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Oh No ! ....... Deja Vu as disaster
strikes for the third time in five years
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9am Thurday 7th August...
Torrential rain over the past two days has once again caused the Philip Burn to burst it's banks for the third
time since May 2003 and flood Selkirk Rugby Club. All hands are on deck as you read this to clear up the mess with
the Sevens just over a fortnight away.
We will keep you posted on progress.
More
photos of the flooding >>>> |
Mountain bikers take it on the chin, as elements
conspire against 2008 Merida event
READY TO ROLL. Riders
in Sunday's Merida MTB Marathon mass behind the starting line as the countdown to the 2008 event begins.
DIRT-TRACKING. Squelching through the mud couldn't be avoided in the Merida tented village on Philiphaugh's back
pitch.
THEY say that when the going gets tough, the tough get going… and that certainly held true for the 800 mountain
bikers who converged on Selkirk Rugby Club's Philiphaugh ground last weekend for the Merida MTB Marathon.
Not only did the riders have to battle fatigue and cramp on the four cross-country courses on offer, they also
had to contend with extremely tricky riding conditions following three days of unrelenting rain.
"It was a shame we had so much rain in the days leading up to Sunday," event organiser John Lloyd told
the selkirkrfc.com web site on Monday morning, "and it did present us with a few problems. However, there's
nothing that you can do about it, and the resilience of the riders and their supporters never ceases to amaze me."
This is the fifth successive year the Scottish leg of the Merida MTB Marathon Series has been based at Selkirk
Rugby Club, and although the heavy rain turned the tented village on the back pitch into a muddy quagmire, it was
business as usual for stall holders and sponsors.
The introduction of a 25-kilometre course this year was a big success, with 70 riders signing up for the shorter
route. "It proved a very popular option," said local course designer Pete Laing. "The trail took
in parts of Philiphaugh Estate, Bowhill and Broadmeadows, and I'm very grateful to all the land owners and the
Bowhill Rangers Service for their co-operation and support."
Although the number of entrants was slightly down on last year, John Lloyd remains committed to the Selkirk event.
"The Merida MTB Series comprises five events, and in our poll of riders it was the Selkirk course which came
out as the most popular of the five. We definitely aim to be back next year, and can only hope that the weather
will be a bit kinder to us."
Selkirk Rugby Club president George Thomson said that the Merida event and riders were very welcome visitors to
Philiphaugh. "The club has struck up a good relationship with John Lloyd and his team over the past four years,
and we're delighted to offer riders and their families the use of the club's facilities.
"Selkirk RFC's club steward Allan Seal deserves great credit for the way he looks after all the Merida campers
and riders over the whole weekend, and I'd also like to thank those Selkirk Rugby Club players and committee members
who so willingly volunteered their services as marshals out on the course."
A provisional date of August, Sunday 2, has already been pencilled in for the 2009 Merida MTB Marathon at Selkirk.
SOUTERS SADDLE UP. These five local
competitors are all smiles as they wait to tackle the 50-kilometre circuit. From left: Dougie Syme, Ian Penman,
Kenny Pearce, Gavin Kellett, Selkirk rugby player Jim Ross and Zahid Aziz.
MARSHAL LAW! Selkirk 1st XV players Gordon Patterson (left) and Michael Rutherford were among the volunteers who
helped out with marshalling duties on Sunday.
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Upcoming fixtures
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Selkirk Sevens Sunday 24th August
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Selkirk arrange warm-up games against Peebles
and Tweedsiders
SELKIRK'S 1st XV will begin preparations
for one of the club's most demanding seasons with two warm-up matches against Peebles and Kelso. The fixture against
Peebles will be played at The Gytes on Saturday, August 9 (kick-off time still to be confirmed). The game against
Kelso will take place at Philiphaugh on the evening of Tuesday, August 19 (kick-off time for this match is also
to be confirmed).
Meanwhile Selkirk's 'A' XV will take on Hawick YM in a friendly fixture the following evening - Wednesday, August
20 - also at Philiphaugh.
Team manager of the 1st XV, Brian Cassidy, told the selkirkrfc.com web site this week that the friendlies against
Peebles and Kelso should give the players a valuable work-out as the senior squad builds up to its opening Premier
One fixture against Currie on August 30.
"We've played Peebles before in a pre-season friendly, and found the exercise very useful. Having gained promotion
to Premier Two I'm sure the Peebles coaches and players will be just as keen as us for a hard work-out, while the
same principle holds true for Kelso. The games also give our supporters the opportunity to see some of Selkirk's
new players in action, so hopefully there'll be a strong Selkirk support at both fixtures."
Meanwhile the Premier One clubs' decision to play league matches on the Saturday's of the autumn internationals
has resulted in the publication of a revised Premier One fixture list.
Selkirk's Premier One matches for 2008/2009 season (home fixtures in capitals) now reads as follows:
Sat. August 30 - SELKIRK v. Currie
Sat. September 6 - Glasgow Hawks v. Selkirk
Sat. September 13 - SELKIRK v. Melrose
Sat. September 20 - Hawick v. Selkirk
Sat. September 27 - SELKIRK v. Watsonians
Sat. October 4 - Heriot's FP v. Selkirk
Sat. October 11 - SELKIRK v. Ayr
Sat. October 18 - West of Scotland v. Selkirk
Sat. October 25 - Stirling County v. Selkirk
Sat. November 1 - SELKIRK v. Boroughmuir
Sat. November 8 - Edinburgh Accies v. Selkirk
Sat. November 22 - Currie v. Selkirk
Sat. November 29 - SELKIRK v. Glasgow Hawks
Sat. December 6 - Melrose v. Selkirk
Sat. December 13 - SELKIRK v. Hawick
Sat. December 20 - Watsonians v. Selkirk
Sat. January 17 - SELKIRK v. Heriot's FP
Sat. January 24 - Ayr v. Selkirk
Sat. January 31 - SELKIRK v. West of Scotland
Sat. March 7 - SELKIRK v. Stirling County
Sat. March 14 - Boroughmuir v. Selkirk
Sat. March 28 - SELKIRK v. Edinburgh Accies
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2009 RBS Six Nations
Championship fixtures
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