A rematch 200 years in the making
17th November, 2015
Bowhill House and Bill McLaren Foundation to stage re-enactment of historic Carterhaugh Ba’ Game
Rugby’s coming home after 200 years, with an elaborate re-enactment of the historic Carterhaugh Ba’ Game on the site of the original legendary match, on December 4.
Organised by The Bill McLaren Foundation and Bowhill House – the Selkirk home of the Duke of Buccleuch, whose ancestor the fourth Duke was instrumental in the 1815 game – the re-enactment will involve around 100 local school children, performers and members of the community.
It has been suggested that the famous Carterhaugh match, organised by Sir Walter Scott, James Hogg and the fourth Duke, could be the forebear of rugby. One historical account suggests the ball was at one point picked up and slung between teammates, eight years before rugby purportedly originated at Rugby School.
The celebratory event, exactly 200 years on, will include a modified version of the epic hand ball match played by children from various Borders schools, followed by a grand narrated interpretation of the game featuring a local re-enactment group, drummers, flagbearers, halberdiers, musketeers and jesters.
‘Sir Walter Scott’ will begin proceedings by welcoming the players to the field and providing an explanation of the rules, before the current Duke of Buccleuch follows in his ancestor’s footsteps, officially beginning the match by throwing the ball into the air.
Throughout the staging, the narrator will talk spectators through the history of the original game, explaining how it involved teams from Selkirk and Yarrow and was played on the Carterhaugh peninsula between the Ettrick and Yarrow Waters on the Bowhill Estate.
It is estimated that more than 1,000 men took part in the game, with over 2,000 spectators cheering the teams on.
The Duke officiated the match, with Sir Walter Scott championing the Selkirk men and James Hogg supporting the Yarrow team. The game was accompanied by pipes playing, banners flying, and wild celebrations from supporters on both sides, and a grand dance took place at Bowhill House following the event.
The re-enactment follows the launch this summer of an exhibition at Bowhill House celebrating the career of Bill McLaren, featuring memorabilia and the famous ‘big sheets’ from The Voice of Rugby’s illustrious five-decade career commentating for the BBC. The exhibition can be viewed on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm-4pm until the end of November.
Linda Lawson, Bill’s daughter and Director of the Bill McLaren Foundation, said: “We are very proud to be marking this magnificent anniversary in such an exciting way, especially as the re-enactment will involve young people and the local community.
“The event promises to be a remarkable spectacle, with many elements of the original game carried through in a nod to the rugby history of the whole Borders area.
Helen Currie, House and Events Manager at Bowhill, said: “It has been said that the central Borders is the true home of rugby, and what better way to mark 200 years since the historic Carterhaugh Ba’ Game than by bringing people together to play and celebrate this fantastic sport.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming people to the Estate to enjoy this landmark celebration.”
The event will take place at Bowhill from 10:30am with the full re-enactment at 2pm on 4 December 2015.
