The Camanachd Association this week announced the Scotland Under 17 shinty squad and a new team sponsor ahead of their 2019 Ireland tour.
There are four Skye Camanachd players, and one from Kinlochshiel in the 17-strong squad heading across the Irish sea on 28th July.
This year’s tour will be sponsored by Sitekit, the technology company which has its headquarters in Portree.
The annual tour, which has been taking place for over 20 years, sees the country’s elite youth shinty players, many of whom played in the previous year’s North v South under-17 match, play shinty-hurling challenge matches against their hurling counterparts from Kildare and Dublin.
Sitekit founder Campbell Grant, himself a former shinty player with Glasgow University, Aberdeen Camanachd and Skye Camanachd in the 1980s, said: “Sitekit is proud to sponsor the Scotland under-17s tour. We have a long connection with the sport and we wish the team and all those involved every success and a safe trip.”
Camanachd Association youth director Willie MacDonald added: “We are delighted to have Sitekit’s support for this year’s tour. The Scotland under-17 squad, and the tour itself, is an integral part of shinty’s player pathway. It is the last opportunity for players to test themselves before preparing to step up to under-21 and senior level.
“This year’s squad is made up of some highly skilful players, most of whom already hold spots in their own club’s first team. I am in no doubt that we will see some excellent displays of shinty-hurling skill.”
The squad travels across to Dublin on Sunday 28th July 2019, taking in the all-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park, and returns on Wednesday 31 July 2019.
This year’s squad is: Ryan Craig (Bute); Cam Clark (Kilmallie); Cameron MacIntosh (Glenurquhart); Ryan Boyle (Fort William); Jamie Gillies (Skye Camanachd); Calum Grover (Newtonmore); Liam Borthwick (Kingussie); Duncan Matheson (Kinlochshiel); Kieran MacPherson (Kingussie); Daniel Sloss (Oban Camanachd); Ross Gordon (Skye Camanachd); Conor Kennedy (Kyles Athletic); Alistair MacRae (Fort William); Lewis Clark (Fort William); Martin Pringle (Skye Camanachd); William MacKinnon (Skye Camanachd); Lachie Shaw (Fort William).