Varsity 2017: sports clubs speak

What aspect of Varsity 2017 are you most looking forward to?

Men’s Swimming Captain (Oli Bell): I’m looking forward to coming away with a win. Last year the boys came up slightly short but I am confident we can do the business this year.

Women’s Swimming Captain (Danielle Rooke): Winning! The atmosphere on campus is unbeatable during varsity, everyone’s really proud to be at Warwick.

Men’s Cricket Club Captain (Jacob Sargeant): Varsity 2017 gives us the opportunity to redeem ourselves from last year and be the victors this year. As BUCS indoor champions last year it was a shame that we couldn’t triumph in Varsity. This year however there is all to play for.

Women’s Netball BUCS Captain (Jess Oshodi): I’m most looking forward to playing in front of a massive crowd. Last year was amazing with the number of people that came to watch so hopefully there will be even more this time. I’m also so excited to spend an entire weekend running around supporting as many games as possible especially in sports I don’t normally get the opportunity to watch.

Warwick Squash President (Declan O’Callaghan): Varsity is one of those feel good events which reminds us of why we play sport. The inter-club spirit generated by Varsity gives rise to a real sense of pride in representing our University, and to be able to contribute to this is something that I am most looking forward to doing!

Women’s Football (Kate McKinney): Getting a Women’s Football win! After last year’s late loss, I think all of the girls are ready to rally together to settle the score!

Ultimate Frisbee President (Cathy Hensman): I’m most looking forward to beating Coventry in Varsity overall as we already know we’ll win the Ultimate Frisbee match.

Why is Varsity important to you?

Oli Bell: I think trying to maintain Warwick’s undefeated record makes the whole event important- you don’t want to be the team to break it!

Danielle Rooke: Swimmers are really competitive so we love any opportunity to race. It’s also great to be able to compete on home turf, with the support of a home crowd!

Jacob Sargeant: Varsity allows us the opportunity to put into practice what we work all through term 2 and 3 for. Our BUCS matches don’t take place until term 3 outdoors and therefore the opportunity to play a competitive game against a strong opponent is a great way to prepare for the outdoor season. With the viewing platform in Desso it is a great way to get the entire club involved both for Coventry and Warwick, as supporters can come and cheer on their respective clubs creating an atmosphere that is incredible to play in.

Jess Oshodi: I love the feeling of representing Team Warwick alongside all the other sports – it really does feel like the entire campus unifies into one team with sport taking priority on campus for one weekend of the year.

Declan O’Callaghan: Varsity is one of the main events throughout the year that gives us the opportunity to showcase what an entertaining (but gruelling) sport Squash is to the rest of the University. Of course, the importance of maintaining that 100% success rate that Warwick Squash have is unparalleled!

Kate McKinney: It is a highlight of the football calendar and really demonstrates the team spirit of our club, I can’t wait to be involved!

Cathy Hensman: Varsity is important as it gets all the sports clubs across campus together in one competition.

What makes your sport/event so special?

Oli Bell: It’s something which the whole club gets involved in, whether they are competing or supporting. We also have non-point scoring lanes in the pool, meaning people who don’t usually get the chance to compete can get involved, which is really good to see!

Danielle Rooke: Swimming takes a lot of dedication and commitment, but it’s also a really rewarding sport.

Jacob Sargeant: Varsity cricket is a great way to prepare for the outdoor season but as the event is held indoors the smaller fast paced matches provide intense viewing that is sometimes lost outdoors. There is a real need for teamwork especially with indoor cricket and this is a great way to really triumph as a club and develop as a team. 

Jess Oshodi: Netball is a sport both universities are strong in and will certainly be a match that on paper can go either way, which makes for an exciting unpredictable outcome. With the speed at which goals can be scored in netball any lead can be turned over so the game really isn’t over until the very end. And with our exciting and unpredictable win against the previously undefeated Oxford 1s we will be going into the game with confidence.

Declan O’Callaghan: It is incomparably brutal, entertaining, and extremely addictive! I know of very few people that watch our teams play without walking away wanting more Squash! In terms of stereotypes, at Warwick Squash it is certainly true that our teams are extremely (maybe a little too) close. This feeds throughout into our club giving us our unique family feel that we pride ourselves upon (its one hell of a big family!).

Kate McKinney: I think football is special because it brings people together. People from so many different walks of life enjoy playing and watching football. It is something that people have in common and that is important, especially with current global events pulling people apart!

Cathy Hensman: Ultimate Frisbee is special as Warwick Bears are dominant both at Varsity and nationally, meaning it’s a great chance to watch what is probably a new sport to many students at a high level with an almost guaranteed Warwick win to cheer for.