Sgt Scott Glanville Hits the Mark for RAF Target Rifle

From novice Air Cadet to being selected for his first overseas GB cap, Scott Glanville’s aptitude and passion for Target Rifle has seen him flourish both as a talented athlete and inspirational coach.

With an impressive array of titles including Vice-Captain and Adjutant for England, and Vice-Captain for the UKAF team, Scotty was recently also crowned RAF Sports Coach of the Year 2025.

Talking to us about his journey into shooting and experiences with the RAF Small Arms Association, Scotty’s story showcases the exciting world of RAF Target Rifle.

“I had always wanted to join the military, and after failing a medical to become aircrew aged 20, I decided that the next best thing to flying planes, would be fixing them! I loved the culture that the RAF had; a professional calmness that encouraged people to give things a try. There were plenty of opportunities to progress and the team bonding and camaraderie were second to none.

I started playing football after work when I was based at RAF Benson, but I quickly realised it was not my forte! I wasn’t that interested in other popular sports either, but I knew that I still wanted to take advantage of the sporting opportunities available to me.

Drawing on my previous experience as a cadet where I had shot reasonably well, I was put in touch with the team at Bisley, which is about an hour away from Benson. This experienced club has previously had many members shoot for their respective Home Nations and Great Britain, with a few winning Commonwealth Games medals. Within my first year I was shooting for the RAF in the Inter-Services – this was a massive rush, and I was instantly hooked!

Though generally an individual sport, in target rifle team matches there can be up to three additional people supporting the firer: a central coach, a target coach and a plotter. As you progress, you naturally end up working through these roles to support the team. By doing this, your own shooting inevitably improves as you learn the nuances of each individual range.

The RAF Target Rifle Club recognises that there is huge benefit to members gaining experience with other teams, and from an early stage I was encouraged to apply for the National Rifle Association (NRA) and later the England team as well.

Around five years ago, my personal shooting practice had to take a backseat when I had the privilege of taking over the team captaincy. Fortunately, I was much better at this than my earlier football endeavours!

Having an active role in the growth and development of the team and getting to encourage others in a sport that I love has been a way of paying back the support I have had on my own journey. My commitment and passion for the sport has since led to me being selected as a Vice-Captain and Adjutant for England, and also Vice-Captain for the UKAF target rifle team on their first tour in over 20 years!

Earlier this year I was also proud to be Adjutant for the GB Under 19s, supporting the next wave of target rifle athletes.

One of my personal highlights so far is being selected for my first GB cap, giving me the amazing opportunity to tour to the USA and Canada in 2026. It will be an honour and privilege to shoot beside my fellow RAF shooters who have also been selected and is a challenge that I am very much looking forward to.

My future plans for the team revolve around getting us back to a place where we can beat the Army. The RAF team were extremely dominant in the nineties and noughties, and I’d like to see more of the same! We are starting to see the fruits of our labour, enrolling newcomers and getting them up to speed, and we have been tantalisingly close to winning the Inter-Service matches in the last couple of years.

I strongly believe that sport is fantastic to get involved in at any level. I genuinely feel it is one of the best parts of the ‘Service Offer’. Whether it’s section level, Station level or higher, it doesn’t really matter. The main thing is to not be stuck in your room missing out on all the opportunities!

For RAF Target Rifle, we run a newcomer’s event, normally in April, but you can get in touch with us throughout the season. This newcomer’s event runs over two and a half days and is mostly spent on the ranges showcasing what target rifle is and giving personnel the chance to shoot back to 1000 yards.

Part of the event also covers important theoretical and crucial safety training. Our aim is to keep personnel safe, keep them coming back and enjoying shooting, and see each other grow and improve. As a tasty bonus, there is an ice cream van that visits the ranges and plenty of club houses offering refreshments in the evening!

If you are interested, please email me Scott.Glanville869@mod.gov.uk or visit our SharePoint page and register your interest there. There is no experience required, you don’t need a firearms certificate, and we can supply all the kit. It really couldn’t be easier!

Whilst we do not have Target Rifle at station level, I have always had supportive line management, who have worked hard to allow my detachments and exercises to work round the UK Championships each July.

If you have joined the RAF with hopes of international travel, we are very fortunate that our Sports Association also gets to do some fantastic tours – during my time so far, I have participated in three to South Africa, as well as California, the Caribbean and Kenya.

We receive substantial funding from the Central Fund each year and we’re incredibly grateful for the support received. Without this help, RAFSAA simply wouldn’t be able to exist. The support we provide to our members would be hugely impacted and consequently the sport would become prohibitively expensive for most of us.

I am proud to say that I play the Sports Lottery, which not only increases my level of funding whilst giving me the chance to win some big cash prizes but also means that I can give back a little bit of support to sport in the RAF, which I have benefitted from so much already.

Last but certainly not least, I’d like to give a shout out to our retired members who volunteer so much of their time and skills to support the serving team, for very little in way of reward! For me it really highlights that ‘RAF Community’ and camaraderie. Thank you, guys!”