Scottish Super League – Preview

Ravenscraig is set to host the inaugural Scottish Super League, bringing together an all-star cast of elite players for an exhibition of high-quality Ultimate. Organised by members of Scotland’s most prominent club teams (Alba, Glasgow Ultimate and SCRAM), the league will feature the country’s top athletes in a round-robin style event spanning three match days across the winter off-season. 

The SSL was conceived to bring elite-level competition to Scotland, harnessing incredible local talent to deliver a format that pits the best players against each other. Think of it as Scottish Ultimate’s answer to the NBA all-star game or cricket’s Indian Premier League. 

Selected athletes have been drafted into four mixed-gender teams – Clyde, Lomond, Nevis and Skye – each named to represent the waterways, mountains and islands of Scotland. They will compete at Ravenscraig regional sports facility with the first match day scheduled for Sunday 19 November.

As well as an opportunity for elite players to go head-to-head, the SSL has opened its doors to spectators. The organisers hope to kindle new interest in the sport by providing a live exhibition event and generating publicity through game footage and social media.

“We’ve selected the best players in Scotland to put on a show and we’re excited to run a high-level competition on home turf. Our goal is to leverage the event’s publicity to generate buzz, showcase what Ultimate is all about and hopefully find a few new fans.”
– SSL Committee

Whether you’re a competitor or a supporter, there’s only one question on everyone’s lips: Who’s going to win?

Clyde

Captains: Phil Webb, Andreea Gradinaru
All-stars: Alex Hiley, Cameron Mackie
Next-gen: Hannah Millard, Adam Sweeney

Predicted finish: 1st

The good ship Clyde has plenty of experience at its helm in the form of Scottish Ultimate stalwart Phil Webb and ELF (Edinburgh Ladies Frisbee) captain Andreea Gradinaru. They’ve selected a well-rounded team with players from all over Scotland and a good mix of university representation. Their roster is dominated by Alba and SCRAM players and they’ll be reliant on some ready-made connections to make them tick. Alex Hiley is regarded as one of the top female-matching players in the country, Cameron Mackie will cover every inch of the field in his trademark athletic style and Adam Sweeney is our next-gen player to watch. The captains have taken a chance on Hannah Millard’s injury status, but if fit, she could make all the difference. Despite their big names and experience, this squad has relatively few recent forays into mixed-gender Ultimate. To succeed in this competition they’ll have to build a coherent unit and find the best configuration for their multi-talented pieces.

Lomond

Captains: Mihael Dimitrov, Audrey Melançon-Fournier
All-stars: Leah Dobbs, John Stainsby
Next-gen: Rachel Pollock, Antoine Richard

Predicted finish: 2nd

The Lomond roster delves deep into the GUX (Glasgow Ultimate Mixed) well and their acquaintance with the mixed game should see them hit the ground running. Mihael Dimitrov will lead the D-line with an insatiable desire for layout blocks while co-captain Audrey Melançon-Fournier will rack up points with her relentless deep cutting, a solid bet for leading goal scorer by the end of the competition. There’s a bit of everything on this team (athleticism, height, blocks, hucks) but it may be the all-round skills of John Stainsby and Leah Dobbs that provide the beating heart. Antoine Richard will dutifully follow his captain into airborne pursuits and Rachel Pollock will outsprint anyone that marks her. Of all the teams here, we expect Lomond to bring the loudest and spiciest game. They’ll be dangerous on their day, but can they hold it together in the crunch moments?

Nevis

Captains: Joel Terry, Elise Camilleri-Brennan
All-stars: Karina Aitken, Sam Finlay
Next-gen: Ailsa Cameron, James Taylor

Predicted finish: 3rd

Power couple Elise Camilleri-Brennan and Joel Terry provide the brains and brawn of the Nevis operation (you decide which) and we can only imagine the tactical discussions that have dominated this household over the last few weeks. Their squad features some younger and relatively inexperienced names but they appear to have picked based on form, given that most of these players are coming off the back of a full season of Ultimate. Karina Aitken will provide highlight plays while Sam Finlay’s throws will thrive in an indoor setting. Keep your eye on James Taylor, who could make a name for himself with his athletic defence, and Ailsa Cameron looking to continue her good form with SCRAM. The Nevis squad looks good enough to match every other team on offence but they may have to rely on key players to get their blocks. They’ll be without Joel, Sam and Ailsa in week one and the result here may ultimately decide whether they can mount a challenge for the title. 

Skye

Captains: Greg Stewart, Harriet Hopper
All-stars: Ben Cornelius, Sara Rabaglia
Next-gen: Daniel Lindsay, Becca Hardman Carter

Predicted finish: 4th

Skye will be aiming high with an impressive roster and a vast array of Ultimate experience. Captains Greg Stewart and Harriet Hopper provide a formidable pairing on their own. Ben Cornelius is likely to be the go-to receiver and springiest player in the league while Sara Rabaglia, recently crowned European champion with Shout, will dominate the handler routes. They’ve gambled on a few experienced players that have drifted out of the scene lately, but the likes of Becca Hardman Carter and Daniel Lindsay will more than make up for anything they lack in youthful exuberance. There’s a great mix of talent on this team and a well-crafted blend of offence and defence players. They could potentially struggle against more athletic teams, particularly given the 6v6 format on big pitches, but they should have enough experience and grit to turn any match around.

Disclaimer

Of course, all of the above comes with the caveat that we have no idea what we’re talking about, not until we’ve seen these teams in action anyway. The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that our proposed finishing positions are in alphabetical order, but hey, the readers love a prediction! What we are sure of, is that we have four incredible teams that will deliver a compelling and entertaining competition which shouldn’t be missed.

Match day 1: Ravenscraig regional sports facility, Sunday November 19th, 2pm – 4pm.
Spectator tickets available now
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