The Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup also known as the Valerie Fraser Trophy or the Women's Camanachd Cup is the premier trophy in Women's shinty and is currently sponsored by Peter Gow. It is played on a knock-out basis by the teams in the National Division 1 League and is administered by the Women's Camanachd Association. The current holders are Skye Camanachd.
The trophy was originally donated to the Camanachd Association in memory of Valerie Fraser. It was originally a trophy for male teams and it was won by Glenurquhart in 1991. [1] Some years later, after the competition fell into abeyance, it was donated to the Women's Camanachd Association and was first played for on 28 July 2002.
In 2009, the WCA held the semi-finals on one day at University of Stirling. [2] Glengarry defeated Tir Conaill Harps 2–1 to win the 2009 Cup. There is also a national trophy for Division Two teams, the Marine Harvest Challenge Cup.
2013 saw an epic final at The Eilan, where Badenoch and Stathspey's Jane Nicol, in her final game before retirement, secured the victory over a heavily fancied Glasgow Mid-Argyll. GMA would however overcome Skye in 2014 and Badenoch in 2015 to secure League and Cup doubles.
The 2016 cup final was contested on 28 August at An Aird in Fort William between Skye Camanachd and Lochaber which meant a new name would be added to the list of winners as neither side had won the cup before. League Champions Skye were slight favourites but Lochaber won the day 4- 2, with all four of their goals coming from full-back turned forward Kirsty Delaney (6, 32, 67 and 76 mins). Lorna MacRae scored both the Skye goals (27, 74 mins). Player of the match went to Lochaber goalkeeper Aeleen Campbell for a fantastic display which prevented the Skye ladies from achieving the league and cup double.
Skye finally broke their Valerie Fraser hoodoo with a comprehensive 6–1 thumping of Lochaber at the same location, An Aird in 2017.
The sensational 2019 final between Skye and Badenoch was broadcast live on BBC Alba the Scottish Gaelic television channel.
Club | Total | Years |
---|---|---|
Glengarry | 6 | 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
Glasgow Mid Argyll | 4 | 2003, 2006, 2014, 2015 |
Badenoch & Strathspey | 3 | 2013, 2018, 2022 |
Skye Camanachd | 2 | 2017, 2019 |
Forth | 1 | 2006 |
Tir Conaill Harps | 1 | 2008 |
Aberdour | 1 | 2012 |
Lochaber | 1 | 2016 |
Club | Total | Years |
---|---|---|
Glengarry | 3 | 2006, 2008, 2012 |
Skye Camanachd | 4 | 2014, 2016, 2018, 2022 |
Kingussie | 2 | 2002, 2004 |
Glasgow Mid Argyll | 2 | 2007, 2013 |
Tir Conaill Harps | 2 | 2009, 2010 |
Badenoch | 2 | 2015, 2019 (2015 as Badenoch & Strathspey) |
Glengarry B | 1 | 2003 |
Edinburgh | 1 | 2005 |
Aberdour | 1 | 2011 |
Lochaber | 1 | 2017 |
The Camanachd Association is the world governing body of the Scottish sport of shinty. The body is based in Inverness, Highland, and is in charge of the rules of the game. Its main competitions are the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup and the Mowi Premiership and the Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup.
Skye Camanachd is a shinty team from the Isle of Skye, Highland, Scotland. It plays in the Premier Division and has a reserve team in North Division One, as well as a Ladies team in the WCA National Division One and a Ladies reserve team in the WCA Development League. The club is based at Pairc nan Laoch, Portree.
Aberdour Shinty Club is a shinty club which plays in Aberdour, Fife, Scotland. It is the only senior Shinty Club in Fife and was founded in 2001. In 2011, the club entered two teams into senior competition. Its first team competing in Marine Harvest National Division, and its second team in South Division Two.
Newtonmore Camanachd Club is a shinty club from Newtonmore, Badenoch, Scotland. It is historically the most successful side in the history of Shinty, having won the Camanachd Cup a record 34 times. They won the Marine Harvest Premier Division seven years in a row beginning in 2010.
The Camanachd Association Challenge Cup known as the Camanachd Cup is the premier competition in the sport of shinty. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty.
Inverness Shinty Club is a shinty club from Inverness, Scotland. The first team competes in North Division One and the second team in North Division Three. Founded in 1887 as Inverness Town and County Shinty Club to distinguish from other clubs in Inverness such as Clachnacuddin, Inverness moved to the Bught Park in 1934. Inverness won the Camanachd Cup in 1952. The club struggles to compete for players with the wide proliferation of football clubs in Inverness, in particular Inverness Caledonian Thistle but still manages to put out two teams.
Fort William Shinty Club is a shinty club from Fort William, Lochaber, Scotland. The club has two sides in the Shinty league system, a first team which was relegated from the Premiership in 2013 and a reserve side in North Division Two. The first team were Camanachd Cup holders four times in succession, between 2007 and 2010, but were knocked out in the second round in 2011. The club also has a vibrant youth system.
The Mod Cup, also known as the Aviemore Cup1995 - Royal National Mòd Programmes and fringe events > Royal National Mòd Programmes > [Mod / Mòd Naìseanta Rìoghail - An Comunn Gaidhealach - National Library of Scotland] is a trophy in the sport of shinty first competed for in 1969, traditionally played for by the two teams who are based closest to the host venue of the Royal National Mod. The current holders are Aberdour.(2022)
Women's shinty is a sport, played almost entirely within Scotland, identical to the men's game – with the same rules, same sized pitch and same equipment. It is administered by the Women's Camanachd Association.
The Sir William Sutherland Cup, more commonly known simply as the Sutherland Cup, is a trophy in the sport of shinty. It is the national cup competition for junior sides, the equivalent of the Camanachd Cup for those sides in lower league competition. The current (2022) holders are Newtonmore.
The Balliemore Cup is a knock-out cup in the sport of shinty. It is the Intermediate Championship run under the auspices of the Camanachd Association and only first teams competing in the National, North Division One and South Division One are eligible for entry.
The MacTavish Cup is a knock-out cup competition in the sport of shinty. It is competed for by senior teams from the North of Scotland district. It is one of the five trophies considered to be part of the Grand Slam in the sport of shinty. The current holders are Newtonmore. The competition is currently sponsored by cottages.com.
The Strathdearn Cup is a knock-out competition in the sport of shinty. The present holders are Lovat Shinty Club.
The Albert Smith Memorial Medal is the award given to the Man of the Match in the final of the Camanachd Cup, the blue riband trophy of the sport of shinty. It has been presented every year since 1972 by the Smith family of Fort William in honour of Albert Smith Sr. The widow of his only son, John Victor Smith, currently presents the medal. Albert Sr.'s grandson, Victor Smith is a former player for Fort William Shinty Club but never won the medal despite featuring as a key player in several Fort William wins. Victor Smith currently coaches Fort William Shinty Club along with his cousin Adi Robertson. Victor's son, John Victor Smith, plays full forward for the Fort.
Kevin Thain is a Scottish shinty player from the village of Tomatin. He has played almost his whole career for Kingussie Camanachd and has been an integral part of its success since the mid-1980s.
Strathspey Camanachd is a shinty club based in Grantown-on-Spey, Strathspey, Scotland, currently competing in the Marine Harvest North Division Two.
Badenoch & Strathspey Ladies Shinty Club is a shinty club based in the area of Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland, Scotland.
The Fingal Memorial Shield is a trophy in the sport of shinty. It is currently the trophy presented to the winners of the St Andrew's Sixes, an international six-a-side tournament.
The WCA National Division One is the top league for women in the sport of shinty, and is run by the Women's Camanachd Association. Below that from season 2016 there was a return to regional second level set-up with a WCA North Division 2 and WCA South Division 2. All three leagues are sponsored by Marine Harvest. This progression is evidence of the fact that women's shinty is the fastest growing section in Scotland's oldest sport.
The Women's Camanachd Association (WCA) Challenge Cup is the second-tier trophy in women's shinty. It is currently sponsored by Mowi who have sponsored the cup since 2014. It is played on a knock-out basis by the teams in the National Division 2 Leagues and is administered by the Women's Camanachd Association. The current holders are Lovat.