Latest news with #Cameron
Otago Daily Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
West Taieri stalwart notches 300 games
It could be an expensive court session for Dave McNeill tonight. The veteran loose forward will bring up 300 games for the West Taieri Pigs today. Yes. 300. It is not a typo. It is just a remarkable achievement that has taken him 24 years. The 46-year-old made his debut for the Pigs in 2001. Helen Clarke was the prime minister. Social media was still just a twinkle in the eye of some future tech billionaire. And Canterbury beat Otago 30-19 in the NPC final. D'oh! But McNeill's only regret is he wished he had started a year earlier so he could have been part of the club's 100th jubilee as well as their 125th, which they celebrated last month. The truck driver loves rugby. But it is the feeling of being part of the community that keeps him coming back year after year. He enjoys the banter and listening to what the guys have been up to during the week. He has played alongside some of his team-mates for 15-odd years. "They're just a good bunch of guys and we have a laugh and a beer," he said. "That's probably the main thing. "It would have been nice to bring it up last weekend. We had a good win at home, but we're going to be away this weekend against Toko in the rain and stuff." He is not sure what has been planned to celebrate his milestone, but there will be a court session and a couple of his team-mates will also face justice for so-called crimes. Fellow loose forward Conner Jenkins will notch his 100th game and second five Pat Hamer is bringing up 50. "Between the three of us, it's quite a special day. Conner made a deal with me ... that I couldn't retire until he gets 100 games, so for us to both be doing it on the same day is really quite special." Most of McNeill's highlights have happened off the field. But there has been plenty to cheer about on the field as well. The Pigs used to compete in the Dunedin metropolitan grade, and they won the premier 2 title in 2017. That earned them a date with Green Island in the promotion-relegation fixture at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Green Island maintained their spot in the premier grade — now known as division 1 — with a 37-17 win. But it was McNeill's 200th game and he got to play at Forsyth Barr Stadium, so it was a memorable day. He also played in a preseason game with his son, Cameron Allan-McNeill, this season. Cameron plays for the Taieri premiers. They are still talking, despite the rivalry between the clubs. "He was going to come and play for us this year but Taieri sort of needed him. "He came out to a preseason game ... and I've played a few games with Cameron over the years." McNeill's father, Philip, also played for West Taieri. "I was brought up around here and spent most of my life around this place, basically." McNeill has talked about this season being his last, but in the same breath adds he would always answer an S.O.S. "I would never leave the team without players, so if they need me I'll probably come back. "But I should really be going to watch Cameron too. I do miss all his games, so I do feel a bit guilty at times." Speaking of guilt, good luck in the court session.
The National
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Sport changed Robbie Cameron's life; next up is the Deaflympics
Not for Robbie Cameron, however. The 38-year-old golfer's first-ever international competition will be the Deaflympics, which is the pinnacle of sport for hearing-impaired athletes. It is, he admits, going from zero to sixty in the blink of a eye but the personal impact, as well as the potential for raising awareness about deaf sport, is hugely significant to the Glaswegian. 'I'm beyond excited, it's just an absolute dream.' Cameron says of his selection for the British team for the Deaflympics. 'Obviously this is huge for me personally but I also feel like this is a fantastic opportunity for me to raise awareness of this sport and raise awareness of the power of sport.' It's somewhat serendipitous, and certainly unexpected to Cameron, that he's ended up representing GB on the highest stage for deaf athletes. As a child, Cameron had full hearing but as he hit his mid-teens, he became aware of gradual hearing loss. In the early days, it was relatively easy to work around - he'd sit at the front of the class rather than the back and being a self-taught lip-reader helped him navigate the world, too. But, as he got older, his hearing loss progressively worsened until he reached the point he was forced to wear hearing aides. Robbie Cameron began losing his hearing as a teenager (Image: .) All the while, Cameron was a keen golfer. He first picked up a club as a 10-year-old at Eastwood Golf Club (now Eastwood Twelve) in the south side of Glasgow, playing competitively for the club's junior teams and although life got in the way as he hit his late teens and golf become more recreational than competitive, Cameron never lost his love for the game. And in a fortuitous coincidence, just as Cameron was searching for ways to become more involved in the sport, an email landed in his inbox that would ultimately lead to his selection for GB. 'Out of the blue, an email arrived from Scottish Golf saying there was a qualifying event in England for the Deaflympics and asking if anyone would be interested putting in an application. So I applied and next thing I knew I was invited down to the qualifying event in Stafford,' Cameron, who now plays at Bearsden Golf Club, says. 'It was my first-ever deaf competition and my first time competing at that kind of level so it was quite daunting. 'Prior to this qualifying event, I didn't know anybody my age who has hearing issues so a big part of it for me was just to meet people who also have hearing loss and are also obsessed with golf so meeting a community of people who were like me was something I was really excited about. 'And by the end of the weekend, I'd qualified for the Deaflympics.' Robbie Cameron at his home club, Bearsden Golf Club (Image: .) There are several challenges of playing golf as a deaf person; the first being the inability to hear fellow golfers shout 'fore' following an errant shot, as well as the inability to hear the club strike the ball and so any feedback that typically comes from this is absent. However, Cameron still has time to work on his game before the British team departs for Tokyo, with the Deaflympics, which is IOC-sanctioned, not taking place until November and the Glaswegian, whose day job is as a civil servant with the Scottish government, is confident he'll have reduced his handicap of nine significantly by competition-time. And despite his inexperience on the international stage, he's already set himself some lofty targets as he looks towards Tokyo. 'I'm happy I'll have had five months between selection and the event itself to get myself into the right headspace to compete well because I need to make sure there's no nerves and I'm fully focused,' he says. 'The level of golf will be really high and while I want to make the most of the experience, I'd also love to get into medal contention.' Regardless of Cameron's results come games-time, though, he's already reaped considerable benefits from becoming part of a deaf community that, until recently, he didn't even know existed. And he's desperate to spread the message to anyone else who may be in a similar boat that the power of sport in connecting people remains unmatched. 'When you're a young person and you realise you've got hearing loss, it's a difficult thing to deal with but gradually I started to realise there's good opportunities out there, there's good people out there and actually, now I'm proud of the way I am," he says. 'Sport is so good for bringing people together and if I can share my journey and encourage other people with hearing loss to get involved in sport then that would be fantastic.' Robbie Cameron is self-funding his trip to the Deaflympics, to donate to his Just Giving page to help with costs click here:
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Sport changed Robbie Cameron's life; next up is the Deaflympics
The 38-year-old golfer's first-ever international competition will be the Deaflympics, which is the pinnacle of sport for hearing-impaired athletes. It is, he admits, going from zero to sixty in the blink of a eye but the personal impact, as well as the potential for raising awareness about deaf sport, is hugely significant to the Glaswegian. 'I'm beyond excited, it's just an absolute dream.' Cameron says of his selection for the British team for the Deaflympics. 'Obviously this is huge for me personally but I also feel like this is a fantastic opportunity for me to raise awareness of this sport and raise awareness of the power of sport.' It's somewhat serendipitous, and certainly unexpected to Cameron, that he's ended up representing GB on the highest stage for deaf athletes. As a child, Cameron had full hearing but as he hit his mid-teens, he became aware of gradual hearing loss. In the early days, it was relatively easy to work around - he'd sit at the front of the class rather than the back and being a self-taught lip-reader helped him navigate the world, too. But, as he got older, his hearing loss progressively worsened until he reached the point he was forced to wear hearing aides. Robbie Cameron began losing his hearing as a teenager (Image: .) All the while, Cameron was a keen golfer. He first picked up a club as a 10-year-old at Eastwood Golf Club (now Eastwood Twelve) in the south side of Glasgow, playing competitively for the club's junior teams and although life got in the way as he hit his late teens and golf become more recreational than competitive, Cameron never lost his love for the game. And in a fortuitous coincidence, just as Cameron was searching for ways to become more involved in the sport, an email landed in his inbox that would ultimately lead to his selection for GB. 'Out of the blue, an email arrived from Scottish Golf saying there was a qualifying event in England for the Deaflympics and asking if anyone would be interested putting in an application. So I applied and next thing I knew I was invited down to the qualifying event in Stafford,' Cameron, who now plays at Bearsden Golf Club, says. 'It was my first-ever deaf competition and my first time competing at that kind of level so it was quite daunting. 'Prior to this qualifying event, I didn't know anybody my age who has hearing issues so a big part of it for me was just to meet people who also have hearing loss and are also obsessed with golf so meeting a community of people who were like me was something I was really excited about. 'And by the end of the weekend, I'd qualified for the Deaflympics.' Robbie Cameron at his home club, Bearsden Golf Club (Image: .) There are several challenges of playing golf as a deaf person; the first being the inability to hear fellow golfers shout 'fore' following an errant shot, as well as the inability to hear the club strike the ball and so any feedback that typically comes from this is absent. However, Cameron still has time to work on his game before the British team departs for Tokyo, with the Deaflympics, which is IOC-sanctioned, not taking place until November and the Glaswegian, whose day job is as a civil servant with the Scottish government, is confident he'll have reduced his handicap of nine significantly by competition-time. And despite his inexperience on the international stage, he's already set himself some lofty targets as he looks towards Tokyo. 'I'm happy I'll have had five months between selection and the event itself to get myself into the right headspace to compete well because I need to make sure there's no nerves and I'm fully focused,' he says. 'The level of golf will be really high and while I want to make the most of the experience, I'd also love to get into medal contention.' Regardless of Cameron's results come games-time, though, he's already reaped considerable benefits from becoming part of a deaf community that, until recently, he didn't even know existed. And he's desperate to spread the message to anyone else who may be in a similar boat that the power of sport in connecting people remains unmatched. 'When you're a young person and you realise you've got hearing loss, it's a difficult thing to deal with but gradually I started to realise there's good opportunities out there, there's good people out there and actually, now I'm proud of the way I am," he says. 'Sport is so good for bringing people together and if I can share my journey and encourage other people with hearing loss to get involved in sport then that would be fantastic.' Robbie Cameron is self-funding his trip to the Deaflympics, to donate to his Just Giving page to help with costs click here:
Otago Daily Times
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
West Taieri stalwart notches 300
It could be an expensive court session for Dave McNeill tonight. The veteran loose forward will bring up 300 games for the West Taieri Pigs today. Yes. 300. It is not a typo. It is just a remarkable achievement that has taken him 24 years. The 46-year-old made his debut for the Pigs in 2001. Helen Clarke was the prime minister. Social media was still just a twinkle in the eye of some future tech billionaire. And Canterbury beat Otago 30-19 in the NPC final. D'oh! But McNeill's only regret is he wished he had started a year earlier so he could have been part of the club's 100th jubilee as well as their 125th, which they celebrated last month. The truck driver loves rugby. But it is the feeling of being part of the community that keeps him coming back year after year. He enjoys the banter and listening to what the guys have been up to during the week. He has played alongside some of his team-mates for 15-odd years. "They're just a good bunch of guys and we have a laugh and a beer," he said. "That's probably the main thing. "It would have been nice to bring it up last weekend. We had a good win at home, but we're going to be away this weekend against Toko in the rain and stuff." He is not sure what has been planned to celebrate his milestone, but there will be a court session and a couple of his team-mates will also face justice for so-called crimes. Fellow loose forward Conner Jenkins will notch his 100th game and second five Pat Hamer is bringing up 50. "Between the three of us, it's quite a special day. Conner made a deal with me ... that I couldn't retire until he gets 100 games, so for us to both be doing it on the same day is really quite special." Most of McNeill's highlights have happened off the field. But there has been plenty to cheer about on the field as well. The Pigs used to compete in the Dunedin metropolitan grade, and they won the premier 2 title in 2017. That earned them a date with Green Island in the promotion-relegation fixture at Forsyth Barr Stadium. Green Island maintained their spot in the premier grade — now known as division 1 — with a 37-17 win. But it was McNeill's 200th game and he got to play at Forsyth Barr Stadium, so it was a memorable day. He also played in a preseason game with his son, Cameron Allan-McNeill, this season. Cameron plays for the Taieri premiers. They are still talking, despite the rivalry between the clubs. "He was going to come and play for us this year but Taieri sort of needed him. "He came out to a preseason game ... and I've played a few games with Cameron over the years." McNeill's father, Philip, also played for West Taieri. "I was brought up around here and spent most of my life around this place, basically." McNeill has talked about this season being his last, but in the same breath adds he would always answer an S.O.S. "I would never leave the team without players, so if they need me I'll probably come back. "But I should really be going to watch Cameron too. I do miss all his games, so I do feel a bit guilty at times." Speaking of guilt, good luck in the court session.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Real Radio stars announced as first voices for STV's new station
Both award-winning broadcasters, the pair are well-known voices and faces across Scotland, with vast experience in radio and TV. The DJs presented at Real Radio and across Scotland on the Bauer local network, including Clyde, Forth, Northsound, Tay and West Sound. Cameron and Harvey are the current breakfast hosts on Greatest Hits Radio in Scotland. The new studio is currently being built at STV HQ in Glasgow, with the name of the station and full presenting line-up to be announced over the next few months. The pair will host the breakfast show (Image: Jamie Simpson) The mainstream music station, predominantly aimed at 35–54-year-olds, will be available on DAB and online. Cat Harvey said: 'It's been an honour working alongside radio legends Ken Bruce and Simon Mayo on Greatest Hits Radio, but when we were offered the chance to help shape and be part of a brand new commercial station for Scotland with STV, such an iconic brand, we just couldn't say no. 'I'm so excited to be in with the bricks and to be given such a big say in the entire creative process. We're planning to create fresh, fun, inclusive, entertaining radio with plenty of interaction with our listeners which has always been my favourite part of radio. 'We may have a new home in STV, but we'll bring our usual blend of fun and nonsense and hope to persuade some of our celebrity pals to pop in for a laugh and a tune every now and then as well.' READ MORE: Farewell, Shereen, you will be missed - now Radio Scotland has a choice to make Former Scottish radio station with 'impressive panoramic views' goes on market BBC Scotland cuts coverage of Edinburgh's festivals in new spending squeeze Ewen Cameron added: 'We loved our time at Greatest Hits Radio and it will be very sad to say cheerio to our friends and colleagues at Bauer, but the opportunity to launch a brand new radio station for Scotland with such a big name as STV was too good and too exciting to turn down.' Graham Bryce, MD of Audio at STV, said: 'We're beyond thrilled that Ewen and Cat will host the breakfast show on Scotland's newest national radio station. 'The station is going to be fresh, full of laughs and fun and this duo will certainly help us deliver that. I've worked with them both over the years and their connection with the audience is unique. 'We're also delighted to confirm that we'll have a special sports show on-air every weekend with Ewen at the helm, bringing his wealth of knowledge and passion for football to the airwaves.
