Sport in the Isle of Man

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For a small country, sport in the Isle of Man plays an important part in making the island known to the wider world. The principal international sporting event held on the island is the annual Isle of Man TT motorcycling event. However, the Isle of Man is represented internationally in a number of other sports at the Commonwealth Games and the Island Games.

Contents 1 International Sport 2 Cycling 3 Rugby Union 4 Cricket 5 Motorcycle racing 6 Rallying 7 Football 8 Gymnastics 9 Hockey 10 Other Sports 11 Athletics 12 Cammag 13 Taekwondo 14 External links

[edit] International Sport

The Isle of Man shall host the IV Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011. The Island started the Island Games in 1985 and hosted them once again in 2001. The most notable international event held on the Isle of Man are the Isle of Man TT motorcycle races held annually in June.

[edit] Cycling

Mark Cavendish won the Madison, Track cycling, event at the Los Angeles World Championships in 2005, and won the Commonwealth Games, Gold Medal, in the 2006, 80 lap Scratch race on the track in Melbourne. He currently rides for T-Mobile, as one of the most promising talents in British cycling.

[edit] Rugby Union

There are a number of rugby union clubs that participate in the English rugby scene, such as Douglas Rugby Club, Castletown R.U.F.C., Southern Nomads R.U.F.C., and Vagabonds R.U.F.C..

[edit] Cricket

The Isle of Man Cricket Association broke their affiliation with the Lancashire Cricket Board in 2004 to become affiliate members of the International Cricket Council and compete as a national team in their own right. The Isle of Man national sides competed in their first official ICC competitions in 2005.

[edit] Motorcycle racing

The Isle of Man is famous for its TT Motorbike racing event, which began in 1904 as a motorcar race. TT stands for Tourist Trophy. From 1905, the TT was held as a closed roads motorcycle racing event and the original course was extended in the 1920s to use the current Snaefell mountain course. This is now a series of annual motorcycle road races over 37.73 miles held from late May to early June.

The 4.25 mile Billown Course near Castletown has been the scene of further events such as the Southern 100 in May, June and July since 1955.

Further racing takes place on the TT course each August-September in the form of the Manx Grand Prix. The idea of motor cycle racing for amateurs and private entrants on the famous TT course gave rise to the birth of the MGP back in 1921.

Linked to all this motor cycle racing are the Supporters Clubs, Riders Assns and the TT Marshals Association and the MGP Marshals Association as, without marshals, no racing would be possible.

[edit] Rallying

The Isle of Man hosts a number of Rallying events including the Rally Isle of Man (formerly the Manx International Rally or Manx Trophy Rally) a round of the British Open Rally Championship. Also the Manx Rally (formerly the Manx National Rally) a round of the British National Rally Championship.

[edit] Football

Football is also popular, with the Isle of Man Football Association running a football league of 27 clubs in two divisions, as well as a football combination for the reserve teams of the league clubs. There is also a national football team, although it does not participate in UEFA or FIFA tournaments.

[edit] Gymnastics

The Isle of Man hosts very successful Men's and Women's gymnastics teams, which consist of gymnasts solely from Manx Gymnastics. Recent accomplishments include 2001, 2003 and 2005 Island Games, the latest of which the gymnastics team came away with 29 medals, including 15 golds out of the total of 34 that the Isle of Man team [1] won. Manx Gymnastics sent a number of gymnasts to the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games in Melbourne, and plan to send more to the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

[edit] Hockey

There are many Manx hockey teams, with mixed, men's and ladies' leagues. See Manx hockey website.

[edit] Other Sports

Basketball is also played in the Isle of Man. Chess Monarch Assurance International Chess tournament is held in Port Erin every September-October. Go The board game visits the island biennially.

[edit] Athletics

Athletics is also well supported on the Isle of Man. One of the highlights of the race calendar is the Easter Athletics Festival, a great social and athletic weekend, now in its 44th year (2006).

[edit] Cammag

Cammag is similar to the Scottish game of shinty, and Irish hurling. It used to be the most widespread sport on the Isle of Man, but it ceased to be played after the introduction of football, until very recently when it has been somewhat revived. It involves a stick (cammag) and a ball (crick) with anything between four and hundreds of players. Sometimes whole towns and villages took part, or even played each other. The cammag can be any stick with a bent end, and the crick can be made from cork or wood. Old accounts tell us that it was occasionally covered in a rag to make it less painful to hit. Cammag season started on Hunt the Wren Day (26th December) and was only played by men (of all ages) during the winter. Realistically, it ceased to be played around 1900. However, in modern times, an annual match of cammag is played in St. John's (Balley Keill Eoin). As there are no rules to cammag, a trip to the local inn is advised to ease any feelings of cowardice beforehand!

[edit] Taekwondo

Taekwondo is a martial art sport that is growing in popularity. The Isle of Man Taekwondo Association link title was admitted as an associate member of the World Taekwondo Federation in 2006 and the Isle of Man can compete as a country in WTF competitions.

[edit] External links

• Isle of Man Basketball Association Website of the Isle of Man Basketball Association
• IOMGuide.com - TT aerial view
• IOMTT.com - racing and message board discussions