Celebrating a special year for Borders sport

GREIG LAIDLAW capped a memorable 12 months by being named Sports Personality of the Year for 2016 at this year's BSLT's Celebration of Sport awards at Peebles Hydro.

The Jedburgh native started 12 of Scotland’s 14 Tests in the lead-up to the World Cup and his stand-out performances throughout the tournament saw Laidlaw nominated for World Rugby's Player of the Year award.

Leading by example, he bowed out of Rugby World Cup in the quarter-finals as the leading point-scorer with 79. 26 of them – including a crucial late try – coming in the 36-33 win over Samoa that booked his side’s place in the last eight.

Laidlaw was preparing for Gloucester's game against Wasps the following afternoon-where he would go on to score 8 points in Gloucester's 13-10 victory. So in his absence, Gregor Townsend accepted the award on his behalf.

He said: “Greig has that mental toughness, a real competitive edge and he has shown great leadership as well.

“It's hard to get him ruffled, but he is a feisty Borderer. He wants that jersey, he wants to start every game and he wants to play well.

“I think at times, when Scotland haven't had the results over the the last couple of years, you can see how let down he is after games and he doesn't mince his words. He'll be driving the team on, letting them know when they should do better and it is great to see him as captain on the big stage.”

It has been a special 12 months for the Gala Harriers Female Masters. Led by captain Fiona Dalgleish, they are the first team ever to win a hat-trick of national Cross Country relay titles and are also the first team ever to win a hat-trick of national road relay titles. They added two East of Scotland titles to an incredible haul for 2015. At Friday's awards, they were named Team of the Year.

Captain Fiona Dalgleish told the Border Telegraph: “We didn't set out in 2015 with the specific goal of winning individual titles. We go out with the goal of just trying the best we possibly can. We try our hardest every single time, and it seems to have worked for us in 2015.”

Olympic gold medallist Scott Brash has been number one show jumper in the world for for the past two years and made history by becoming the first rider to win the sport's Grand Slam in 2015, earning him the World Class Achievement Award.

The Peebles showjumper couldn't attend the ceremony on Friday, but speaking about his year, he said: “Winning one of the equestrian majors was an incredible achievement, winning two was a dream come true but to go and win the Rolex Grand Slam was beyond belief.”

Gregor Townsend was named Coach of the Year. The Glasgow Warriors boss endured the heartbreak of seeing his side make the final of the 2014 Guinness Pro 12, only to slip to a 34-12 defeat against Leinster at the RDS in Dublin.

They avenged that defeat in 2015, by seeing off Munster 31–13 in the Pro 12 final at Ravenhill, Belfast.

The Galashiels native said lessons were learned from the previous year: “We had so much joy in winning the semi final at home against Munster in 2014. There there was a lot of emotion going into that week we had a send-off at the airport, we had schools cheering us off, the works.

“We were so energised for the final, but in a way, it was too much energy. We rushed everything in the first 20 minutes and didn't play with the control that Leinster had.

“We had a chance to put that right the following spring. It was largely the same side involved, but this time, our control we had in the build up to the game and during the game itself was spot on and the players put in a fantastic performance.”

Samantha Kinghorn won the Inspirational Performance of the Year award for her success at the Para Athletics World Championships in Doha. The Inspirational Performance of the Year award was one of three awards selected by public vote.

The 20-year old wheelchair racer from Gordon was selected to compete for Team GB in Doha, where she won bronze in the 200 metres T53 event at the IPC Athletics World Championships.

Her mother Elaine Kinghorn accepted the award on Samantha's behalf, explaining that Samantha is busy preparing ahead of the Rio Olympics, where she is hopeful of making selection.

Chirnside Chasers were named Club of the Year and young rower Maddie Arlett was named Junior Sports Personality of the Year.

The Positive Coaching Scotland award went to Outeach Judo, whilst tennis player Lucy Porteous won the Disability Sports Award. The Borders Festival of Football was named Event of the Year.

Rugby League legends David Valentine and David Rose entered the Hall of fame.

The pair were part of the successful Great Britain side that defeated France in the 1954 Rugby League final at the Parc des Princes in Paris, in front of a crowd of 31,000.

Hawick native Valentine was captain that day, earning the distinction of being the only Scotsman to ever captain a winning side in a World Cup Final. Fellow Borderer David Rose, from Jedburgh, scored in the final, as Great Britain ran out 16-12 victors.

Bill Watt picked up the Service to Sport award for his dedication to promoting ice skating in the region. Bill set up the Borders Ice Skating Club in Kelso in 1964, and his passion for the sport remains undimmed. He can still be found coaching on a Sunday afternoon -at the age of 93 years-young.

At the awards, he paid tribute to the sterling efforts of tutors and volunteers at his club and the importance of volunteers at all clubs across the Borders.

He said: “Without the tutors, the club wouldn't exist. And I think it is the same for all clubs in the Borders.

“When I read in the local weekly papers, I think the Borders has a tremendous record of achievement locally, nationally and internationally.

“But none of this could be achieved without the efforts of our volunteers, All sports participation is held together by coaches and people who give up their time voluntarily for the love of their sport.”

Sports Personality of the Year

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