Cyclists from across UK give bike polo a whack in Inverness competition
GETTING on their bikes to play in the first ever bike polo tournament in the Highlands, 27 players took part in the first Great Glen Open.
Merkinch Primary School welcomed nine teams from across the UK to compete in two days of action over the course of 45 games.
The winners of the tournament were Cheers Drive who came from Bristol Bike Polo Club and claimed the Golden Ness trophy.
The Jonanas of Edinburgh and Glasgow claimed second place with Perennial Freight from London Bike Polo taking third place.
Bike polo is a three-a-side sport in which teams compete to score more goals than their opponent in a 10 minute match.
Players ride with one hand while controlling the ball using a mallet held in their other hand - all while resisting the urge to put their feet on the ground.
Inverness Bike Polo founder Matt Lafferty, who established the club three years ago, said hosting a tournament in Inverness is a major breakthrough for promoting the sport in the north
“When I started Inverness Bike Polo back in 2020 I already had hopes of one day hosting a tournament up here, and promised my former clubmates in Glasgow I would do just that,” said Lafferty.
“The first Great Glen Open represents the culmination of a lot of hard work that has gone into growing the club and drawing in the people whose efforts made this possible.
I’m incredibly grateful to, and proud of, my friends and club mates who not only helped make this event possible, but made sure it was a huge success. Watching the tournament unfold and witnessing new friendships being forged between old players and new was a moment of joy for me. Those relationships are what bike polo is about. Competition is just the excuse we use to get together with our friends and play our weird little sport.”
Tom Williams from winning team Cheers Drive loved travelling from Bristol to take part.
“From the moment we first heard that there was going to be a bike polo tournament by Loch Ness, we didn’t hesitate for a second,” he said.
We’d heard on the grapevine that Inverness was becoming a hotbed of new bike polo talent, so we were eager to head to the highlands to take part.”
Inverness Bike Polo plays every Wednesday at Merkinch Primary School and actively encourages beginners to try.