Student Rugby at Falmer

[Badger]

I was at university in York and they've had the Roses rivalry with the University of Lancaster since 1965. 3 days of sports and drinking every May. It's always been a fun weekend with some close sporting contests and great events in the evenings.

It currently stands at:
York 26
Lancaster 25
Draws 1

 

[Notters]

Sounds good - wasn't aware of it - how long ago was this?

They certainly had it in 2000 / 2001...

 

[Husty]

My thoughts exactly.

Mine's dropped out of one of the sports teams setup because the whole culture is around the 'social evenings', and if you don't want to get involved in the drinking games and humiliation every week (the 'social evenings' include loads that have no intention of actually playing/training) then you're basically ignored. Shame really, should be about the sport first.

Is your son a bit of a pussy then?

 

[Billy in Bristol]

I don't get where all this "varsity" stuff has suddenly appeared from. Seems like every uni now has to have a rivalry with a local one, for the sole purpose of a weekend loosely based around sporting fixtures but mostly drinking. Students + sports + lots of alcohol + a randomly concocted "rivalry" encourages by both student unions, it's hardly surprising it gets a bit out of hand. Can't see how it's really newsworthy.

I am responsible for all this Varsity stuff across the country. Working for Oxfam in the mid 90's went round the country in 1996 setting up loads of Varsity Rugby matches between old unis / old polys. From the 19 matches I created and Oxfam bankrolled...lots more over the years have sprung up. I am proud of my kickstarting but somewhat airbrushed out of the history as the Unis are a bit ashamed they didn't think of it. Did try to do a Brighton one but no stadium at the time...I think you might remember bit of a shortage in those days. So you can blame a Brighton fan for all this. �� was at the Bristol Varsity and that kicked off as well...kifs today huh.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Wow, I must have touched a nerve.

Perhaps.

I'm saddened that this year's event was overshadowed by mindless violence.

The rivalry means a lot to many members of the various teams that competed from both Universities.

Maybe one day, the matches could be played at the Amex (post season of course) where security and stewarding is of a very high standard.

 

[Wrong-Direction]

I blame these American teen movies, which I used to watch..

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

 

[Billy in Bristol]

I was at university in York and they've had the Roses rivalry with the University of Lancaster since 1965. 3 days of sports and drinking every May. It's always been a fun weekend with some close sporting contests and great events in the evenings.

It currently stands at:
York 26
Lancaster 25
Draws 1

If you imagine pre internet days as I do. I went round lots of unis working my way from Bristol...and not one told me about the Roses. Showed how insular student sport was. After the first season of Oxfam Varsity in 1996/7 really encouraged those participating to make use of block fixtures and get everyone involved. In the end they did when BUSA fell kindly now it is universal.

 

[dazzer6666]

Is your son a bit of a pussy then?

Well if you'd rather be playing cricket instead of being duck-taped to a tree after drinking someone else's alcohol-induced puke makes you a pussy, then I guess he is.

 

[Billy in Bristol]

It was great in Nottingham. There were crowds of circa 15k for both the football and the cricket (at Meadow Lane / the City Ground and Trent Bridge). Don't recall any naughtiness though.

One I Kickstarted with Rugby in 1997. Though Trent didn't want to know in Year One.Loughborough played instead. Trent soon got on board. I hear that the Ice Hockey vs Sheffield is insane.

 

[Billy in Bristol]

I reffed Kent v CCCU Varsity and a year later did Warwick v Coventry.

Amazing atmospheres.

Do they still play the Kent match at Canerbury RFC ? Always great fun but very cold on that hill. The Coventry match was a curtain raiser to the Wasps match at the Ricoh. Glad you enjoy. When we started out all the rugby refs loved it. Ed Morrison. Tony Spreadbury. Derek Bevan. Jim Fleming all did their local ones...even a 21 year old Wayne Barnes did one in London. You are in illustrious company.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Perhaps.

I'm saddened that this year's event was overshadowed by mindless violence.

The rivalry means a lot to many members of the various teams that competed from both Universities.

Maybe one day, the matches could be played at the Amex (post season of course) where security and stewarding is of a very high standard.

Fair enough.

Just to explain where I come from, as re-reading my post it does come accross a bit strong.

I was quite heavily involved in university sports when I was at uni (2003-07), particularly American Football and a spot of rugby. The drinking/lad behaviour culture was always massive on Weds sports social nights and after weekend matches. We had a couple of big cross-sports events: rugby 7's and an inter-sport competition, and they were absolute carnage drinking and behaviour-wise. We all had our various rivalries with other unis, mostly local but some a bit further away for different reasons in different sports. If there'd been an organised "varsity" weekend where the whole uni banded together against another one, it'd have been absolute chaos no doubt. They now do it, and god knows what its like.It's next week actually, given the international break maybe I should head up and see! Personally it feels very plastic to me, but I guess the students there now don't feel that way. I sort of feel like it must be similar for other university "rivalries", but maybe I'm doing everyone a disservice.

 

[Simster]

It was great in Nottingham. There were crowds of circa 15k for both the football and the cricket (at Meadow Lane / the City Ground and Trent Bridge). Don't recall any naughtiness though.

Not when i was there there wasn't!

 

[Gwylan]

When I was a student at Sussex University, we used to scoff at the word "Varsity". It conjured up pictures of Oxford and Cambridge that were the complete antithesis of everything we thought Sussex stood for.

And, if we were going to do violence, the targets we selected were political, like the American embassy or government ministers meeting in Brighton.

Yeah, what are university students coming to? When I was at uni, I didn't hear anyone from my (or any non-Oxbridge place) talk about 'varsity' - we'd have ripped the piss out of anyone who did.

And I grew up in Moulsecoomb and never heard of any rivalry between the uni and the poly (as it was) - must be a recent thing.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

I quite liked "we get AABs. You get STDs". As a Brighton poly student, I can confirm this is true.

 

[The Birdman]

I going to the Army vrs Navy Rugby at Twickenham hope they behave and I will be missing the Bristol game come on sky change it to Friday or Sunday.

 

[The Clamp]

Sounds ghastly. Rugby playing students have always been wankers of the highest order, throw in the vile attitude of Varsity and Americanised attitudes of "college" jocks and you've got a pretty unsavoury load of old bollocks.

 

[W.C.]

Well if you'd rather be playing cricket instead of being duck-taped to a tree after drinking someone else's alcohol-induced puke makes you a pussy, then I guess he is.

You've just described Husty's ideal Saturday night out.

 

[dazzer6666]

[emoji38] You've just described Husty's ideal Saturday night out.

 

[Fignon's Ponytail]

It wasn't just the rugby lot that caused trouble though.......................several other sports involved

Thankfully not the American Football team though from what I have heard. They get rid of all their aggression & violent tendencies on the field, rather than off it!

 

[The Birdman]

They should have all been at the Amex learning how to serve a pint