‘What we have created is amazing’: Come Ashore Cup set to raise £9000
The Come Ashore Cup continues to go from strength to strength as the fourth staging of the event in Kirkwall at the weekend proved a major attraction.
Pickaquoy was the scene of the annual challenge between rugby veteran players from Caithness and Orkney.
Inaugurated four years ago in memory of Caithness farmer Alexander Mill following his sudden death, it also promotes and raises funds for a range of mental health charities.
The sun shone throughout the event which included fundraising stalls, post-match live music and a Sunday morning barbecue outside the rugby clubhouse.
The 40-plus-strong Orkney Vikings and the Caithness Evergreens, who had a squad of 26, locked horns in the over-35 men’s match which was refereed by Caithness exile Kenneth Pottinger, who now farms in New Zealand.
It proved, as ever, a hotly contested affair with Mr Pottinger occasionally having to defuse flashpoints in a game that was divided into three 20-minute segments.
The 29-19 win for Caithness was the first away success in the series.
The Vikings dominated possession in the first third yet found themselves 19-0 behind.
Tries by outside centre Andrew Paterson and right winger Graeme Ross were followed by a break from the halfway line near the end of the third by wing forward Stevie Campbell which saw him cross despite a valiant chase and scrag on the goal-line by Vikings centre Glen McLellan. James Mill, who was deployed as an American Football specialist goalkicker, converted two.
A raft of changes in the second third favoured Orkney, though they were caught cold soon after the resumption when Evergreens left winger Neil Smith broke clear to touch down in the corner.
The Vikings rolled their sleeves up and soon made inroads on the deficit with tries from Don Tualesea and Bruce Pinkerton in quick succession.
They continued to call the shots and a converted third touchdown from Colin Risbridger narrowed the gap to 19-24 going into the final third.
Caithness soon restored their 10-point advantage when man-of-the-match Paterson received a pass from scrum-half Russell Mill to dot down in the corner to complete the scoring.
The trophy, an Orkney bridal cog mounted on an engraved Caithness stone base, was presented to the joint winning captains Russell and James Mill.
Earlier, Orkney Dragons and Caithness Krakens had mixed together for a women’s match which produced a glut of tries.
The men’s game was followed by a bumper auction conducted by Orkney RFC stalwart John Copland. While the final total raised from the weekend for charity is still being worked out, it is likely to be about £9000.
The two main organisations to benefit will be Farmstrong Scotland and the Blide Trust but contributions will also go to Soma’s Light, Orkney Men’s Shed, Orkney Prostate Awareness and the suicide prevention app run by the mental health team of Orkney Islands Council.
Glen McLellan, one of the organisers, said: “I can't say how pleased I am about how well the weekend went.
“From Russell’s initial idea, what we have created in this event in memory of Alexander Mill is amazing.
“I think it has changed the culture of both clubs throughout all levels, playing and otherwise. That is exactly what Russell set out to do from the beginning and we see very clearly now that everyone is on the same page that it’s okay to not be okay and so many more people are reaching out for help before it is too late.
“As long as we keep doing that, while enjoying the company of old friends and team-mates, it will only keep getting better.”