Some of shinty’s showpiece occasions are to be played on a Sunday for the first time.
In a break from tradition, one of the forthcoming Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-finals, as well as the Artemis Macaulay Final will be moved to accommodate live TV coverage.
The Camanachd Association, the game’s governing body, has said the decision was taken to maximise TV exposure for the sport, but has pledged to review the pilot at the end of the season.
The historic first will take place on Sunday 14th August when Kingussie take on Oban Camanachd at An Aird.
Both Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-finals as well as the Artemis Macaulay Cup final and the WCA Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup final will be broadcast on BBC Alba.
In addition, the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup Final will be broadcast live on BBC Scotland on the 17th of September.
The matches to be covered are
- Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final, Lovat v Kyles Athletic at An Aird, Fort William on Saturday 6th Aug, 4.05pm.
- Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final, Kingussie v Oban Camanachd at An Aird, Fort William on Sunday 14th Aug, 4.05pm.
- Artemis Macaulay Cup final, Kingussie or Lovat v Oban Camanachd or Kyles Athletic at Mossfield Park, Oban on Sunday 21st August, 2.05pm.
- WCA Mowi Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup final, Badenoch or Aberdour v Skye or Glasgow Mid Argyll at the Eilan, Newtonmore on Saturday 3rd Sep, 4.05pm.
Camanachd Association President Steven MacKenzie said: “The Camanachd Association realise that Sunday fixtures are something new for shinty but because of other commitments MG Alba could not televise all the games scheduled on a Saturday.
“The Camanachd Association board agreed unanimously that it was important to maximise the number of games being televised, necessitating two Sunday fixtures.
“We’d like to thank the sponsors, the clubs involved and the Macaulay Association for their co-operation. This agreement is for the 2022 season only, and a full review will be carried out to identify the positives and negatives of playing on a Sunday.”
Camanachd Association competitions director Burton Morrison said: “Television coverage of major games is vitally important for shinty as it takes the sport into areas out with the traditional shinty communities.
“It also allows matches to be seen by supporters who, for a variety of reasons, may be unable to travel to the venue.
“We are extremely grateful to MG Alba for their continuing commitment to shinty, despite the pressures coming from other sports.
“It is also important to recognise the co-operation of competition sponsors and competing clubs in agreeing to the scheduling of these televised matches this year.”