Our next coach education weekend takes place on 22 and 23 March at Salle Ossian, Perth.

This weekend will include our new Level 1 assistant coach award. This course is aimed at those aged 16-18 or coaches that are just starting out.

We also plan to have the new Level 2 content available as part of a pilot.

The new courses have online content to complete pre and post course on the sportscotland Brightspace platform, support and assistance will be given as required.

When you sign up for the weekend we will also add you into a group on Basecamp so we can communicate arrangements and share any information about the weekend. It will also give you the opportunity to ask questions and interact with others that are signed up.
We have also received support from sportscotland that will allow us to cost our coach eduaction programme in a more innovative way. If you belong to one or more of the following groups, then coach education could be free for you to complete:

• Women and girls

• Under 25

• Disability

• Rural community

• Low SIMD

If you feel you belong to one or more of the above categories then please indicate this on the sign up form (for SIMD we will check your postcode against the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). You will then have the option to pay a discounted amount of £50 or you can pay £0 if you log 10 hours voluntary coaching within your club and local community, ideally engaging with the highlighted groups above.

If you do not belong to one of the groups above you have the option to pay £150 for the weekend or you can also choose to log 10 hours voluntary coaching ideally with the groups above and pay a discounted rate of £50.

To sign up please complete the registration form

Scottish Student Fencing have written a handy guide for both events. You can find the guide SS beginners and individual competitions guide here.

SS Fencing Beginners Championships 24/25

Dates: Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 February 2025

Eligibility: Student must only have been fencing since September 2023 or more recently

Entry Cost: £25 for one weapon, £37.50 for two, £50 for three and £62.50 for four (max. of 4 events per fencer)*

How to Enter: Sign up as a member of the ‘Scottish Student Fencing 24/25’ community on SSS Playwaze and enter the Beginners event here

Entry Deadline: 23:59 on 05/02/25

 SS Fencing Individuals Championships 24/25

Dates: Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 February 2025

Entry Cost: £25 for one weapon, £37.50 for two, £50 for three and £62.50 for four (max. of 4 events per fencer)*

How to Enter: Sign up as a member of the ‘Scottish Student Fencing 24/25’ community on SSS Playwaze and enter the Individuals event here

Entry Deadline: 23:59 on 05/02/25

 * = Please note that your entry via SSS Playwaze will not take payment at the time of entry, and payment will instead be deferred to your institution. This is so we can apply the relevant discounts for fencers that would like to fence multiple weapons across the course of the weekend

The ever popular Stirling Sword returns on the 18 and 19 January 2025. One week earlier than previous years but just as much fun!

Look out for more details in the coming months!

Our next coach education weekend takes place on 7/8 December at Easterhouse Phoenix in Glasgow.

Easterhouse Phoenix Community Centre, 5 Shandwick Street, Glasgow, G34 9BN

This will be the first opportunity for candidates to go through our new Level 1 assistant course. We are currently working with sportscotland and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) to have all our coaching qualifications recognised by the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). Our new Level 1 course sits at stage 5 on the SCQF framework.

Our new qualifications will have some online coursework to complete prior to attending a coach education weekend, the deadline for completing the online content is 2 weeks prior to the weekend so tutors have adequate time to review what each candidate has submitted. When you sign up and indicate you want to complete the new Level 1 full information will sent to you on how to complete all the online coursework.

The new Level 1 is aimed at those who are less experienced in leading fencing activity or are aged 16 or 17. (To complete Level 2 you need to be 18).

We have also recently received support from sportscotland that will allow us to cost our coach eduaction programme in a more innovative way. If you belong to one or more of the following groups, then coach education could be free for you to complete:

• Women and girls

• Under 25

• Disability

• Rural community

• Low SIMD

If you feel you belong to one or more of the above categories then please indicate this on the sign up form (for SIMD we will check your postcode against the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation). You will then have the option to pay a discounted amount of £50 or you can pay £0 if you log 10 hours voluntary coaching within your club and local community, ideally engaging with the highlighted groups above.

If you do not belong to one of the groups above you have the option to pay £150 for the weekend or you can also choose to log 10 hours voluntary coaching ideally with the groups above and pay a discounted rate of £50.

Sign up for the coach education weekend on 7/8 December

We are delighted to announce that the Scottish Open will now be at Alva Academy. We are very excited for the Open to move to this venue. With a finals hall and plenty of space for additional pistes we look forward to seeing everyone later this year.

There is plenty of accommodation options close by in Stirling.

The event will have two rounds of poules. Entries are now open https://bf.sport80.com/public/wizard/e/39313

The seated event is mixed gender Sabre with no classifications required. The event will be on Sunday morning. Entries for the seated event are now open https://bf.sport80.com/public/wizard/e/39727

Check in times please see below, these are provisional for now the organiser will confirm these once entries close

Saturday 30 November

Men’s Epee - Check in 8.45 - 9am provisional start time 9.30

Women’s Foil - Check in 9.45 - 10am provisional start time 10.30 am

Men’s Sabre - Check in 12.45 - 13.00pm provisional start time 13.30 pm

Sunday 1 December

Men’s Foil Check in 8.45 - 9am provisional start time 9.30 am

Seated Sabre Check in 9.15 - 9.30 am provisional start time 10am

Women’s Epee Check- in 9.45 - 10am provisional start time 10.30 am

Women’s Sabre Check in 12.30 - 12.45 pm provisional start time 13.15 pm

Saturday 28th September -Check-in Times:

Men’s Epee 9.30 - 10.00

Men’s Sabre 11.00 - 11.30

Women’s Epee 10.00 - 10.30

Women’s Sabre 11.30 - 12.00

Sunday 29th September - Foil

Men’s Foil 9.30 - 10.00

Women’s Foil 10.30 - 11.00

Entries now open, enter the Highland Open fencing competition here

Closing date midnight Tuesday 24 September 2024

For more information contact Robin Paterson: robinandlinda1@yahoo.com

Check in and Start Times

Saturday

U16 and U18 Epee Boys and Girls          Check in 915 – 930 for a 9.30 start

U14 Sabre Boys and Girls                          Check in 9.15 – 930 for a 9.30 start

U16 and U18 Sabre Boys and Girls        Check in 1pm – 1.15 pm for a 1.30 start

U14 Epee Boys and Girls                           Check in 1pm – 1.15 pm for a 1.30 start

Sunday

U16 and U18 Foil Boys and Girls            9 – 9.15 Check in for a 9.30 start

U14 Foil Boys and Girls                              12.30 – 12.45 for a 1pm start

Equipment for Under 14s

For the under 14 fencers they will not be fencing in mixed age poules but we still ask that they wear 850N under plastrons.

Weapon sizes:

Foil – size 3 (or below) no lame bib or mask wire needed

Epee – size 2 (or below)

Sabre – size 2 (or below) 800N sabre glove

The full guide to Under 16 and Under 18 kit requirements are on British Fencing’s Equipment guide - fencers will need size 5 weapons.

This is the event to try something new! Borrow some club equipment and try fencing all three weapons over a weekend of fencing. Trophies for each weapon and the best fencer in each age group will win the three weapon trophy. There is also a trophy for best school.

Ages: Under 18, under 16 and under 14 (at secondary school)

School leavers who were at school on 1 January can still compete.

Scottish Fencing has postponed this course. Details of when the next Coach Education course will follow shortly.

BOOK HERE

In partnership with Scottish Archery, our Club and Coach Conference aims to give coaches, club volunteers and sport enthusiasts the opportunity to come together to learn, share ideas, network, feel inspired and more knowledgeable and confident across various topics.

We are teaming up with Scottish Archery to deliver a multi-sport event to encourage cross-sport connections and learning.  We believe that there is significant value in this approach and looking forward to welcoming and bringing people together from across the sporting sector.

On the Saturday, there will be workshops delivered on Funding for Clubs and Coaches by Alex Johnston from Spirit of 2012 and Pam Dewar from Sportscotland and Creative Solutions delivered by Victoria Clark and Adrienne Hunter from Active Advantage.

Then on the Sunday it will be over to the the wonderful Scottish Sporting Futures (SSF) taking attendees through three workshops focusing on:

• Putting the Person First

• Mental Health Informed Practice

• Goal Setting.

Further information can be found on the link below, along with the ticket prices which for SF members are £45 for a 1 day ticket and £65 for the weekend ticket - get them quick before they go!! Note: to complete the purchase of your ticket, you will need to create an account on the Scottish Archery Just Go Membership system but this can all be done in less than 5 minutes.

If you have any questions get in touch with Daniel Baker, the Club and Community Development Manager at Scottish Fencing on daniel.baker@scottish-fencing.com

The Glasgow Open is on the 6-7 April, 2024.

It is a ranking competition this year and is also the qualifier for the GB Cup - see below.

Epee and Saber on the Saturday and Foil on the Sunday. With a 50% discount for anyone entering two weapons.

You can enter at sport80

For further updates check out @sallesolas on instagram and facebook.

GB Cup

GB Cup is an event for beginner and intermediate fencers. The finals take place later in the year and the Glasgow Open is the only Scottish Qualifier.

The GB Cup is aimed at adult fencers in the lower rankings, those not on the ranking lists, fencers who have recently started the sport and those fencers that have fenced for a number of years but do not currently enter national competitions but want to start and continue competing locally. The eligibility criteria are as follows;

1. Be aged 16 or over on 1 January 2024.

2. Be ranked outside of the top 50 of National Senior rankings in their weapon for Women’s Foil, Epee, Sabre and Men’s Sabre and top 80 for Men’s Foil and Epee as at 1 January 2024.

3. Have never been selected by BF, Home Nation or other National equivalents to represent their Nation at any level (including GB, Home Nations or other National equivalents).

4. Have never won a Senior Open event

5. Have a valid BF Membership (Recreational level or higher)

6. Fencers may only enter the Regional event in the Region they have specified on their British Fencing Membership.

7. Fencers may only fence in one qualifying event per season.

8. Fencers must be UK residents.