The Schools Shooting Academy coach returned recently from Australia as part of the victorious Great Britain Rifle Team which retained the World Long Range Rifle Championship, in Brisbane.

Tom Rylands explained, �The Championships, called the Palma Trophy, represented the culmination of nearly two years of practice and training and the British team set several records on the way, including achieving a third successive Palma victory.�

He continued, �Target Rifle shooting is one of the oldest recognised sports, the UK national body being formed in 1859 and the first Queen�s prize held in 1860. The Palma Trophy (originally the Creedmoor Match) was first competed for in 1876 and is now held every 4 years. �It is always an honour to represent one�s country in your chosen sport, particularly in a sport which is open to all ages at the highest levels� commented Tom.

In a letter of congratulations from the Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson MP, stated,  �Results such as this are not only great news for the team but also reflect enormously well on sport in general � particularly in the build up to a home Olympics�.

The Shooting Academy provides an opportunity for aspiring elite athletes to train and develop their abilities towards gaining representative honours and ultimately a potential Olympic place.

17th November 2011  Back to News