Sunday, May 25, 2014: Dundee Day, year 3 – the year that it went truly international, and rained. But only enough to soak the people who got there ahead of time. Thankfully, most of the clouds seemed to dry up by the time we got to the second round of games. A few of them even parted later in the day, leaving the final few rounds to be played in (glorious?) sunshine. There was some good korfball on display too, especially once the balls had dried out a little and the players managed to adapt to the courts and conditions.

This was to be a record breaking event in many senses: it was the first time that it had rained in Dundee, ever (honest). It was the biggest Dundee Day in the club’s short but glorious history, with a total of twelve teams from eight different clubs. And it was the first time that the event had attracted any truly international competitors, with KC Terda’s team trundling all the way over from Breda in Holland just to return Dundee’s compliments (after DKC brought their first silverware home from Etten Leur last Summer). And we made sure that our visitors didn’t go home empty handed, of course. 🙂

The most important points for me to summarise here are (i) a bunch of heartfelt thank-you’s, and (ii) the final results from a very enjoyable and eventful day (literally).

So, here are the final standings (full results are at the end of this article):

1. KC Terda (unbeaten all day long)
2. Edinburgh University 2
3. Edinburgh City
4. Ligers (Lancaster alumni)
5. St. Andrews University
6. Edinburgh University 1
7. Dundee Dragons
8. Lancaster University 1
9. Northern Storm (based around Tyneside)
10. Glasgow
11. Dundee Crocodiles
12. Lancaster University 2 (losing out only on their head to head with the Crocs)

And a few of the many thank-you’s that are owed:

• To 12 teams of superstars, for showing up and playing in such good spirits throughout the day. Particular mentions here for the two clubs travelling all the way up from England: Northern Storm (looking very strong, despite being only 1 year old!) and Lancaster Uni (a very impressive 3 teams strong, including their team of alumni Ligers).
• To KC Terda, who not only travelled all the way from Holland, but even presented Dundee with a brand-new, signed-by-everyone, korfball. We shall treasure that. 🙂
• To Lucie Maupetit, from Edinburgh City, for graciously accepting our last-minute request to manage the results desk, for keeping everyone calm, and for keeping the whole day running to schedule.
• To the fantastic bunch of people that make up and hang around Dundee Korfball Club, for mucking in throughout the day and making it into success. Particular mentions here must go to:
  • Erwin, for owning a tow-bar, for being on-time at a moment of considerable stress, and for ferrying various people to various places at various point in the day.
  • Mary, for being everywhere and doing everything, always.
  • Ross, Paul, Alan, Jake, Emely, Lauren, the two Carolines and everyone else for bringing equipment and being there nice and early to help to get the tents and signposts etc. set up in the early morning drizzle.
  • Chris, Andy and Fiona for helping Erwin with the shuttle-bus runs.
  • Rosie and Hamish Lloyd, for kidding the tuck-shop all day long, and for only blowing the air-horn at appropriate times!
  • Steven, for magically sorting out some recycling bins for all the rubbish that we generated.
  • Caroline S, for sorting out the press photographer, and generally looking happy.
  • Caroline C, for ‘rousing the crowd with her perfectly timed arrival for the group photo. And then making the Gazebo take off.
  • Philippa, for being the newest kid on the block – 7 straight games playing as a guest for Ed City looked like quite an introduction to Scottish korfball.
  • Nicola, for being our second-newest recruit, and guesting for the Crocs from the fledgling Perth Korfball Club.
  • Eleanor, for traipsing 4 sets of pitch tapes all the way up from Crewe & Nantwich, and once again helping out Dundee’s highest placed team (the mighty Dragons).
  • Lauren, Fiona, Terri, and both Carolines for manning the BBQ and food stalls, and baking their hearts out beforehand.

Full results: