Cornwall Commonwealth Games Association

The Cornwall Commonwealth Games Association (CCGA) is a pressure group, set up in a bid to have a team from Cornwall at future Commonwealth Games, as opposed to competing in the England team. [ [http://www.campaigncornwall.com/ Cornwall Commonwealth Games Campaign website] ] It is not recognised as a Commonwealth Games Association, the constituent bodies of the worldwide Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). An application to participate in the 2006 Commonwealth Games was refused by the Commonwealth Games Federation. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4575246.stm BBC news, Jan 2006 - Cornish denied Commonwealth Games membership] ]

The campaign does however have the full support of many Cornish organisations including the Cornish political party Mebyon Kernow. [ [http://www.mebyonkernow.org Mebyon Kernow supports Cornish Commonwealth Games bid] ] [ [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/grahamhart/ccga.htm Cornwall Commonwealth Games] ]

Background

The CCGA claims that Cornwall should be allowed to participate, in the same respect as England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Cornwall is the only home Celtic nation which is not represented in the Commonwealth Games.

The CCGA needs no recognised madate, and if accepted into the CGF would be the supreme authority in selecting the team.It has no affliation with any of the sporting bodies in Cornwall or the UK, and does not have the support of any official sporting body. However it does have the support of many prominent Cornish sportspersons including former British and Irish Lions and Cornish rugby legend Brian 'Stack' Stevens. [ [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/grahamhart/committee.htm CCGA] ]

However, Minister of Sport the Rt Hon Richard Caborn MP, stated that "participation in the Commonwealth Games is not a matter for the Government but falls within the remit of the Games Committee (CGF) who are the supreme authority in all matters affecting the Commonwealth Games". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4575246.stm BBC news, Jan 2006 - Cornish Commonwealth Games Association] ]

Coverage of the campaign

Previously HRH Prince Charles had wished the Cornish Commonwealth Games Association's application the best of luck. [ [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/grahamhart/letter-index.htm CCGA letters] ]

The campaign has received worldwide publicity, especially in Australia and has been covered across the UK media in the national newspapers and radio and on BBC 'Radio Five Live', Radio Cornwall, Pirate FM, BBC Radio Jersey. [ [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/grahamhart/letter-index.htm CCGA letters] ]

Future activity

The Cornish CGA are now considering legal action for the right for Cornwall to participate in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, and in future Games. [ [http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/grahamhart/letter-index.htm CCGA letters] ]

Cornish sportspeople

The President of the CCGA is a former Cornish rugby player Brian 'Stack' Stevens, who won 83 Cornish caps and went on to represent the British and Irish Lions in Australia and New Zealand in 1971. If Cornwall did have a Commonwealth Team in 2006, then it would have had some success (this is based on these people choosing to represent Cornwall, rather than compete, as they have up to now for England). [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/results/default.stm BBC news, Commonwealth Games 2006] ] These athletes are either all originally born in Cornwall, or live there now:
*Nick Nieland- Men's Javelin- Gold Medal.
*Pinky Le Grelle- Women's Trap Shooting- Silver Medal.
*Jemma Simpson- Women's 800m- 6th Place.
*Cassie Patten - First ever women's Olympic open water 10km marathon 2008 - Bronze medal [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7594949.stm BBC News - September 2008 - Civic reception for Olympic star] ]
*Annie Vernon - Quad Scull - Silver at the Beijing Olympics 2008, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/rowing/7566307.stm BBC News - August 2008 - Annie Vernon] ] Quad Scull, Gold at the World Championships 2007. Cornwall would be able to field a strong Cornish rugby union sevens team being able to draw from a wealth of Cornish ex-pat players from the Guinness Premiership such as Rob Thirlby and from the Cornish Pirates, Redruth R.F.C. and Launceston "Cornish All Blacks". [ [http://www.trelawnysarmy.org.uk/ TA - The Cornish Rugby Supporters' Club] ] Descendants of Cornish parents like the Zimbabwean Mountainbiker Warren Carne "may" also be eligible to represent Cornwall in the future should they choose to do so.

ee also

* Territories and Nations yet to send teams to the Commonwealth Games
* List of topics related to Cornwall

References

External links

* [http://home.btconnect.com/graham-hart/campaign-latest.htm CCGA news]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/commonwealthgames2002/spl/nations/html/default.stm Commonwealth Games Participating Nations] , bbc.co.uk