Champions Kingussie name their new skipper for the coming season
Thomas Borthwick will captain the Kingussie first team for the 2025 shinty season.
Like most clubs, the Kings change their captain each season and Thomas Borthwick is the choice of manager Iain Borthwick, and he takes over the position from defender Calum Grant.
Thomas Borthwick takes on the captaincy role during a particular period of silverware success for the Red and Blues who have taken 11 of the last 12 senior trophies on offer.
Savio Genini skippered a Grand Slam winning side in 2022, managed by John Gibson in his final year as in charge whilst James Falconer was captain a year later when Iain Borthwick’s side won the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup, the cottages.com MacTavish Cup and the Mowi Premiership in his first season at the helm.
Calum Grant’s tenure as captain came next and saw a second Grand Slam haul in three years and it is now Thomas Borthwick’s turn to take up the mantle.
Boss Iain Borthwick said: “Thomas deserves this honour, and he is the obvious choice in many ways as he’s the second oldest player in the squad after Lee Bain.
“He broke into the first team at such a young age and was part of the 2011 MacTavish Cup winning side when I played so he’s been around a long time.
“He did take time out for a couple of years and also had an enforced spell on the sidelines with a bad knee injury but he’s worked hard and done so well to battle his way back to full fitness.
“Thomas is a good leader, the boys look up to him, and all the boys get on so well together anyway that all the others will be chuffed for him.”
Kingussie are back training this week and although the versatile Borthwick has starred in the club’s forward line in the past, he featured more often across the midfield last season.
With Ruaridh Anderson, James Falconer, Savio Genini, Dylan Borthwick and with a fit again 2022 Mowi national player of the year Roddy Young now all competing for the four forward berths, Thomas Borthwick is also likely to play in midfield this coming season.
Borthwick remarked: “Thomas is an experienced player and is very versatile too and able to play in a number of positions.
“He is a great option for both the centre line and the forward line although I’m not sure how he would do if we played him in defence.”
