Other Sport

Stornoway RFC 28

Badminton is far from a sport for the faint hearted. At the top level it is a ferocious sport, taxing on the body and a sport which requires elite level effort and talent.

After an evening where coaches and volunteers were recognised at the annual Scottish FA grassroots awards the spotlight turned to the final award.

Bodies crashing into one another. Bones thundering together. Players in matching jerseys piling on top of one another with the ball lost beneath the swarm.

Scotland kick off their 2019 Rugby World Cup campaign on Sunday when they face Ireland in Group A of the historic competition.

Stornoway WRFC 36

After a long summer without rugby for island fans both our mens and womens teams will cross the painted white line and into sporting battle again this weekend as the curtain for the new season moves into near sight.

Christina Mackenzie has stood on top of the middle step of the podium at cycling, triathlon and ironman events on more occasions than the humble athlete would ever allow herself to boast, but all that experience, all those gruelling miles, glorious honours and sporting experience was no help as she took on her greatest ever challenge – Lejog.

A large crowd was on hand at Bayhead last Saturday to watch Camanachd Leòdhais and Uist Camanachd vie for the Heb Celt Cup in glorious sunshine. The sides could not be separated after ninety minutes and after a 1-1 draw, the match went to penalties.

Kara Hanlon has been riding a wave of swimming greatness for some time. A hat-trick of gold medals at the Scottish National Open Championships was followed by FIVE medals in the choppy and testing waters of international sporting combat at the NatWest International Island Games.

There were TV cameras filming every leap, every smile and every tear, photographers were rapid firing shots to capture every moment, but Mary Macleod and Heather Mackinnon won’t need the videos or the images to recall the night of Thursday, July 11th, under the Gibraltar sunshine.

As the sun set on two days of swimming competitions at the NatWest Island Games in Gibraltar, Kara Hanlon already has a hat-trick of medals in her swim bag.

In just a matter of days the Western Isles Island Games Association will jet into the arena of top class international sporting combat as they compete in the prestigious NatWest International Island Games for the eighth time.

Lewis Wind Power, developers of the Stornoway Wind Farm, have lent their backing to the media coverage of the Western Isles Island Games Association squad competing at next week’s International Island Games in Gibraltar.

Western Isles wonderwoman Kerry MacPhee pedalled onto another national podium last weekend and with it landed the overall series win at the British MTB Series for the second year in a row.

Stornoway super swimmer Kara Hanlon made a significant splash with a hat-trick of breaststroke gold medals as she also landed a personal trio of Scottish National Open Championship titles and a fourth gong for Edinburgh University as part of the relay team.

WIIGA’s main sponsor, The Scottish Salmon Company, this week presented the WIIGA squad with their kit for the upcoming NatWest International Island Games in Gibraltar.

Stornoway Rugby Club has been awarded £1,000 and a visit from Scotland International players, after gaining ‘Star Club’ status in this year’s Royal Bank RugbyForce initiative.