Cornwall Shinty Club opted to head for the West Highlands and Skye as part of a recent Scottish tour to celebrate their 10th anniversary.
After playing Warrington Social Hurling Club, the mixed Cornwall side travelled to face Uddingston before taking on welcoming hosts Fort William, Skye Ladies, Ballachulish, and Ardnamurchan.
The visitors scored wins against Uddingston, Skye, and Ardnamurchan and forged special links they hope will be long-lasting.
Cornwall compete throughout the summer in the English Shinty Association (the ESA), alongside Bristol, Oxford and London.
In winter, the club splits into several teams to contest the six-a-side South West League, which has Bristol and Devon competitors.
Sponsor opened door for Skye visit
Jack Fitt, chairman of the Cornwall club, explained heading north of the border wasn’t a first for the club, but this year tied in neatly with its 10-year-old celebration.
He said: “We’d toured Scotland before, with it being the home of shinty.
“Our captain, Matt Mossop went through a lot of contacts and The Old Inn in Carbost said they would kindly sponsor us for the tour, so we were delighted to definitely have a game on Skye.
“We had a really good few games and on the Saturday we watched the Camanachd Cup semi-final in Fort William (Lovat beating Kyles Athletic 3-2). It was great to have a day off playing to watch that.”
Rising interest in shinty in Cornwall
Fitt is boosted by the post-pandemic resurgence in the sport locally and interest has risen once again.
He said: “Shinty is definitely growing here and Cornwall in particular has recruited well this year.
“Everything took quite a hit due to the pandemic. So, after seven or eight years of growth, everything stopped because we were not allowed outside.
“Cornwall have almost 40 members on the books now. London (Camanachd) has been around for quite a while now, while Bristol are growing quite strong now, which is menacing for us. They beat us in our last meeting.
“Oxford also had a six-a-side tournament earlier in the year, which was a real success.”
Festival invitation for Scottish sides
In late October, Cornwall will take on England in a shinty match as part of Lowender Peran, which is a festival set up to encourage recognition of Cornwall’s heritage and Celtic links.
Fitt would welcome a Scottish club to add to the occasion by being their visitors should the opportunity arise.
He added: “We have certainly made some new friends and acquaintances. Hopefully, some of the Scottish clubs – or a mixed Scottish team – might be tempted to pop down for the Lowender Peran festival here in late October.
“We have Cornwall against England exhibition match set for Saturday, October 29 – it would be great to take on Scottish opponents too.”
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