In June next year, the battle will start between villages on the border of Groningen and Drenthe. Then the first Semslinie is held: a week full of sporting and playful matches between six villages on either side of the provincial border.
The Semslinie, the age -old border line between Groningen and Drenthe, forms the symbolic basis of the event. “That line was drawn in the seventeenth century to create clarity about who could win the valuable peat: Groningen or Drenthe,” explains Ratgers. “We now use that historic rivalry between the provinces as a playful starting point.”
The participants in the Semslinie are: Nieuwediep, Stadskanaal Noord, Bareveld, Gasselternijveenschemond, Eexterveenschekanaal and Annerveenschekanaal.
“Every village puts its own team together,” says Ratgers. “During several evenings in the week from 6 to 13 June 2026, the villages compete against each other in various activities. Think of rowing, sliding freight (praam drafts), football and other playful matches.”
The competitions are spread over locations in the various villages, for example on sports fields, ice rinks and channels. “This way every village literally gets a role in the event,” says Ratgers.
According to the organization, the first reactions from the villages are positive and enthusiastic. Yet it remains a challenge, especially because the event is going over provincial borders. “We hope for good cooperation with municipalities and competent authorities. Because this brings people in motion and connects each other.”
To put the organization well, Dorpsbelangen Nieuwediep is advised by the exhibition association Oostermoer, known for the Oostermoerfeesten in Gasselte. “We don’t have to find everything ourselves, but build on their knowledge,” says Ratgers.
The organization is convinced: the Semslinie playing continues. “As far as we are concerned, it is 100 percent certain,” says Ratgers. “Whether it is seven days or three, we still see that. The most important thing is that we start.”