Islay rugby tournament is far from a beach holiday
Having been flattened by a Fijian at the Islay Beach Rugby tournament last weekend, I can assure Hugh MacDonald (Column, June 9) it is not the case that "in beach rugby, tackles are as harmless as the winner of Any Dream Will Do in a tizz"!
They mean it when they call it, "Scotland's only full contact beach rugby competition" and thank goodness each half only lasts four minutes.
The event fills a gap in the otherwise fallow weeks of close season and is far removed from "a summer of duff sport" for those able to play or watch. Everything in this country stands or falls by the weather but the idyllic setting and hospitality makes this one of the top rugby experiences out there. Congratulations to the organisers, sponsors and locals for a brilliant weekend.
And as the T-shirt says: "Eat sand"
Sid, Mid Argyll Rugby
Bentley's unfair treatment over national ambition Again it appears to be the case of not letting facts getting in the way of a good story.
Karen Giles' piece (Bentley decision could have lasting repercussions, June 11) says David Bentley played 50 games to James Milner's 60. In fact, Bentley played 51 games for Blackburn, plus a B' international for England, and Milner 53 matches for Newcastle. At the end of the season Bentley spent three weeks with the full England squad, then, if England had reached the final of the under 21's tournament, would have a break of only six days.
Of course the fact that Blackburn would have an exhausted player next season is irrelevant in Karen's eyes.
David Sutherland, via e-mail
He's not over the moon
I MUST agree with Stephen Downey's assessment of Richard Winton's piece (Is there still a place for the old-fashioned striker? June 11). Perhaps the excessive use of thesaurus-esque language was an attempt to conceal the fact his argument was weak and the article not that insightful.
However, this is nothing compared to the assertion of Robert McGonigle (Fans with laptops, June 12) that Scott McDonald is "literally over the moon to be joining Celtic". This lazy expression can be heard more and more and you should impose a ban on anyone who uses it.
David Wynn, East Kilbride
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