Kingussie and Kyles Athletic will play the final league game of the season on Saturday, October 26 – the day Scotland play Ireland in the shinty-hurling international at Dublin’s Croke Park.
Both teams are in favour of the date and the Camanachd Association is poised to rubber-stamp it to avoid the season dragging into November.
Kingussie have Lee Bain and James Hutchinson in the Scotland side, while Kyles have Donald Irvine in it. But the clubs are content to play and complete the Premierhip – weeks after most teams finish.
Kyles, who drew 1-1 with Lovat at Kiltarlity on Saturday, have been holding up a Premiership closedown and play at Newtonmore this weekend. But their postponed home game with Kingussie was not due until November 9 at the earliest due to the international game in Dublin followed by the Inverness return on November 2.
Kyles coach James Perlich said: “We want to finish as soon as possible and we’ll be discussing with the association to take the opportunity of playing on October 26. The Kingussie fixture does not affect anything or change league positions, it’s just a question of getting it over with and allowing the players to have a break.”
Kingussie, who played their last game on September 7 and who have stopped training, are supportive.
Co-manager Russell Jones said: “I understand the association will agree the fixture on international day if the clubs are in favour. We’d be happy to get the season finished rather than going into November.”
Premiership runners-up Lovat finally concluded their season with a 1-1 draw with Kyles at Kiltarlity – with Lovat having played their previous two games on August 24 and September 28.
Lovat have improved their points tally four seasons in succession and the final gap between them and champions Newtonmore is five points, with the Black and Whites finishing seven points clear of third-placed Inveraray.
Kyles were without Roddy Macdonald, Robbie Macleod and David and Roberto Zavaroni for their trip to Balgate Park and drafted in several second-team players who last weekend won the South Second Division title.
“The lads who came in showed promise for the future while the makeshift line-up played well for each other,” said Perlich.
Veteran goalkeeper Kenny MacDonald had frustrated Lovat with a couple of superb stops before Graeme Macmillan fired the home side ahead with nine minutes left But within two minutes John Whyte scored for Athletic.