Shieldhill table tennis star Lara Stirling does the double with partner Rebecca Plaistow at Scottish National Championships

Falkirk table tennis star Lara Stirling says she is already looking to make it three on the spin after securing a second consecutive national senior doubles title alongside her playing partner, Scotland’s current number one women’s player, Rebecca Plaistow.
By Ben Kearney
Published 16th Mar 2024, 02:00 BST
Updated 17th Mar 2024, 01:16 BST
Lara Stirling (middle) and doubles partner Rebecca Plaistow with their trophy (Photo: Table Tennis Scotland)Lara Stirling (middle) and doubles partner Rebecca Plaistow with their trophy (Photo: Table Tennis Scotland)
Lara Stirling (middle) and doubles partner Rebecca Plaistow with their trophy (Photo: Table Tennis Scotland)

Shieldhill ace Stirling, 29, travelled to Largs for the 2024 Senior Scottish National Championships earlier this month looking to retain the doubles’ crown, and the deadly duo cruised to victory, with the pair now having collected the 2019, 2023 and 2024 doubles prize together.

And the sports therapist, who works in Skin Geek on Redding Road, reckons they can continue to continue to impress on the national stage – despite now living over 100 miles away from each other.

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Kilbirnie native Plaistow now lives in Newcastle working as an NHS dietician, and that leaves the pair unable to train together.

Lara Stirling and doubles partner Rebecca Plaistow, who now lives in Newcastle (Photo: Table Tennis Scotland)Lara Stirling and doubles partner Rebecca Plaistow, who now lives in Newcastle (Photo: Table Tennis Scotland)
Lara Stirling and doubles partner Rebecca Plaistow, who now lives in Newcastle (Photo: Table Tennis Scotland)

"It makes it that bit more special to win the doubles again,” Stirling told the Falkirk Herald. “Rebecca lives in Newcastle now and we cannot train together at all. We keep in touch via social media and we are great friends, but in terms of actually playing together, we simply don’t get the chance to play together until it comes to a big event.

"Winning the doubles again is a brilliant achievement and I am just so proud of us for doing it. It is a tough sport and the people playing are getting better and better.

"That’s three times we have won it now together, and I previously won it back in 2015 with Rachel Crawford, so I have a pretty good record now. I think we have won it the most as a pair now too.”

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Stirling, who plays out of Grange Table Tennis Club and it currently fifth in the women’s rankings, is now hoping to make it another win next year in at least the doubles alongside Rebecca, but her dream would be to also take home the singles title.

“I feel like I still have a wee bit to go yet before thinking about calling it a day. I love playing,” Stirling beamed. “I would love to have a couple of singles secured too at one point. That would be a dream come true for me.

"The doubles will hopefully keep going the way they have been, myself and Rebecca really have a great chemistry between us and she is only 24 and I am 29 so we are semi-young enough to still think about really breaking some records.”

Related topics:ScotlandFalkirkNewcastle