Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has made a last minute plea for North End Shinty to be allowed to take part in the National First Shinty Finals in Fort William this weekend.
This latest plea comes after Mrs Grant was advised by the Camanachd Association that the rule change, which excludes North End from taking part in the finals this year, was communicated externally before any qualifying events had taken place in order to ensure everyone was aware of the implications of the change. Mrs Grant however has been advised that the schools/headteachers on Skye were not contacted or given a chance to respond to any consultation on this.
She said “Given the lapse in consultation; the fact that the notice was issued at a difficult time of year when the pupils had already been in training for four months and the fact that it is a schools competition, I have appealed for North End to be allowed to compete in the finals this year to avoid disappointment and possible disengagement with shinty in the future.”