8 October 2026
Laxey Edge Opening-Night Thriller As Winter League Returns
2026-27 Winter League Week 1
The Isle of Man Rifle Association’s Winter League returned last Monday night with a subdued opening round, as several teams were short-handed and scores were generally modest.
The evening's closest match saw Laxey edge out hosts Sulby by a single point, 476–475. John Wood chalked up 97 for the visitors, closely followed by Harry Creevy on 96. For Sulby, Julian Teare, Peter Webb and junior Bob Radcliffe each scored 96.
Castletown also claimed a road victory, beating Kirk Michael 469–442. Despite the hosts’ defeat, Richard Kijak took the individual honours with 97, while Nigel Christian topped Castletown’s score sheet with 95.
Beyond the result, Kirk Michael had positives: the club welcomed two newcomers and fielded a full 1st Division team.
“It’s the first time in a while that we’ve been able to field a full team, which is a win for us, even if we lost the match!” said Perryn Watson.
“We have two new shooters joining us — Helen Fox and William Gadman, both of whom have only been shooting for a few months and have worked really hard to be match-ready. William is just 14 and has shown a real aptitude for the sport. Both posted very respectable scores in their match debuts.”
Sandsiders conceded their fixture against Port St. Mary because they were short on shooters. To ensure their individual competitors were not disadvantaged, the defending champions shot their opening-round cards at home.
Reigning individual champion Ben Kelly set the standard with 98. Junior Breeshey Cubbon matched it, improving her personal best by an impressive three points and helping Port St. Mary record a team total of 483.
Division 1
Sulby Laxey
Julian Teare 96 John Wood 97
Peter Webb 96 Harry Creevy 96
Bob Radcliffe(J) 96 Gemma Kermode 95
Mark Cain 94 Adrian Cowin 95
Mark Boyde 93 Andrew Jessop 93
Total 475 Total 476
Kirk Michael Castletown
Richard Kijak 97 Nigel Christian 95
Perryn Watson 94 Richard Arthur 94
Suzanne McKinght 91 Rhian Masson 93
William Gadman(J) 81 Charles Carter 94
Helen Fox 79 Robin McFee 93
Total 442 Total 469
Division 2
Sulby Laxey
Ben Stevens(J) 89 Stephen Curphy 91
Lizzie Radcliffe 89 Breeshey Cowin 89
Will Fenton(J) 85
Will Quayle 83
Total 346 Total 180
Castletown walkover
Ian Arthur 92
Steve Gardner 92
Andrew Bell 90
J.P Bridson 86
Chris Williams-Jones 83
Total 443
Port St. Mary scores.
Ben Kelly 98
Breeshey Cubbon(J) 98
Hayden East(J) 96
Les Crowe 96
Ashley Gardner 95
Total 483
Tom Pirson 95
Donna Gardner 93
Derek Kermode 92
Kevan Kneale 92
Luke Ennett 91
Total 463
Sophie Weldon(J) 91
Joseph Proffitt(J) 90
James Kennaugh(J) 87
Robert Faragher(J) 78
Total 346
Hopefully, both turnout and scores will improve next week when we see Douglas begin their campaign, hosting their stablemates, Sandsiders. The standout tie of round two sees Laxey welcome Port St. Mary, while Kirk Michael make the short trip along the A3 to face Sulby.
For anyone keen to try target shooting in a friendly environment, Kirk Michael’s club night runs on Fridays from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Contact the club via its Facebook page or email kirkmichaelrifleclub@gmail.com.