Lovat’s Ruby Fraser steps into the Shinty Spotlight this weekend to answer 10 quickfire questions about the sport.
The 17-year-old wing centre is relishing the chance to play for the WCA Mowi North Division 2 club, following her dad’s lead by pulling on Lovat colours.
She says ‘older’ heads are a great help at Lovat, with fun at the heart of the sport for Fraser.
What is your earliest shinty memory?
My dad (John Paul Fraser) played for Lovat for a long time and I watched many games with him.
I was around 10 years old when I first became interested in shinty and I went along to some training sessions with the ladies.
My most vivid memory would probably be when I was a mascot for them in the 2016 Challenge Cup final in Fort William (Lovat beat Strathglass 7-1).
Who was your senior debut against and what was the result?
Towards the end of the 2017 season, I was getting to play more for the ladies.
I can’t remember my first game – or the score – because I was so petrified.
Charlie Mainland was our coach at the time and the girls were so supportive and encouraging at the time. They definitely gave me the confidence to get on the pitch.
What is your best moment in shinty so far?
I have two best moments from the same year.
I was chosen to play for the under-14s North of Scotland all-girls’ team in 2019 and the team won the shield, so that was really good.
The selection process is so exciting and there are not so many opportunities right now for girls to progress and play nationally. Due to Covid, it’s not really happened, but hopefully that will change soon.
Another big moment was winning the Challenge Cup final in 2019. We beat Inverness 7-1 (at Kingussie).
To be fair, it was a tough game. I was playing against girls I’d met at shinty camp the week before, so it was nice to see them as well.
And the worst?
The worst moment was this year when we thought we might not be able to field a team.
Luckily, a lot of the older girls have made such an effort to commit and that helps to support the younger girls during the games.
I feel lucky, because, as a team, we’ve not really had any bad experiences and all the girls are really welcoming and supportive. All the younger girls are getting good game-time as well.
What is the worst injury you have suffered?
To date, it’s mainly been my hand.
I’ve received a number of hard knocks in the same place over a few games, but I’ve not had any serious injuries.
Who is the joker in the team?
There is always good craic and everyone has a laugh throughout the whole team.
Our manager, Raymond Rennie, comes in with his one-liners, so it is all pretty good fun.
What is your favourite away ground?
It would have to be The Dell (at Kingussie). I have good memories there and the pitch is always in really good condition and it’s a really nice pitch to play on.
Who is the rival player you would have loved in your team and why?
I’d love Badenoch’s Kirsty Deans on my team. I really admire her as a player and she’s someone I look up to.
As well as being a very good player, she is always encouraging her team and interacts with the opposing team in a really positive way.
I see her as a role-model for the younger girls coming up as well.
What is the favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?
Goalscoring isn’t really my forte – I wish it was.
However, it would have to be this season’s quarter-final of the Challenge Cup against Tayforth. I managed to get the ball into the top left-hand corner from the halfway line.
I still need to practise – but that was a good feeling!
Describe the sport in three words?
Competitive, challenging and exciting.