Cock of the Walk

Peter Mallett, Staff Writer ~

Esquimalt’s military units will soon have something to crow about with a revamped Cock of the Walk sports competition taking flight again in May.

With fun, fitness and friendly competition between the base’s military units in mind, Personnel Support Services (PSP) sports staff will roll out the seven-event, year-long multi-sport competition.

Cock of the Walk kicks off with a ball hockey tournament May 15 to 19, and concludes eight months later in February 2018 with ice hockey as its final event.

Other competitions include:

• Slo Pitch, June 26 to 30;
• Soccer, Aug. 28 to Sept. 1;
• Badminton and Squash, Oct. 2 to 6;
• National Sports Day, Oct. 20;
• Basketball, Jan. 15 to 18, 2018, and
• Hockey, Feb. 5 to 9, 2018.

Although bragging rights and an overall Cock of the Walk trophy will be handed out, the competition has less to do about athletic competition and more about getting everyone out on the field of play, says PSP Sports Coordinator Heather Catte.

“Cock of the Walk is really an effort to maximize fitness opportunities and participation across base units and members of the Fleet,” says Catte. “We hope it succeeds in efforts to increase morale, promote fitness and establish esprit de corps.”

The launch of the competition requires unit sports representatives to promote and communicate details of the events, prepare eligibility lists, and assist in the recruitment of support staff for scorekeeping and officiating duties throughout the competition.

The last time a Cock of the Walk competition was held at the base was 2015.

The term Cock of the Walk originated from an 18th Century tradition of the Royal Navy. It has been used in naval and civilian circles with its connotation to mean a champion of a regatta or sports meet, or a combination of these events. According to naval tradition, the winning ship of a Cock of the Walk competition would hoist a brightly painted, galvanised iron silhouette of a male domestic foul to the vessel’s yardarm.

Participation is open to both Regular Force members and currently-on-contract Reservists. All participants must have valid FORCE Test certification to compete in the events. A member of a foreign force who is attached to, or on an exchange with the Regular Force is also eligible.

The format of each sports competition will include two separate divisions, a Fleet Division and a Base Division. The points leader in each division will face each other in a championship game, with the overall points leader taking the title, and thus earning sports bragging rights for the year.