On 13th September 2023, University of Strathclyde fencers took to the piste at Rottenrow Gardens, for a 5 hour outdoor exhibition of all three weapons, braving the fickle Glasglow weather.
The event was introduced to the Freshers Fair calendar to promote the sport of fencing amongst the student body at Strathclyde University. Crowds gathered, freshers were intrigued, and (luckily) no blades were broken.
This year, Strathclyde Fencing Club will drive to exhibit the club, and the sport of fencing to a wider audience than ever before. As a sport that is often misunderstood by non-particpants, this event marked an important shift in accessibility and availability at a University level. Strathclyde Fencing Club will continue to work hard to provide the opportunity to anyone bold enough to give it a go.
This is a venture steeped in history and tradition. Francois Foucart, Professor of Fencing at Andersonian University (now Strathclyde University) has historically held fencing exhibitions within the city of Glasgow. For more details, follow the link below:
https://www.glasgownecropolis.org/profiles/francois-foucart/
For more information of University of Strathclyde Fencing Club, please see the link below:
https://linktr.ee/strathclydefencing?fbclid=PAAaZWqk85tMWo2qODA_zVVGhQoc1y4zDD4EB93C4zFaOltZYBIFgu7tpNViE_aem_ATw3ueOwaF0gSCMouFjTGrtdO4lDVwkqW9wYDTGhtBJN1qXtgII5tIdIDUmnARHbzrE
Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad 2023/24
Applications are now open to join the 2023/24 Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad!
What is the Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad?
The Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad brings together the most committed young fencers from across Scotland to practice together regularly, as well as providing educational opportunities for the athletes and their parents.
Click here, for more information on the programme and how to register.
Highland Open - Entries closing soon!
This year’s Highland Open Fencing Tournament takes place on 23-24 September 2023. There are still some spaces left in the event and entries will close on Tuesday 19th September at midnight. Make sure you don’t miss out!
For more information and to enter visit
Coach Development weekend 21-22 October
The next Coach Development weekend will take place at Salle Ossian Fencing Club on 21-22 October.
For more information on the weekend and to register please click here.
Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad 2023/24
Applications are now open to join the 2023/24 Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad!
What is the Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad?
The Scottish Fencing Pathways Squad brings together the most committed young fencers from across Scotland to practice together regularly, as well as providing educational opportunities for the athletes and their parents.
Click here, for more information on the programme and how to register.
Senior 5 Nations 2023 Team Announcement
This years Senior 5 Nations is being hosted by Scottish Fencing and will take place at The National Sports Centre, Inverclyde on Saturday 18th November.
The Scotland teams are as follows;
Club News - Sancroft Blades and Wallace Fencing Academy Merge
Sancroft Blades merging with Wallace Fencing Academy
On Tuesday 29th August, Sancroft Blades will take on the operational management of Wallace Fencing Academy . This new club will operate from the Linlithgow Academy in Linlithgow on Tuesdays from 6pm-9pm, and Saturdays from 9am-1pm with some additional sessions exclusively for pupils of Linlithgow Academy.
This merger will allow Sancroft Blades to continue their steady growth with a larger venue, additional training times, improved digital infrastructure, and an enhanced, three-weapon coaching team. This merger is an ideal partnership for both clubs due to the foreseeable closure of Sancroft Blades’ previous venue in Denny, Falkirk due to council funding cuts, and reduced capacity at Wallace Fencing Academy due to the reduced availability of coaches and volunteers who have, for a very long time, enabled the club to deliver effectively both within the club setting and more widely in their notable delivery of development and competitive events.
This new partnership will work to foster a supportive and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and at all stages in their fencing journey, from beginners to social fencers, right through to performance athletes. This will include the return of events such as the much loved 48’ers and other development opportunities for coaches, volunteers, referees and armourers. Sancroft Blades will encourage collaboration with event organisers and clubs throughout Scotland to build a diverse calendar of events to meet the needs of the fencing community in Scotland.
All current and former members of both clubs will be welcome, alongside any guests who wish to drop in or access additional training regardless of weapon.
For more information about Sancroft Blades and to contact the club, they can be contacted through facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SancroftBlades, email at sancoftblades@hotmail.com and online at https://www.leonpaul-scotland.co.uk/
Sancroft Blades wishes to offer special thanks to the De Sainte Croix family for providing them with this opportunity and for working closely with them as they transition into the new club structure. Calum will remain a key part of the club’s coaching team and they intend to fully utilise Morag’s decades of events experience and the long-standing relationships she has built across the fencing community.
Introduction to Refereeing Session - Level 1
We will be running an Introduction to Refereeing Level 1 session online on Thursday 14th September. The session will take place on Zoom and will be delivered by Sam McLellan.
Details
Date - 14th September 2023
Time - 6.30 - 8.00pm
Location - Online via Zoom
Cost - £5 for Scottish Fencing members.
If a club has 4 or more people interested, we can offer a club rate of £20. Please contact Clare Queen, clare.queen@scottish-fencing.com to take up this offer.
About the Level 1
Level 1 is designed to be an introduction to the rules of fencing for those new to the sport either as a fencer or coach, parents and other supporters. It is envisaged that it will help parents support their fencers and spectators or supporters to understand how fencing is refereed, why competitions run the way they do, why some hits are awarded and others not, what referees are looking for during matches and why safety and rules of behaviour are so important for fencers, spectators and coaches alike.
Whilst Level 1 is no longer classed as a referee qualification, this is still a useful and helpful introduction for parents, new fencers and coaches into understanding how referees score hits, awards penalty cards and what a fencers needs to be aware of during their first few competitions.
To register please click the link below.
Vacancy - Scottish Student Fencing Chair
Scottish Student Sport (SSS), the governing body for student sport in Scotland, is seeking an energetic and committed individual to act as the lead volunteer within Scottish Student Fencing.
The Chair will enjoy an excellent opportunity to contribute towards growing the sport and building a strong relationship with Scottish Fencing. The selected individual will be a key figure in the drive towards improving and strengthening student fencing in Scotland.
The Chair will work with SSS staff to coordinate event delivery, budget management, strategic planning, communicating with the student participants and SGB engagement.
For more information on the role description and application details, please click here.
Senior 5 Nations 2023 Selection Policy
The Senior 5 Nations will return to the fencing calendar this year and will take place on Saturday 18th November at the National Sports Centre, Inverclyde. To read the selection policy please click here.
