SHINTY'S move to a summer season has not been an unqualified success and as the end of the third season approaches the old bugbear of a fixtures over-run is once again to the fore.

But one aspect of the sport which appears to have blossomed since the introduction of a new playing season is shinty in Scottish universities.

While the club scene slips into a winter hibernation, a record number of university teams are playing the sport. Now, the UHI Millennium Institute — the university for the Highlands and Islands — will field a team for the first time tomorrow, participating in a league against teams from Aberdeen, Dundee, St Andrews, Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Glasgow.

They travel south to take on Dundee University and team organiser Roddie MacLennan hopes to fit in another fixture before the Christmas exam period starts.

MacLennan, who comes from Inverness, is a lecturer in the Forestry College and is excited at the prospect of being involved in the new venture right from the start.

"This is something which has been talked about for sometime and it is very pleasing to see things come together," he stated. "The final decision to go ahead was taken six weeks ago and since then we have been pretty busy putting the fundamentals in place."

Part of the fundamentals was choosing a new kit and the option to go with an all-black strip was taken to avoid showing favouritism to any of the local clubs, whose players will form the backbone of the new team.

MacLennan, who enjoyed success with Inverness, Glenurquhart and Beauly during his shinty playing career, is very optimistic regarding the future of the new team.

"We have real potential, more than perhaps other universities in Scotland," he stated. "In addition to being able to draw on full-time students participating in academic studies, we are also able to tap into block release students, as well as youngsters being trained as part of a craft apprentice scheme."

Already the players being pencilled in for the team are very interesting and if they are available should make the UHI team a formidable force in university shinty.

From the Premier Division, Newtonmore's Evan Menzies and Andrew MacKintosh will be available, while from Lovat, first-team regulars James MacPherson, Jamie Matheson and Daniel Grieve, along with goalkeeper Stuart MacDonald, look set to feature.

Beauly's Dougie Blain and Conor Cormack are in the team to face Dundee with David MacLean, Conor Ross, Martin MacFadyen and Ross Forbes also eligible for selection. Add in Kinlochshiel's under-21 international Keith MacRae and it is easy to agree with MacLennan's assertion that this side would easily hold its own in North Division One.

Sponsorship for the new team comes from Inverness-based business MacGregor Industrial Supplies, who have already presented the new strip to the team. Success in the league will be MacLennan's main aim, but looking further ahead he is eyeing up the Littlejohn Vase — the blue riband of university shinty competition.

A knockout tournament is being planned for next March and MacLennan hopes that his side will be established by then and able to make a serious challenge for the famous piece of shinty silverware.

For those interested in becoming involved in the new team MacLennan can be contacted on               0771 475 0307