The 2016 Interland match on 21 February was hosted by Belgium. Our hosts, the Belgian federation – Vlaams Verbond voor Oriënteringssporten (VVO) achieved a convincing win; England were second and Fédération Régionale des Sports d’Orientation (FRSO) third. This is the 21st anniversary of England’s first participation in 1995 and the first time England has been bettered. England won the embedded Youth Cup (aggregate under 20 scores) by a narrow margin from VVO.

England competes annually in this pentangular match against these two Belgian teams (Flemish and French speaking), the Netherlands – Nederlandse Oriënteringsloop Bond (NOLB), and the French Ligue Nord–Pas de Calais de course d’orientation (LNPCCO). The Interland race was staged near Brasschaat on Maria ter Heide, 25km NE of Antwerp. The terrain, a mix of woodland and heath, is part of a military field firing range and was pretty flat and wet, sometimes very wet, with lots of small detail (mapped at 1:10000/VI 2.5m).

Whilst the competition is a team effort, spanning age groups from 14 to 60+: teams of 42, individual wins were recorded by: Lucy Tonge (W17), Pippa Dakin (W20), Alison Simmons (W60), Daniel Spencer (M17), and Clive Hallett (M50). Rosie Spencer (W14), Ella Gilbert (W20), Sara Campbell (W50), Janet Rosen (W60), Charlie Adams (W50) and Ian Ditchfield (M60) gained second places; and thirds were recorded by Zac Hudd (M17), Gavin Clegg (M60) and Helen Gardner – the latter thus completing an English clean sweep in W60: 1,2,3. The complete team and individual results are on the VVO Results page (21 Feb).
Team Results
Individual Results

We were very well hosted by Vlaams Verbond voor Oriënteringssporten (VVO): and the TROL orienteering club. I’d also like to record the team’s thanks to Helen Gristwood for sorting out all the clothing and procuring the extra food, to Allan Farrington of EMIT(UK) for the loan of the team’s EMIT cards, and to the many parents, both orienteers and not, who supported team members by helping with travel, some from a long way away.
The 2017 Interland cup is to be hosted in Belgium on 2 April by Fédération Régionale des Sports d’Orientation (FRSO) near Herbeumont, in the Province of Luxembourg.