Brand New Rifle Postal League Goes Off With A Bang

This postal league consisted of 5 cards shot in participants’ home range which are returned at the beginning of each Grand Prix – approximately one card a month. A previous captain of University of St Andrews and the current Captain of University of Glasgow proposed this league to include shooters unable to compete in the GP series, whilst also providing shooters the opportunity to advance within their institutions.

Five institutions have entered two teams so competition is high and, after the completion of the first two rounds, there is no one team with a clear lead. The first round went to the University of Edinburgh B team, with the University of Aberdeen A and Robert Gordon University B teams closely behind. Round two went to Robert Gordon University A and were closely followed by University of Glasgow B and University of St Andrews A teams. In the individuals competition (points awarded in an F1 style) two shooters from University of Edinburgh, Thomas Diggle and Rhys Olley, have emerged as leaders however the closeness of scores means there is no clear winner yet.

The successes of the SSS Postal League are clear when looking at the developmental impact it has had on competing institutions. Two institutions, Edinburgh Napier University and University of Dundee, have been able to take part in SS Rifle due to the flexibility provided outwith the team requirements of the Grand Prixes. It has also been recognised by University of Glasgow that in cases where shooters did not make the Grand Prix competition team, such as newer members, this league provided them with a sense of team belonging which has increased number retention. In fact, this league has made the participating rifle clubs more appealing to newcomers by providing a means to increase confidence in novice shooting ability and acting as a gradual introduction to shooting competitively – Robert Gordon University and University of Aberdeen noticing this change most significantly.

As stated by the captain of University of St Andrews “The SSS postal league has given new members a chance to compete and hone their skills on counting cards while not impeding on any other competitions or creating a lot of work for anyone involved”.

In its inaugural year this league has already seen great success in developing student rifle competition, both within the 5 student rifle clubs in Scotland and beyond. Current results can be found HERE – stay tuned for this year’s results when it concludes in 2018. We look forward to this league continuing to grow interest in student rifle for many years to come!

Many thanks to SS Rifle Chair, Amanda Puchalla, for the report.