DERBY DAY...FOR SOME

Newtonmore Captain John MacKenzie (left) with Kingussie skipper Craig Dawson

This Saturday (May 26) sees the introduction of a new concept in shinty - Derby Day in the Orion Premiership.
The full list of fixtures is below:

KINGUSSIE V NEWTONMORE
BUTE V KYLES
KILMALLIE V FORT WILLIAM
LOVAT V GLENURQUHART
INVERARAY V KINLOCHSHIEL

Designed as an opportunity to promote the top tier of sport of shinty and the Orion Group, the May weekend of local ties will be followed by a second Derby Day in August, as the season moves into its final stages.

For further information on the Orion Group Premiership Derby Days, visit www.shinty.com or call the Camanachd Association direct on 01463 715931.

....Wait a minute.

Inveraray versus Kinlochshiel?

I've seen some pretty contrived local derbies arranged in the professional football leagues - but this is a pretty loose definition of a derby, by any measure. 

Trusty Google tells me that there are 140 road miles between these fierce local rivals.

Long-distance relationships rarely work, and I predict that this rivalry might not last beyond next weekend.