The Valerie Fraser Trophy also known as the Valerie Fraser Camanachd Cup or the Women's Camanachd Cup is the premier trophy for women

Women's shinty

Women's shinty is a sport identical to the men's game - with the same rules, same sized pitch and same equipment. However its history is significantly different. Social pressures - along with the broader game's self image - resulted in a largely hidden history until comparatively recently...

 in the sport

Sport

A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...

 of shinty

Shinty

Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...

. It is played on a knock-out basis by the teams in the National League and is administered by the Women's Camanachd Association.

History

The trophy was originally donated to the Camanachd Association

Camanachd Association

The Camanachd Association is the World governing body of the Scottish sport of shinty. The body is based in Inverness, Highland, and is in charge of the rules of the game...

 in memory of Valerie Fraser. It was originally a trophy for male teams and it was won by Glenurquhart

Glenurquhart Shinty Club

Glenurquhart Shinty Club is a shinty team which plays in Drumnadrochit on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland. It draws its players from the part of the Great Glen which encompasses Drumnadrochit, Lewiston and Glenurquhart...

 in 1991. Some years later, after the competition fell into abeyance, it was donated to the Women's Camanachd Association and was first played for in 2002. The trophy is sponsored by Peter Gow.

In 2009, the WCA held the semi-finals on one day at University of Stirling

University of Stirling

The University of Stirling is a campus university founded by Royal charter in 1967, on the Airthrey Estate in Stirling, Scotland.-History and campus development:...

.http://www.stirlingobserver.co.uk/stirling-sport/other-sport-stirling/2009/06/03/shinty-university-action-51226-23770012/ Glengarry defeated Tir Conaill Harps 2-1 to win the 2009 Cup.

There is also a national trophy for Division Two teams, the Caledonian Canal

Caledonian Canal

The Caledonian Canal is a canal in Scotland that connects the Scottish east coast at Inverness with the west coast at Corpach near Fort William. It was constructed in the early nineteenth century by engineer Thomas Telford, and is a sister canal of the Göta Canal in Sweden, also constructed by...

Challenge Cup.

Previous winners

• 2009 - Glengarry (Runners up - Tir Conaill Harps)
• 2008 - Tir Conaill Harps (Runners up - Glengarry)
• 2007 - Forth Camanachd (Runners up - Glasgow Mid Argyll)
• 2006 - Glasgow Mid Argyll (Runners up - Glengarry)
• 2005 - Glengarry (Runners up - Edinburgh)
• 2004 - Glengarry (Runners up - Kingussie)
• 2003 - Glasgow Mid Argyll (Runners up - Glengarry B)
• 2002 - Glengarry (Runners up - Kingussie)

Previous winners of men's competition

• 1987 Caberfeidh
• 1988 Caberfeidh
• 1989 Strathglass
• 1990 Glenurquhart
• 1991 Glenurquhart
• 1992 Kinlochshiel