Despite suffering defeats to Leicester Ligers (the favorites) Hinckley Revolution and Bedford Mighty Eagles (the eventual winners), the Jesmond Sports Centre based side gave incredibly good accounts of themselves against opposition with far more resources.
The team put on some impressive performances throughout the tournament against high class opposition, particulalry in a final playoff with Welsh Champions the Cardiff Dragons, with a final defeat cruelly forced upon them in just the last 6 seconds of overtime.
The Scottish Champions did not return empty handed however with two of the sides players picking up UK Dodgeball Association end of year awards! Gary MacDecent was selected for Male Personality of the Year with Pete Watt selected for Clubman of the Year. This alone is a huge achievement for the club given the standards of the opposition, with awards assigned via player votes. The Guerrillas are looking forward to capitalising on they’re rapid growth at the Jesmond Sports Centre!
The Granite City Guerrillas will travel to Cannock, England, for the tournament on Sunday 26th June having won the Scottish Championships in May, earning the right to represent Scotland at the tournament.
The Jesmond based side, who currently train at Sport Aberdeens Jesmond Sports Centre, face tough competition in the tournament following a difficult draw in the group stages but remain optimistic of causing an upset.
Peter Watt of the Guerrillas said:
“Everyone at the Guerrillas is really looking forward to the tournament and hopefully causing some upsets. We have been drawn into a tough group, but this is the UK Championships so all games will be difficult ones. The club are delighted to have Christy Bolland leading the team as captain and we all know the team definitely has the ability to do well. Everyone at the Guerrillas wish all of our players the best of luck.”
The Aberdeen side have in grown in popularity following a scheme to offer those made redundant in the oil & gas sector free attendance to the clubs training. Since then the club were granted permission to host the national competition for the second time in their history with their growth set to continue.
Hosted by the Active Aberdeen Partnership, the annual event will this year be held at the AECC and needs Aberdeen’s help to make this year’s ceremony the biggest to date.
The awards are held to recognise the commitment, dedication and achievements of local athletes, teams, volunteers and coaches who put Aberdeen on the sporting map. Aberdonians of all ages and background smash records, overcome hurdles and achieve great things in sport on a daily basis in the city.
Last year’s ceremony honoured local stars Robbie Renwick, Neil Fachie and Rhona Auckland as well as a host of others in a number of categories.
The closing date for nominations is Friday 26th August. To submit a nomination simply visit www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/events/aberdeenssportsawards
The Synchronised Skating Team from the Lynx Ice Arena took part in the prestigious competition in Budapest, competing against the worlds elite teams.
26 teams took to the ice for their Short Program and Free Skating with Team GB setting personal bests on both days finishing 23rd overall, ahead of teams with far more experience in international competition.
After weeks of hard work both on and off the ice, the team were over the moon, with Coach Sara Paterson particularly pleased with their performance.
“Being at the World Championships was amazing, overwhelming and a very special time for us all . We had a great week and a wonderful experience.
On both days the girls scored personal best scores. I really couldn’t ask for much more than that. They were on a world stage for the very first time and I really think its something we can use and build on in the future.
I want to personally thank everyone who supported the girls over the last very intense 8 weeks! Without everyone’s support and sponsorship we wouldn’t have got the opportunity we just experienced.”
Sport Aberdeen would like to welcome the entire team home and congratulate them for doing Aberdeen and GB proud on the world stage.
The Sport Aberdeen crew successfully completed the Kiltwalk and now have a final total raised for the STV Childrens Appeal.
The team of 11 took on the 26 mile challenge after being inspired during a fundraiser by Sport Aberdeen customers for the Appeal as they endured a full day of exercise classes. As a result, the team dusted off their walking boots, donned the tartan and hit the trail in sweltering conditions all in the name of charity.
Temperatures were soaring as the team set off from Duthie Park, trekking along the railway route to Banchory and beyond.
The combined efforts of both fundraisers have collectively raised over £1000 for the STV Childrens Appeal, a fantastic organisation that continues to do wonderful work for children in Scotland.
The STV Children’s Appeal was launched to support children in Scotland affected by poverty. The Appeal raises funds to help make a real difference to those who need it most, by providing practical help like food and warm clothes; creating opportunities for training and employability; and enabling social and emotional support.
Since the launch in 2011 the Appeal has changed countless lives and continues to support children and families across Scotland.
The Sport Aberdeen team would like to extend a massive THANK YOU to everyone who made a generous donation to the cause.
The prestigious Sport Aberdeen course, which also hosts the City Championships final, welcomed the group on 27th May, in one of the organisations first official corporate days.
39 golfers enjoyed a Texas Scramble match with the course in prime condition following the recent good weather.
The group felt the benefit of the good course conditions leading to a competitive round of entertaining golf which Sport Aberdeen hopes to share at future events and on a daily basis for customers.
The Union St Mile is set to return in 2016 as a forerunner to the Celebrate Aberdeen Parade, with race organisers Sport Aberdeen eagerly anticipating another great event.
And now with official backing from student accommodation group, Unite Students, the race will be bigger and better than ever.
Unite Students Aberdeen city manager Jo Blair commented: “As a business Unite Students considers Aberdeen a key market and we are delighted to do our bit by supporting the Union Street Mile. The marvellous spectacle sets the stage for the fantastic Celebrate Aberdeen parade which brings the strong sense of community and all that’s good about Aberdeen to the fore.”
“Hopefully the 2016 event will be the most popular yet with runners of all ages taking on the unique and popular challenge.”
A Sport Aberdeen spokesperson said:
“We are delighted to have Unite Students on board with the Union St Mile. The race is a great spectacle and is a fantastic way to kick off a day of celebration for Aberdeen. With the welcomed support from Unite Students we are confident we can deliver the best race yet in what will be a brilliant day for all”
A short but gruelling challenge, the Union St Mile see’s racers divided into 3 categories of P6 – 7, S1 – 4 and the concluding seniors race, entrants of which must be able to complete a 1 mile sprint in under 7 minutes. The race continually attracts big numbers with hundreds more lining the streets to cheer them on as they watch the regions elite compete.
The Celebrate Aberdeen parade will commence following the conclusion of the race. Entries for the race will open soon.
Sport Aberdeen would like to congratulate all of the nominees and winners from the Aberdeen Sports Council Awards last night, 2nd June, at Curl Aberdeen.
A full album of photography from the evening can be found here.
Winners
Female Junior – Robyn Geddes – Archery
Male Junior – Dylan Curry – Table Tennis
Female Senior – Rhona Auckland – Athletics
Male Senior – David Florence – Canoeing
Female Athlete with a Disability – Toni Shaw – Swimming
Male Athlete with a Disability – Conner Morrison – Swimming
Veteran – Audrey Cooper – Swimming
Club Person – Leroy Smith – Boxing
Coach – Gregor McMillan – Swimming
Team – Zariba – Synchronised Ice Skating
Aberdeen Sports Council, Service to Sport – Gordon McCathie – Judo
Salsc Service to Sports – Fraser Clyne – Athletics
The event was held at the Town House, Thursday 3rd June, to recognise and celebrate Sport Aberdeen volunteers’ contribution to helping to get more people, more active, more often across the City.
The Lord Provost and Sport & Physical Activity Development Director for Sport Aberdeen, Simon Starr, hosted the event which was held as part of National Volunteers’ Week 2016.
The event was a great success with a host of volunteers present. The Lord Provost himself was eager to thank and praise them labelling Aberdeen “a city of volunteers.”
A Sport Aberdeen spokesperson said:
“We are extremely grateful for such a good turn out to this recognition event and for the Lord Provosts kind words. It was fantastic to see so many people getting the recognition they deserve for the countless hours they have given up for a variety of causes.
Simply put, without our volunteers our events couldn’t possibly be as successful so we are delighted to formally recognise that contribution.”
Aberdeen Wanderers Rugby Football Club learned this week that their hard work and belief has earned them a late shot at promotion into Caledonia Division One.
As runners up of the Caledonia North Division Two league, they will face the runners up of Caledonia Midlands Division Two team, Harris Academy in a one off match to be played at Strathmore RFC on Saturday 4th June 2016, 3.00pm KO.
Wanderers, who are also members of the Sport Aberdeen clubCAP initiative, have enjoyed a fantastic season winning 13 of the 16 league games but most impressively, undefeated in 2016, taking the scalps of league winners Deeside, and capturing the runners up slot beating Garioch into third place.
Joint Head Coach Russell Arthur puts this clearly down to the players:
“The lads have been fantastic, their commitment and sheer desire to improve is a joy to coach and this playoff is just deserts for their efforts. While the news was a huge surprise, it was very welcome and as always, the lads have reacted fantastically dusting off their boots and cutting short their off-season and getting back to training.”
Fellow Head Coach Fraser Burr said:
“we’ll be travelling down to Strathmore on Saturday ready to take on a tough team. We know Harris Academy had a good season and it will be a tough game but we’re more focussed on what we can do rather than worrying about the opposition. We’ve never focussed on winning, what’s more important for us is how we play, that we play to our potential, that’s our focus. The spirit in the squad is fantastic, so many ex-players, supporters, other Caledonia teams are behind us, and we’re hoping we can reward them all with a performance we can be proud of.”
A Sport Aberdeen spokesperson also said:
“We were already delighted for the club following a brilliant season and the news of the play off came as a pleasant surprise. They have a fantastic set up at Groats Road across the age groups and they deserve all the success they get. We wish them the very best of luck, come on the Wanderers!”
Aberdeen Wanderers will be running a bus for supporters to the game. Anyone interested in travelling, please contact mortensonmark@hotmail.co.uk