with only Llangadog winning from the other nations. There was a first UK Championship for Kinneff in the men’s 640 Kg which was a great reward for Bill Meston after almost 30 years of trying. Cornhill took the 600 Kg and 680 Kg to keep the local supporters happy.
The women saw Ayrshire repeat their feat of the day before in new club colours and Llangadog once again dominated the 560 Kg.
The mixed event was making its debut in the Championship and there were some fantastic partnerships forged by men’s and women’s clubs that were local to each other. Ayrshire once again took the honours in an unpredictable and entertaining event.
There were many highlights of the weekend and all of those from outside the sport were impressed by the level of professionalism of the athletes and officials and also by the level of sportsmanship. Those guests included local sponsors and dignitaries as well as Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond, who presented some of the medals on the Sunday.
It has taken STOWA 29 years to take the UK Championships to this corner of our country, with the response we received and the feedback it won’t be that long before we’re back.
United Kingdom Championship Report
Ballymena
13th & 14th February 2009.
Scotland didn’t manage the all conquering performances of the last two years in Ballymena but there were some excellent performances from individuals and teams.
Scotland’s domination of the 600kg UK Championship continued with an imperious performance throughout by the ` A ` team. They never looked to be in any trouble despite the best efforts of some really good sides. England ` A ` who Scotland beat in the final were the pick of these teams but there are mentions for Scotland ` B ` and Northern Ireland ` A ` and ` B ` who made the contest for the bronze medal a tense and very entertaining affair. The Scots eventually won out here to underline the strength that we have at the light weight.
The 680kg was not a happy place for a Scottish side short on weight and in some cases rope fitness. Nonetheless they were good for a place in the final Unfortunately on the day England ` A ` had the strongest and fittest team in the event and was a worthy winner.
The UK Open Club Championship provided the usual thrills, spills and upsets (but only in part). Pride of place goes to Ayrshire’s mixed 580kg team who successfully defended the UK title. The competition was stiffer this year but Ayrshire still was off some very talented sides. Bremore of Eire were beaten in the final in an epic battle.
However this performance showed what could happen when a good team and coach get their tactics exactly right.
The light men of the 560kg gave everyone something to shout about as they battled to a very well deserved bronze medal. The team, in BRC`s gold shirts, thrilled everyone when they had a fantastic tussle with Cockhill of Eire in the group phase. They eventually lost the pull with a pull of over 5 minutes, (the longest of the whole weekend), however revenge was sweet when they comprehensively defeated the same team in winning the bronze medal.
Honourable mentions go to BRC`s 640kg team that finished 4th and the 680kg, again the lightest team in the event, that finished 5th. The 600kg teams from Ayrshire and BRC proved that there is only so much that you can do with a small squad.
Or thanks go to the Northern Ireland Association for daring to be innovative and running an excellent Championship. It was a fantastic presentation dinner. Next time they just need scales that don’t bend.
A special mention goes to Vincent Docherty who was plunged into the role of Chief Marshall at short notice. Maybe if he trains harder next year he can pull instead, it would be a lot less tiring!