Christmas coin celebrates traditional ball game

A traditional ball game dating back to the 1760s and played on Boxing Day each year has been celebrated on a special coin collection.

The Manx game of Cammag pits people from the north against those from the south in a game that is similar to Scotland's shinty or hurling in Ireland.

Held on the Tynwald Fairfield annually on 26 December, the annual match sees teams compete with homemade sticks to score as many goals as possible.

The commemorative £2 coin depicts two players taking part in the contest, which dates back to at least the 1760s, in front of the Royal Chapel in St John's.

The piece is the latest in a series of Christmas coins released by the Isle of Man Post Office in recent years.

Cammag remains a prominent feature in the Manx calendar when at 14:00 GMT on St Stephen's Day the community gathers for the match.

While similar to other traditional ball games, the sport does not have formalised rules, and there were no limits to team numbers.

James Franklin of Culture Vannin said it remained a "community sport" with an emphasis on "coming together and having fun".

He said while the game had become less widespread over the past 130 years following the arrival of football on Manx shores, there are still some who would remember playing it as youths in the streets of Peel.

Interest in the sport, which was a "key part of culture and identity", had been once again "growing" in recent times, and it was "wonderful" to see it celebrated by the post office, he added.

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