Scottish Senior and Junior Heavyweight
Championship -
Hosted at Abernethy Highland Games
9 August 2008
Application
forms (which must be submitted by 25 July 2008) available from:- Scottish
Athletics
9a South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB
Tel: 0131 5397320
Fax:0131
5397321
admin@scottishathletics.org.uk
Last year's Games 11th August
2007Well, the fun is all over for another year, and a grand day it was, despite
the disappointing weather.
Soon the committee will be starting to plan for
2008 when again Nethybridge will resound to the thrilling sights & sounds
of the Highland Games. The date for your diary is Saturday 9th August 2008.
Abernethy Highland Games has been chosen to host the Scottish Heavy Championships
in 2008, so be assured of fierce competition from some notable athletes! As
well as the usual dancing, piping, and field & track events, the fun morning
programme for children has proved to be of enormous appeal, making a full day
of a visit to the Games, and a “must” for families.
Towards the end of the
programme, the tug o’ war has enjoyed a rebirth as an inter-village competition
and no doubt the “Nethy Bridge Trophy”, and serious prize money will be even more
fiercely contested next year. See Games report
for full results. Tug 'o' War is backThe
Abernethy Games are reintroducing the old spirit of inter village rivalry by encouraging
a traditional ‘Tug ‘o’ War’ competition. The 4 villages of Boat of Garten, Carrbridge,
Cromdale and Nethy Bridge have all agreed to put in teams. In fact, the enthusiasm
has been so great, that Cromdale and Nethy Bridge have even raised a female team
each. Generous prize money is on offer totalling £500, with all teams
going away with a prize and a little extra for the ‘best dressed team.’ Professional
teams will still be welcomed but unfortunately will not be able to compete in
the main event, which will be a strictly fun competition between the villages.
No spikes, no extra rules, just fun. They will however be asked to stay and pull
in an ‘exhibition’ match against a composite village team. Beer will be available
as their reward! This new competition promises to be a "must see"
at the games and no doubt the very handsome ‘Nethy Bridge Trophy’ will become
one of the most sought after cups in the Strath, with the villages hotly contesting
ownership each year. Our Twins in New Zealand - Turakina
Highland GamesTurakina is a small village in the western
Rangitiki district of New Zealand, midway between Wanganui and Palmerston North.
The Maori explorer Hau named Turakina on his journey south when he felled a log
to cross the river [from "Turaki" - to fell]. The first European settlers
arrived from Scotland by ships into Wellington and later walked 150km up the beaches
to Turakina, following the land purchase negotiated by Sir Donald McLean, from
the Ngati Apa people in 1849. At its peak in the late 1880's, Turakina and the
surrounding area boasted 3 churches, several schools, businesses, industries,
2 railway stations, 4 hotels and an illicit whisky distillery. At that period
it was a prosperous and busy township and the Annual Highland Games was established
in 1864. They are New Zealand's oldest on-land sporting event. A
committee member of the Abernethy Highland Games, who lived his youth in the district,
visited the Turakina Highland Games in 2004. He was warmly welcomed and subsequently
it was agreed that 2 of the oldest Games, 125 and 140 years respectively, located
at opposite ends of the world, would twin. The next Turakina Highland Games
will take place on 7th Jan 2007. www.turakinahighlandgames.co.nz
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