Shinty is an amateur sport and has been around longer than records show. Its was originated and brought to Scotland by the Irish, in Ireland they developed it into Hurling. It is a team game played using a Caman (thats your stick) made of wood and a solid ball which is around the size of a tennis ball. For mens teams its 12 players a side and 45 minutes to each half of the game. For women's teams we are 8 a side and have 35 minutes to our half's. Half time only lasts around 5 minutes. The aim of the game...get the ball in the goal!
Shinty is an extremely fast, highly skilled and competitive game which can also be very dangerous, however I would say thats what makes it so exciting! I grew up around Shinty, my Granda Brian was one of Newtonmore's finest players and Shinty entered my life again two years ago when I met my boyfriend who plays for Strathspey Camanachd.
Spectators who don't know about Shinty who watch a game sometimes think 'are there any rules to this game'? Yes there are rules to the game, some of these include; you must use both feet to stop the ball, no use of hands, you cannot kick the ball and you can use both sides of your stick. There are many more but Ill let you look them up if you like in your own time.
The Premiership League: National Division:
Newtonmore Ballachulish
Lovat Inverness
Glenurquhart Kilmallie
Kingussie Beauly
Kyles Athletic Caberfeidh
Inveraray Glasgow Mid Argyll
Kinlochshiel Glenorchy
Lochaber Skye
Oban Camanachd
Fort William
North Division One National Division Two
Fort Willliam Strathspey Camanachd
Newtonmore Lewis
Strathglass Glengarry
Beauly Kilmallie
Glenurquhart Lochbroom
Kingussie Inverness
Lovat Aberdeen Uni
Kinlochshiel Boleskine
Caberfeidh
Skye
South Division One South Division Two
Bute Aberdour
Kyles Athletic Col Glen
Oban Celtic Glenorchy
Strachur Tayforth
Lochside Rovers Glasgow Mid Argyll
Taynuilt Oban Lorn
Kilmory Ballachulish
Aberdour Bute
Throughout the season many teams also play for Cups including:
The Camanachd Cup
The MacTavish Cup
The MacCaulay Cup
The Sutherland Cup
The Strathdearn Cup
and many more!
The Camanachd Cup is the biggest competition in the Shinty World, the final is splayed in September and is the biggest game of the year. In 2013 it was won by Newtonmore and last year in 2014 by Kingussie, who will it be in 2015?!
All the teams in each division play one another twice, once at home and the other away and depending on points at the end of the season one team will come out first and move up to the higher division and the lowest scoring team in the higher division will move down, although due to changes for the upcoming season this may be different this year. The season begins in March and runs usually until September but some games may go on later. We are about to start the 2015 season and I couldn't be more excited. Not only will I be supporting the lads in purple Strathspey Camanachd this year but I will also be playing with Strathspey Camanachd Ladies. We began training last year and are about to enter our very first season.
If you ever have the opportunity to watch a game of shinty or even to play I would highly recommend you do. Its such a fun sport with so many amazing opportunities for men, women and juniors. Its also just so incredibly fun to be involved in. My blog will be full of photos from the season so you won't miss a thing!
Thank you so much for reading, let me know if you play or watch shinty or if this is all brand new to you and you'd like to know more. I will also leave some links for you to find out lots more information.
Shinty.com
Strathspey Camanachd
Amy x
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