Scotland University Squads Set For Irish Challenge | |
22 November 2014 The cream of Scotland’s University Shinty players will descend on Edenderry in Ireland’s Midlands this weekend as the Offaly club plays host to two games in the hybrid code for the first time on Saturday 22 November 2014. The Scotland mens team are managed by George Hay and Innes MacMillan and face a local selection at 1.45pm, with Katie Drain and Alannah Savage in charge of the women’s side that face an Offaly camogie select at midday. Players from ten different universities, representing a total of eleven different clubs will feature on the mens side Scotland have an unblemished record in this fixture over the past decade, and following victory of a combined Ulster Universities select last January in Belfast, they travel with a strong squad. Edinburgh Napier University student and Kinlochshiel clubman Duncan MacRae will captain the side, with Strathclyde’s Finlay MacMillan as vice-captain. Both have represented Scotland at U21 level, and featured in this year’s historic first win by the side on Irish soil. The Scotland squad possesses a wealth of experience, with this year’s Scotland U17 captain Arran MacPhee from Fort William set to play in his third International in 2014, having also featured for the Under 21’s in Newry. The Scottish squad also includes Down hurler Conal Mulholland from the Bredagh club in Belfast. He is now a student at Glasgow University where he has played shinty in recent years and he will feature on the Scottish Universities Shinty squad for the third time. Fellow Westmeath man Joey Boyle, who featured for the Ireland U21s this year, and won a senior Championship with his club Raharney last month is also involved.
The Scotland’s Universities Women’s team may have lost to Ulster Universities in testing weather conditions last January, but many of the players involved this weekend, featured in the recent victory for the Scotland Women’s team over All-Ireland Junior Champions Down in Newry. Katie Booth, Rachel McCafferty, Rhona McIntyre and Kathleen ‘Missy’ Cameron were all involved, as were the management team of Drain and Savage. The Offaly team will include some players who have won All-Ireland Intermediate and Junior medals, and currently play in the top-tier Liberty Insurance All-Ireland Senior Championship. Kathleen ‘Missy’ Cameron captains Scotland this weekend, and the Strathclyde University student expects nothing easy against Offaly. “In previous years the opposition have been very fit and very physical and Offaly will be no different,” the Lochaber player said. “It's going to be a tough match, but a competitive one. Offaly have never experienced playing in the composite rules game before which will work to our advantage, however they are a well-developed team with more experience of playing together.”
The games are part of the first ever ‘Battle of the Celts’ Shinty / Hurling Festival, with Glasgow Mid-Argyll set to travel to play some games in Edenderry early in the New Year.
Scotland University from: Jamie Cruickshank – Aberdeen University Arran MacPhee – Dundee University Guy Berg – Edinburgh University Hamish Anderson – Edinburgh Napier University Duncan MacRae – Edinburgh Napier University Cammy Keith – Glasgow Caledonian University Craig Anderson – Glasgow College Ryan Harrison – Glasgow College Conal Mulholland – Glasgow University Craig Grant – Glasgow University Ewan Menzies - Heriot Watt University Conor Sweeney – Heriot Watt University Frank Ryan – Robert Gordon University John Sweeney – Robert Gordon University Iain Broadhead - Strathclyde University Ben Dalgety – Strathclyde University Ewen Harrison - Strathclyde University Garry Luke - Strathclyde University Finlay MacMillan - Strathclyde University Calum Morrison – Strathclyde University Head Coaches - George Hay & Innes MacMillan
Scotland Ladies University from: Lyndsay Harris – Dundee University Catriona Gibb – Edinburgh University Rhona McIntyre – Edinburgh University Nicole MacIver – Edinburgh University Annie Butterworth – Edinburgh Napier University Donna MacKenzie – Glasgow University Lucy MacWilliam – Glasgow University Hazel Reid – Glasgow University Kirsty McLay – Heriot Watt University Ciara MacPherson – Queen Margaret University Katie Booth – Robert Gordon University Taryn Neilson – Robert Gordon University Dawn Ryan – Robert Gordon University Missy Cameron – Strathclyde University Christy Doherty – Strathclyde University Alana Harrison – Strathclyde University Rachel McCafferty – Strathclyde University Lauren Pike – Strathclyde University Alice Campbell – University of St Andrews Sarah Corrigall – West Highland College Head Coaches - Katie Drain & Alannah Savage |