@MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7 ©John Gaisford
www.sport.ox.ac.uk ¥ Supported by VincentÔs Club Qtfax Tmhnm The Club enjoyed a successful season overall, winning three out of the five Varsity matches in November/December 2007. Unfortunately, the Blues failed to win the showpiece game at Twickenham, despite winning 13 out of 16 matches throughout the season. The Greyhounds had a successful season in BUSA Premier South B, and although starting the campaign with minus 6 points, still managed to finish third and go on to win the Shield Competition. The under-20s failed to reach the quarter-finals of the national under-20s competition after their success two years ago, winning one out of their three matches. Former Leicester Tigers Academy captain and Loughborough graduate, Peter Clarke (St Cross), was elected captain in February 2008. He and the players have been working hard on their strength and conditioning since April, in their quest to win the Varsity match at Twickenham on Thursday 11 December; kickoff will be at 2.00 pm. Qtfax Î VnldmÓr OUWRFC enjoyed a successful season despite both teams suffering losses in this year’s Varsity matches. The start of the season was particularly tough for the Club, with just five returning Blues players. Lack of experience and match practice led to a disappointing defeat in the first BUSA match against Chichester, and although a draw was secured with Marjohns, two more losses followed. A mid-season tour to Malta proved to be highly beneficial, with immediate success on return to the BUSA league in Hilary term. The massive improvement in results was testament to the hard work of the coaches and players over the Christmas break and led to a strong finish to the season – third in the Women’s Premier South League, eventually losing to Edinburgh in the BUSA knock-out stages. The Varsity sides were very strong indeed. The Panthers played their best rugby of the season and held a lead throughout most of their match. However, despite their great efforts, the Cambridge Tigers came back powerfully in the second half and the result was a 5–8 loss. The Blues also put in an impressive first-half performance, securing a 12–3 lead. However, after three players had been yellow-carded, the team’s 12 on 15 defence conceded tries, and a
last-minute missed penalty kick resulted in a 13–12 loss. It was a gut-wrenching experience, but despite the great disappointment, both teams played phenomenally well and grew as players as a result. Bqhbjds Î LdmÓr The Oxford UCCE season could have been very different if it had not been for a poor six hours against Loughborough on the final day of the season. However, rain saw the two-day fixture reduced to a one-day match in which Entq sd`lr bntkc g`ud vnm sgd TBBD bg`lohnmrgho nm sgd k`rs c`x+ vhsg Nwenqc mddchmf sn ad`s Kntfganqntfg sn vhm sgdhq rdbnmc shskd hm sgqdd xd`qr- Oxford was bowled out cheaply, thus handing Loughborough the title. Indeed, rain certainly played its part throughout the season, with the Cardiff and Leeds fixtures being abandoned, and also affecting the Middlesex first-class match. The first-class matches were a good experience for Oxford, having a full-strength
Warwickshire side nine wickets down and holding on for a draw and achieving a close finish with Nottinghamshire. Oxford reached the semi-final of the BUSA 50-over competition where they lost a close game against Cardiff, with Robin Lett scoring a fine 120. There were several further excellent individual performances throughout the season: Ed Morse took five wickets against Glamorgan, while Duncan Bradshaw scored an unbeaten 100 against a Nottinghamshire attack which included Stuart Broad. Paul McMahon took seven wickets against Durham and Harry Hooper scored 100 against Cambridge. In 2008, OUCC played host to the inaugural Varsity Twenty20 match. While the season was not without its notable individual and team performances for the Blues, there is no doubt that it will be remembered predominantly as the year in which the Varsity tradition embraced the modern form of the game. The success of the Twenty20 match as an event was not, sadly, matched with a successful result for the Dark Blues; indeed, Oxford failed to fulfil their promise throughout the Varsity campaign. The Blues side handed Cambridge the advantage with some lacklustre and
1
2
ANNUAL SPORTS REVIEW 2008
VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7 uncharacteristically wayward bowling in both the one-day and the Twenty20 games, conceding an astonishing 50 extras in both. While Brendan McKerchar powered his way to 50 from 38 balls in the Twenty20, and Neil Kruger was similarly authoritative at Lord’s, scoring 81 from 71 balls, neither effort was quite enough to prevent defeat for the Dark Blues in both formats. The Blues preparation for the four-day game gathered momentum once the rain had ceased to plague the fixture list. All the top-order batsman had scores behind them, and the bowlers, previously short on overs, were finally finding some rhythm. This time, however, Cambridge took the advantage for themselves: Akbar Ansari’s 193 secured them a healthy first innings total of 386, followed by Ansari’s leg spin, which also proved effective, and his four wickets kept Oxford to 264 with only captain Oli Sadler (77) surpassing 50 for the home side. Cambridge responded with a tentative but nonetheless unflappable 255 for 4 declared and left OUCC needing 378 from 103 overs on the last day for victory. Cambridge’s caution almost cost them: Neil Kruger’s imposing 173 was the centrepiece of a maturely paced chase. Wickets fell, however, just at the wrong times, shattering dreams of a remarkable victory, and Oxford played out the rest of an idyllic summer’s evening in the Parks for a draw. Bqhbjds Î VnldmÓr After the Club’s success in recent years, the 2008 season represented a change in fortunes for OUWCC. The Club was faced with the loss of several key players at the end of the previous season; however, this was balanced by the arrival of a talented wicket keeper/batsman to the UCCE in Sophie LeMarchand, who boasts England ‘A’ credentials. Winter training was strong, with numbers up on recent years, and the team looked good for another assault on the BUSA final, with hopes of finally pulling the trophy out of Loughborough’s iron grip. Summer training began in earnest with the knowledge that three of the Blues (Beth Wild, Sophie LeMarchand and Jen Laycock) had been, once again, selected for their relevant county sides, and that Beth and Sophie would also step a level higher to compete in Super Fours. Unfortunately, the promise of the preseason was not fulfilled as the Club lost out to a combination of injuries and exams that not only ate into training, but also into results. Despite the ever-changing team list, however, OUWCC managed to achieve third place in the BUSA Southern Premier Division. The Club this year surrendered its five-year winning streak in Varsity to a well-drilled Cambridge side, which fielded cleanly and batted intelligently against an Oxford team missing three of its top players to exams. The contest was long and Oxford fought hard, but their inexperience showed in the latter stages. The side goes into the 2009 season, however, in the knowledge that almost the entire Blues squad will be returning under the steady captaincy of Beth Wild.
Qnvhmf
Nm 0/ Itmd 1//6+ NTAB r`v sgd neÜbh`k nodmhmf ne sgd mdv Ekdllhmf An`sgntrd This £4 million world-class facility at Wallingford not only provides a base for current squads, but also symbolises a home for Oxford University rowing. The completion of this wonderful facility was the result of the combined efforts of the current OUBC staff and our large extended family of Old Blues, who take a very active role in supporting the Club.
Khfgsvdhfgs Qnvhmf Î LdmÓr Sgd Khfgsvdhfgs An`s Q`bd gdkc nm D`rsdq Rtmc`x `s Gdmkdx r`v sgd C`qj Aktdr cded`s B`laqhcfd enq sgd rdudmsg rtbbdrrhud xd`q hm ` qnv- Having won the toss, Cambridge elected to race on the Berkshire station in the Blues’ Race. From the start the Light Blue boat inched away, and by the 500-metre mark their advantage had grown past half a length. However, standing with the two Oxford coaches the atmosphere began to change: as the margin became two-thirds of a length, confidence became faith. The faith was honoured: by Fawley (about a kilometre in), the Dark Blues were doing what they do best – winning boat races. Towards the far end of the course, Colin Groshong, Oxford’s coxswain, moved the crew from the fastest flowing water and towards the comparative shelter of the Buckinghamshire bank, and with Oxford in front there was no stopping them: having fought back into the lead, they put the result beyond doubt, stretching out their advantage to two and a half lengths to win in a time of 6 minutes and 15 seconds. Aptly described by the race-day commentator: ‘Oxford look absolutely shattered but very happy, Cambridge look equally shattered but less happy.’ Meanwhile Nephthys, the reserves crew, rowed over the course unopposed: it is the second year that CULRC have elected not to field their reserves boat, Granta. As frustrating as it is for Nephthys not to be able to have a result, they were aware of this from before the start of the season and the crew will have gained good experience for next season.
Khfgsvdhfgs Qnvhmf Î VnldmÓr OUWLRC finished last summer on a high note, winning a bronze medal in lightweight quadruple sculls at the National Rowing championships – the first sculling medal the Club has won. Keen to get lots of racing experience, the Club entered a number of events early on in the 2007–8 season. Wallingford Long Distance Sculls saw OUWLRC finish as the fastest boat on the day, while the Upper Thames Small Boats Head was another success, with one four racing in the men’s division and finishing ahead of some of the men’s crews. With the help of our alumni, we were also able to boat the whole squad at the Fours Head of the River Race, the biggest OUWLRC entry for a number of years. OUWLRC also raced at the British Indoor Rowing championships before finishing Michaelmas term with a short training camp at Wimbleball Lake in Somerset. In January, OUWLRC headed back to Wimbleball Lake for a training camp, which symbolised the final count-down to the Boat Race. On returning from Wimbleball the Club moved to Henley to begin training on the Boat Race stretch. This time gave the crew the chance to train and race alongside Upper Thames women’s crews, and boats from Reading University and the University of West England. Despite this preparation, in an incredibly close race Cambridge edged out the Oxford boat to win the Lightweight Women’s Boat Race by one second. Since then, members of OUWLRC have continued training and racing at a number of national regattas. In particular, Sarah Cornick won a silver medal in the lightweight single sculls at the National Championships. OUWLRC members have also teamed up with members of OUWBC, winning a number of events, including the Wallingford and Metropolitan regatta.
Because this year’s Boat Race took place during the Beijing Olympic year, there were fewer Olympians and World championship athletes taking part in trials for OUBC. Nevertheless, we still boasted a wide variety of quality international rowers within the squad. Returning members from 2007 included vicepresidents, Michal Plotoviak (Poland) and Matt Brown (US), as well as last year’s vicepresident, Andrew Wright (US), and last year’s president, Robin Ejsmond-Frey (GB). From the US, the Club welcomed 35-year-old Mike Wherley, a former world champion and double Olympian who made Boat Race history this year by being the oldest oarsmen ever to take part in the event. Other US internationals in the squad included U23 rowers Charlie Cole and William England, while Jan Herzog from Germany, who participated in the Athens and Sydney Olympics, rowed in the bow seat. Representatives from Great Britain were the U23 world medallists Ben Smith and Oliver Moore, and we were also joined by several rowers from the top rowing schools in the US, including Harvard’s Aussie 6-seat Toby Medaris. The Isis crew was also very strong this year, boasting two Blues from the 2007 race. On the morning of 18 September 2007, OUBC started training for the 154th Boat Race. The squad trained six days a week: two sessions a day from Tuesday to Friday, including a gym session in the morning and a water session in the afternoon, and on the river at Wallingford on Saturdays and Sundays. Our first meeting with Cambridge took place on 3 November at the Fours Head of the River Race in London. This is a timed head race in which 500 fours (coxed, coxless and quads) from all over the world race over the Boat Race course, but in reverse (Mortlake to Putney). OUBC put up coxed and coxless fours, convincingly beating the equivalent Cambridge squads. This was one of the very few indicators we had concerning the relative strength of our squad compared to our Cambridge counterparts – and, after a strong performance, we felt confident. Another significant milestone in the year’s preparation was Trial Eights, at which, on 12 December, we raced two evenly matched eights over the Boat Race course, with shirts ultimately defeating skins in a close race.
After trial eights, we went on a cross-country skiing camp to Davos, Switzerland, before heading off to Mequinenza in Spain in the New Year for our main winter rowing camp. On 29 March 2008, both Oxford crews defeated the Light Blues in the 154th Boat Race. Isis won their toss and, with predictions of poor weather, chose the Surrey station. The Oxford boat had a strong start, but was almost a length down on Goldie by the Mile Post. Coming down the Mile Post straight, however, the Oxford crew established a strong rhythm and started to move past the Goldie boat. They then put in a decisive move coming on to the Surrey bend and by Hammersmith Bridge were in a position to take the race. Oxford cleared Goldie by St Paul’s School and from then on extended the lead to four lengths, crossing the finish line in a time of 20 minutes 43 seconds, with Goldie following 11 seconds later. At 5.15 pm the Blue Boat raced. We had a strong start, and gained a three-quarters of a length lead coming past the Boathouses; off the Middlesex bend Cambridge did well not to let us break out to clear water. Cambridge then put a big effort down the Mile Post straight, clawing back our advantage. However, after they pushed, Oxford pushed, taking back the lead just before the long Surrey bend. This gave the boat some sliding room as it was positioned on the outside of their long bend. Coming through Hammersmith, Cambridge put in one final effort, almost taking it out to three-quarters of a length. However, by St Paul’s the first part of their bend was ending and they had already thrown everything at Oxford. Conditions were turning into a headwind (our favourite) and the Oxford crew found a far stronger rhythm than they had established up to this point in the race. They rapidly began taking seats and Cambridge must have known that their time leading the race would soon be at an end. By Chiswick steps, Oxford had moved past Cambridge and from then on the crew covered their steering moves and aimed to put as much distance as possible between the two boats. In the end, Oxford won by 22 seconds in a time of 20 minutes 53 seconds. VnldmÓr Qnvhmf
NTVAB dldqfdc uhbsnqhntr `s sgd Gdmkdx An`s Q`bdr sghr xd`q+ `bghduhmf vhmr enq ansg sgd Aktd An`s `mc qdrdqud bqdv+ Nrhqhr-
The Blue Boat gained half a length in the first few hundred metres of their race, which they maintained to the finish. Conversely, Osiris went neck and neck with Blondie until Cambridge suffered a boat-stopping crab in the rough conditions, allowing Osiris to pull away. Blondie struggled to pull back lost ground, while Osiris powered forward further to win. The results from Boat Race day sum up a good year for the squad. Reconvening early in September with one returning Blue and a small squad, the pressure was on to start performing
straight away. Both crews compared favourably to their Cambridge counterparts at Fours Head in November, winning the WS3 4+ pennant and narrowly missing out on a win in Senior 2 as well. With another win at Pairs Head and a strong squad performance at the Indoor Rowing championships, confidence was boosted as training intensity increased through the winter months. Hilary term was kick-started with a squad post-Christmas training camp to Hazewinkel, Belgium, which included match races against Furnival, OUWLRC and the Old Girls. Reading University Head in February saw wins for both the crews; WS1 and WS2 eights won by the Blue Boat and WS3 and WS4 eights won by Osiris. The following weekend the Blues gained Headship at the Women’s Eights Head of the River for the first time in the history of the Club, beating Cambridge by 30 seconds. Osiris finished in 40th place, four seconds behind Blondie. The majority of the Boat Race crews were also involved with several big events this summer, including the Henley Women’s Regatta, Henley Royal and National Championships under the guidance of new Head Coach Andy Green. On behalf of OUWBC, I would like to thank all those who contributed to the squad’s success this year; the coaching team, Ian Shore, Megan Patrick, Chris Reid, Andy Green; Rachel Quarrell and the Steering Committee; the old girls; Judy Gleen and OURC; OUBC, Barbara Wilson and the OUBC Trust Fund; and finally our sponsors for a second year, Merrill Lynch. @sgkdshbr After a difficult year previously, 2007–8 proved to be highly successful for OUAC. The traditional first match, freshers’ Varsity, however, ended with mixed results; the men walked away with a convincing victory thanks to a very talented intake of freshers, but the women lost narrowly to a strong Cambridge team. The excellent array of talent on show nevertheless gave Oxford justifiable confidence for the season to come. The next event of significance for the Club was the Field Events and Relays (FEAR) match held indoors for the first time. This proved to be a great success, although once again results were mixed: this time the men’s team, weakened by a series of injuries, was comfortably beaten, but the women won resoundingly 11–3. An excellent time was had by all at the Club’s warm weather training camp. Thirty people went to the Portuguese town of Monteverdi to take advantage of the fantastic indoor and outdoor facilities available. During the camp training groups from the RAF, the Swedish and the Portuguese national squads were put through their paces by OUAC athletes. BUSA outdoors followed a few weeks later, with many OUAC athletes making the finals in a very high standard competition. The climax of the year was of course the Varsity match. The men were looking to avenge a big defeat from the previous year, and achieved precisely that; numerous outstanding performances contributed to a convincing
3
4
ANNUAL SPORTS REVIEW 2008
VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7 116–96 victory. Men’s captain Phil Duggleby led the way with a win in the 400m, modern pentathlete Richard Hildick-Smith led all the way round to win the 800m the hard way, Richard Franzese produced a dominant performance to win the prestigious mile, David Bruce won the steeplechase comfortably and Ian Kimpton produced arguably the performance of the day to win the 5km by a matter of inches. In the field, Alex Skouby won the high jump with an outstanding performance and Andy Bullimore produced a strong last-round jump of 7.01m to win the long jump; but the crowds were drawn by US international shot-putter Garrett Johnson. Johnson warmed up for the shot putt by breaking the Varsity match record in the discus, then proceeded to break the match record for the shot putt by well over 3m. Sgd vnldmÓr l`sbg v`r dpt`kkx bnlenqs`akd enq Nwenqc+ ` 0/8Î8/ vhm athks nm sgd m`qqnv uhbsnqx `bghdudc k`rs xd`q- Amongst many impressive performances, Julia Lange beat GB’s Charlotte Roach in the 800m, Martine Bomb won the 100m hurdles despite little training owing to injury, Frances Smithson won the high, triple and long jumps, and Beth Staniland won the shot, discus and javelin. The women’s second team also managed to scrape a 2-point victory, although the men’s second team narrowly missed out on ensuring a whitewash over Cambridge. Anwhmf This year has been exceptionally strong for OUABC. With several returning Blues, the season started well with early bouts against Portsmouth University, Berinsfield ABC and the women against the Metropolitan Police. However, the Club’s talent was first showcased in December at the English Universities championships, where several OUABC boxers progressed through to the British stage of the competition. G`uhmf vnm fnkc `s DTR@+ Adbjx Kdd vdms nm sn vhm fnkc `s ATR@9 ` qdl`qj`akd `bghdudldms enq sgd Bkta- After Christmas, training started more intensely than ever as the squad began to prepare for the 101st Varsity match. The annual Town vs Gown match was a sell-out in the Oxford Union, where the Dark Blues demonstrated their prowess with a 9–4 victory. Competition for places in this year’s Varsity match was particularly fierce, and the last few weeks of preparation were packed with training sessions. In the end, the depth of talent in the squad was such that several extremely capable boxers did not make the final team: however, the coaches’ decisions ultimately paid off, with an emphatic Dark Blue display and a final score of 7–2 in Oxford’s favour. For most boxers, Varsity marked the end of the season: but for Jen Johnson and Becky Lee,
training continued as they prepared for the British ABA National Boxing championships. Sadly, Becky’s bout was cancelled at the last minute; however, Jen made the Club proud – an agile and powerful performance earned her a national gold medal. Bxbkhmf NTBB g`c ` rl`rghmf rs`qs sn sgd 1//6Î7 rd`rnm+ vhsg sgd Bkta adhmf m`ldc ÒBkta ne sgd Xd`qÓ `s sgd @mmt`k Ronqsr Edcdq`shnm A`kk `mc enqldq ldladq Q`bgdk Gtfgdr vhmmhmf sgd `bbnk`cd ÒRonqsrvnl`m ne sgd Xd`qÓ `s sgd r`ld dudms-
However, with the loss of some of the Club’s longest-serving and highest-achieving members, the outlook could have been pessimistic for 2008. Instead, members have shown phenomenal improvement throughout the year and produced some excellent results in a variety of disciplines. At the BUSA 10-mile Time Trial held in Cambridge, David Mcgaw finished fourth in an extremely strong field, while Sophie Pooley managed fifth place in the women’s event. This year’s BUSA 25-mile Time Trial and Varsity match were hosted by OUCC in Oxford. In the BUSA event, David Mcgaw claimed silver for the men, and Marcie Reinhart won a bronze medal in the women’s event. OUCC also claimed bronze in the open event, thanks to Anton Blackie. Impressively, therefore, Oxford took overall team gold ahead of strong teams from Leeds and Cambridge. In the Varsity match, Jesse Elzinga won the men’s individual event for OUCC, but the men lost their team competition, while the women won their team competition, but not the individual event – hence sharing the honours overall with Cambridge. This was so at odds with Cambridge’s inflated pre-race expectations that it represented a moral victory for the Dark Blues. In the mountain bike Varsity match, Richard Callow finished second, while Lawrence Walton took sixth, and in the women’s event Marcie Reinhart and Kate Harris were placed second and third. K`vm Sdmmhr The 2007–8 season was a particularly successful one for OULTC. At the social level, our Saturday coaching sessions, organised by the members of the men’s and women’s Blues squads, continued to be well attended. In more competitive climes, meanwhile, the Club enjoyed a number of great successes. Following on from their comprehensive victories in the same fixtures the previous years, both the men’s and women’s second teams ran out comfortable winners in their respective Varsity matches, played this year in Oxford. The men’s Blues had a successful BUSA campaign, beating Bath Seconds to remain in the South Premier Division. Their run in the
BUSA knockout competition also showed that they could compete with the big names of British university tennis. After beating UCL 10–0, Oxford was drawn against Loughborough in the quarter-finals, where they were subsequently edged out in a highly competitive contest, with a notable performance from Tim Weir to beat Loughborough’s number two. Oxford’s number one, meanwhile, Marc Baghdadi, put in a magnificent effort to reach the last eight of the BUSA individuals, the only player outside London Met and Loughborough to do so. Unfortunately, the women were unable to match the premier division status of the men this year; they were disappointed to finish third in Midlands Division 1A. A tough first round draw against Bath Firsts in the BUSA trophy meant that the team did not progress beyond this stage. Over Easter, the men’s side travelled to Bangkok, where they stayed at the Patana International School, which boasts extremely impressive sporting facilities. Victories over Patana and the KS Club, as well as a draw against Thailand’s top tennis university, Chulalongkorn, made this an extremely worthwhile trip. Special thanks must go to Patana’s Daniel Ahl who organised the matches for us. A week later, the women’s team flew out to Peru, where they were able to compete with the country’s top juniors. This left the team well prepared for the summer schedule. Many thanks to Sir Patrick Sergeant and OULTC alumni for their extremely generous contributions to both of these tours. The summer yielded some great wins for both the men’s and women’s sides, most notably against a strong Old Blues side, Millfield School and Hertfordshire. Both teams looked very strong indeed going into the Varsity match. The women were able to deliver, edging out Cambridge with a gritty 11–10 win. The men, however, were not so fortunate – Cambridge were in impressive form, holding their nerve to win some extremely tight singles matches, winning 15–6 overall.
narrowly beaten by Loughborough in the semifinal, 1–0. The women’s second team matched their male counterparts to finish top in the Division 2 of the Trysports Three Counties League and fourth in the BUSA Midlands 2A League. Finally the women’s third team had some tough fixtures, but had a strong second half of the season to finish fourth in the Midlands 3A BUSA League. We look forward to this team beginning a campaign in the Trysports League next season. The Varsity matches were, as ever, awaited with much anticipation and were hotly contested when they came. Although the men’s Blues were defeated 3–1 at the Southgate Hockey Centre, the ladies’ Blues were able to walk away with a 2–1 victory to give them four wins over Cambridge in four years. The second and third team Varsity matches, played this year at Iffley Road, produced some enthralling games, with both mens’ teams drawing their matches in tight battles and the women’s seconds coasting to a 5–1 victory to revenge the defeat of last year. The women’s third team put up a spirited performance, but narrowly lost with the last hit of the game. As we look back over the season, it is pertinent to mention the death of a member of our men’s third team, Oliver Tucker, in November. Oli, a fresher at Exeter College, had already made his mark on OUHC and he will be missed. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. The end of the season was marked by the Club competing in the local summer hockey league and a thoroughly enjoyed tour to Spain. OUHC would like to thank all those who have helped assist the Club this year, both at the pitch-side and through our sponsorship. Your support is much appreciated by the whole Club and we look forward to continued encouragement in the future. Itcn Oxford Judo has experienced a fantastic 2007–8 season, the highlight undoubtedly being an emphatic Varsity display.
Gnbjdx Sgd 1//6Î7 rd`rnm v`r `mnsgdq rtbbdrretk nmd enq NTGB- Hm o`qshbtk`q+ bnmfq`stk`shnmr rgntkc fn sn sgd ldmÓr Aktdr+ vgn f`hmdc oqnlnshnm eqnl Chuhrhnm 0A ne sgd Lhck`mcr ATR@ Gnbjdx Kd`ftd-
They also finished fifth in the Southern Premiership, their highest league position for some years, helped no doubt by Captain Dave Cresswell, who was the highest scorer in the division. Further congratulations go to the men’s second team, who finished top of Division 2 of the London Hockey League to win promotion for next season. The women’s Blues have had another flourishing year, finishing third in the BUSA South Premiership and fifth in South Division 2a. They had their most exciting games in their BUSA cup run, in which they were eventually
B`laqhcfd `qqhudc `s sgd 67sg U`qrhsx l`sbg aqhllhmf vhsg bnmÜcdmbd `mc dwodbs`shnm: tmenqstm`sdkx enq sgdl+ sgdx qdstqmdc gnld dlosx,g`mcdc+ `r Nwenqc cded`sdc sgdl hm dudqx dudms-
The Oxford Ridgebacks (men’s seconds) did particularly well to win for the first time in several years and the women’s Blues showed determination and skill to grind out a victory for the Dark Blues, with a notable performance by Xin Yu Lim. The men’s Blues were fighting to retain the Matsudaira trophy, and the Oxford heavyweights were quick to stamp their authority on the match, with speedy wins for Christian Helmers, Ifor Capel and Justin Gregory, and Andrew Stewart throwing the Cambridge captain flat on his back. In BUSA, the men’s team was dominant in all their contests leading up to the final, where it lost out to a strong Bath side. The women’s
team fought hard to win a well-earned bronze. Oxford was also successful in the individual events, with Karen Kruska winning a gold medal, and Ifor Capel and Christian Helmers winning silvers. At the British Judo Council Nationals, the Club took a huge haul of 13 medals, including winning every single medal in the men’s open weight kyu grade category. Congratulations also to Justin Gregory, Andrew Stewart and Jordan Doherty, all of whom gained their black belt first Dan grades this year, and head coach Chris Doherty, who within the last year has been awarded a Judo Foundation degree. We are very grateful to our sponsors Deloitte for their support in our endeavours this year.
Since most of the previous season’s team had departed, and with promotion to Midlands Division 1, it was expected that the season would be a long, hard, learning experience.
Edmbhmf
Meanwhile, the Centaurs started well in Division 3A, but a couple of poor results before Christmas saw them fall out of the title hunt, and in a tight division the final games became a battle to avoid the drop – which they successfully negotiated. The results of the Varsity matches were the only disappointment in the season; the Blues came from behind three times in a pulsating match at Craven Cottage and, with two minutes to go, at 3–3 the game seemed destined to go to penalties for the second year in a row. But a fourth Cambridge goal against the run of play in the dying moments and a fifth in stoppage time as the Blues pushed forward gave the result an unfair balance. The Centaurs lost a tight game at Grange Road by a single goal and the Colleges’ XI beat the Cambridge Kestrels 2–1 to continue their fine run in this fixture. The highlight of the season for most players, however, was the trip to Prague to open the new Stadion Eden, home to Slavia Prague. Oxford first played Slavia in 1899, soon after the Club’s formation. Hence, in opening the new 21,000 all-seater stadium, Slavia decided to opt for tradition and history, inviting OUAFC to be their first opponents. In the 109 years since OUAFC first played Slavia, the game has progressed considerably, and the OUAFC team – consisting of current students and recent old boys – was clearly up against a high-quality opponent. A 5–0 scoreline represents a decent result against a team that held Arsenal to a 0–0 draw in the Champions League, and the manner in which the boys conducted themselves on and off the pitch earned the Club many new admirers. The women’s Blues, meanwhile, had a mixed season, finishing third in the Midlands 1A, and unfortunately being knocked-out of the Trophy against Leeds in the first round. The Varsity match result included further anguish as the women’s Blues lost on penalties. In the past 12 months, the Club has clearly made great progress and is working hard to improve the standard of facilities, coaching and organisation for all football in Oxford, and we hope that the upcoming season will see this progress continue towards the 125th Varsity match.
That the Fencing Club continues to go from strength to strength is a cliché worth repeating. The Varsity match, hosted by Oxford in the Examination Schools, was a fantastic occasion. Congratulations to all the fencers on the day who contributed, with victories in both the first team matches, and in the men’s seconds. The results were a credit to the hard work of the fencers, and to captains Matt Baker, Sophie Troiano and Ken Okamura. The teams also had success in the BUSA competition. The men’s seconds won their league, but unfortunately encountered a very strong King’s College London team in the quarter-finals of the BUSA trophy, and succumbed in an away match. The men’s and women’s first teams fared better in the knockout stages after relatively disappointing league campaigns. The men reached the semifinals of the knockouts before losing narrowly to Cambridge. The women progressed easily to the final, where they faced a nerve-shattering match against Edinburgh, finally winning by a mere two points. There were also a number of strong individual performances throughout the year. Five of our fencers attended World Cups abroad, and there was also considerable success in domestic competitions. Dom Kerr won the Welsh Junior Sabre championships, Andrew Caldwell was runner-up in the BUSA individual foil, Jamie Kenber was runner-up at the Leon Paul London International and Matt Baker reached the top eight at both the Birmingham International and the 2008 National Championships.
CDUDKNOLDMS RONQSR Ennsa`kk The 2007–8 season was an important one for OUAFC, with the appointment of the Club’s first sabbatical officer, meaning that much of the administration and day-to-day running of the Club was done in a more professional fashion. Martin Keown offered to coach the Blues as he sought to gain his UEFA ‘A’ licence, and his addition to the set-up helped to increase the profile of the Club within the University and the media, with an appearance on Football Focus.
Gnvdudq+ sghr v`r mns sgd b`rd+ `r d`qkx uhbsnqhdr oqnodkkdc sgd Aktdr snv`qcr sgd ghfgdq dmc ne sgd kd`ftd+ vgdqd sgdx l`m`fdc sn gnkc sgdhq onrhshnm+ vhmmhmf sgd chuhrhnm enq sgd sghqc rtbbdrrhud xd`q- Oqnlnshnm sn sgd Oqdlhdq Kd`ftd+ gnvdudq+ v`r nmbd `f`hm mns sn ad+ knrhmf ` shfgs ok`xnee l`sbg sn Dwdsdq 0Î/-
5
6
ANNUAL SPORTS REVIEW 2008
VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7 and some exciting new additions, are dedicated to re-establishing the Blues as a championship contender next season.
Unkkdxa`kk The Volleyball Club has had a predominantly successful year, with both men’s and women’s teams producing respectable all-round performances. The men made the last 16 of BUSA and finished 13th in the EVA Student Cup, while the women got to the last 8 of BUSA and finished 9th in the EVA tournament. The men’s and the women’s teams both also played in the National Volleyball League, and the Club entered a number of competitors in the Student Beach Cup, with some pairs making it to advanced stages of the competition. The Club has continued its strong involvement with the outreach programme, teaching volleyball to many children in the local area and generating a wide interest for the game.
Jnqea`kk U@QRHSX F@LDR A`clhmsnm
Fkhchmf The past year has been very successful for OUGC. An enhanced training schedule, including the introduction of two new training camps at the end of Trinity and Michaelmas terms, has resulted in excellent progress within the Club. Several members have gained their bronze, silver and gold badges, while Lukas Brandt and Alastair Harrison have also achieved a diamond badge. During the summer, OUGC also entered the Bicester Regional Competition, where Phillip Schartau performed admirably, finishing eighth. Unfortunately, the Varsity match this year was not quite as successful, although it is sincerely hoped that next year this result will be reversed. C`mbdronqs OUDC has enjoyed a very successful anniversary year, in both competitive and social aspects. To mark the Club’s 40th anniversary, we produced a ‘Dancing in Oxford’ calendar, with many of our dancers posing on some of Oxford’s most famous landmarks, and hosted a spectacular Anniversary Ball, to which we welcomed back the Club’s founder Janice Jones.
and Kumite Competition, Ken taking first place in kata and second place in kumite, and Andrew finishing third in kata.
Record membership has been recorded this year, and to cope with this demand, we have run additional classes in salsa, swing, Argentine tango and hip-hop, as well as the traditional dancesport disciplines of ballroom and Latin. While many of our members enjoy our range of classes as a sociable form of exercise, we continue to boast the largest University dancesport team in the country. Our size was matched by suitable results this year, with victory in the team match at four out of the six university competitions we attended, and comfortably claiming the overall team match title at the Southern Universities championship. Hopes were subsequently high for the National University championships at Blackpool in March – but eventually an extremely close battle for the A-team trophy was won by Cambridge, pushing Oxford A into second place. Oxford still had plenty to celebrate, however, with our B team placed third overall, and with Oxford couples claiming first place in Advanced Latin, the best combined Advanced Ballroom and Latin award, and the top two places in Intermediate Ballroom. Unfortunately, Cambridge also claimed a very close A-team victory at the Varsity match in May. K`bqnrrd This year has produced a mixture of results for the women’s lacrosse teams. The Blues had another successful BUSA campaign, finally losing in the semi-final to an exceptionally strong Cambridge side, while the Swifts produced a string of victories in their league. The Varsity matches saw both Oxford teams giving brave performances, with the Swifts having to meet a surprisingly strong Cambridge second team. The end result of 7–0 to Cambridge did not do justice to the commitment and strength of the squad. The Blues’ encounter was hardfought, with Oxford producing their strongest performance against Cambridge for the season. The defence worked tirelessly and the attacks produced some well-earned goals to win the second half, but unfortunately not the match. Despite a couple of shaky points, the season was a big success for the men’s Blues, with a second place finish in the SEMLA East 1
Division and wins in both the Varsity match and the BUSA championship. Though Varsity was a good and hard-fought game, Oxford showed their superiority in most aspects of the game, bringing the Varsity trophy home with a 12–4 win. The Oxford Iroquois also beat the Cambridge Eagles 17–0 in the second team game. The BUSA final against Edinburgh lived up to all expectations. The quarter scores were all within one goal, with the lead changing hands a few times. Oxford eventually emerged victorious at 11–10. The season has again been very successful for the mixed team, which finished top of its league and maintained its supremacy over Cambridge in a closely fought Varsity match. A`rjdsa`kk The Basketball Club achieved much success during the 2007–8 season. In particular, the Club was undefeated in the annual Varsity matches, which were held in Oxford in February. The men’s Second team won 70–63 in a thrilling game that went down to the wire; the women’s Blues won 63–62; and in the finale, the men’s Blues earned a hard-fought victory in style, pulling away 73–61. The only downside to the day was that the women’s second team was still unable to participate in Varsity – because Cambridge could not field a women’s second team. All four OUBbC teams accomplished a great deal to be proud of during their BUSA competitions, but it was a particularly notable year for the women’s Blues. Playing in the Midlands 1A Division, the women were undefeated during the regular season, qualifying for the BUSA championship tournament. In addition, they won their promotional playoff game and will therefore be competing in the Southern Premier League for the 2008-2009 season. Unfortunately, the men’s Blues, playing in the Southern Premier League, had a rather turbulent BUSA campaign and were eventually relegated to the Midlands 1A Division. They have, however, hired a new head coach – formerly an assistant basketball coach in the United States at an NCAA Division I university – and, together with multiple returning starters
Overall it has been a very successful year for OUBaC, with some terrific performances in each of the leagues and a well-fought Varsity match. The men’s first team, in particular, claimed a fantastic 14–1 Varsity victory. The team also finished third in the BUSA Premier South Division, an excellent achievement given the strength of the opposition. The outstanding team ethos was also reflected in some brilliant individual results at county level, with Ryan Manuel and Richard Beal finishing winner and runner-up respectively in the Oxfordshire championships. The men’s second team finished fifth in the BUSA 2A Division – a position that was not reflective of the team’s ability. The team did, however, perform remarkably well in the Varsity match, with a 15–0 whitewash of Cambridge. The performance of the women’s squad was hindered significantly throughout the year by persistent injuries to some of its senior players. The Blues battled valiantly against tough competition in the Midlands Conference First Division, but were sadly relegated at the end of the season. The Varsity match was a similarly hard-fought affair, with the Light Blues proving to be insurmountable opponents. The second team faced similar struggles during their season in a local Oxford league. While victories were rare, a good team ethos was forged, and the team remained motivated, but was unfortunately also thoroughly beaten in the Varsity match.
It has been a very successful year for the Korfball Club. The second team had an excellent season, winning Division Two of the Oxfordshire league, reaching the Oxfordshire Korfball Association Cup Final and comprehensively beating Cambridge to retain their Varsity trophy for the third year in succession. The first team, meanwhile, finished a comfortable second in Division One of the Oxfordshire league, losing only to MK Bucks, who are yet to be defeated in local competition. However, they were unable to emulate the success of the seconds in their Varsity match – with never more than a goal or two in it, the eventual score was 10–9 to Cambridge. At the BUSA Nationals competition the first team played some magnificent korfball over the weekend, beating Cambridge in the quarterfinals and Birmingham in the semi-finals. The team fought extremely hard against Sheffield Hallam in the final, eventually succumbing 10–8, but nevertheless qualifying for the 2009 European University championships. Khedr`uhmf This year, OULSC entered two teams at the BULSCA National Lifesaving Competitions in Burgess Hill, finishing eighth overall, marginally above Cambridge. We also entered two teams into the Varsity competition held at home this year, but unfortunately lost to Cambridge on this occasion. Throughout the year, the Club has also run a Bronze Medallion course, and maintained a 100 per cent pass rate, continuing its aim to improve the lifesaving skills of its members.
J`q`sd
Mdsa`kk
The past year has included some exciting developments and notable performances from individual members within OUKC. The Varsity match was the highlight in the Club’s calendar, and represented the culmination of the squad’s commitment throughout the year. There were many excellent performances in both kata and kumite, and the women’s team forced a draw in both disciplines. Particular congratulations to Christina Traher and Victoria Young, who secured first and second places in kata for Oxford. The men fought strongly, with the B team forcing a draw in kumite and being unfortunate not to win overall. Despite the men’s stellar efforts, they were unfortunately beaten by the Cambridge teams. However, there were some very strong individual performances, with Junaid Mohammad defeating the Light Blues in kumite, and Laurent Lambert and Katsuhiro Motokawa taking joint second in the men’s B kata. Other distinguished performances during the year involved Jorick Van Der Hoeven, who won a bronze medal at BUSA, and Ken Kawamoto and Andrew Macdonald, who performed well in the Wantage Shotokan Kata
An inconsistent season all round for the Netball Club has meant that, while both the Blues and the Roos performed well throughout, there were some matches lost that should have been won. The implications of this were that the Roos did not, unfortunately, qualify for the BUSA knockouts, finishing fourth in their division. Nevertheless, the Blues did progress (coming third in Division 1A). They went on to win the first round, but were knocked out by Kent at the second stage. The climax of the Netball Club’s season were the Varsity matches, which both teams won for the first time since 2002 – a fantastic achievement! Varsity also included some of our main fundraisers with a raffle and a Varsity programme generating more than £900 for the Club. Alongside an earlier fundraiser held during Michaelmas term, the Club raised more than £1,300 this year, thanks to a brilliant effort from all players. The last fixture of the season was Town vs Gown, which the Blues won, finishing the year on a high. We have also continued our outreach work this season, coaching a school team once a week, something that everyone really enjoyed.
Ohrsnk It has been a good year for the Pistol Club. We won nearly all our competitions, while broadening our shooting experiences with many trips to shoot different firearms. The year commenced with a trip to the British Alpine Rifle Autumn meeting in Switzerland just before the start of Michaelmas term. Everyone who went on this trip saw their air pistol shooting had improved greatly upon their return to Oxford. Towards the end of term, we also went to a British Pistol Club day in Bisley.
7
8
ANNUAL SPORTS REVIEW 2008
VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7 Moving into Hilary term, our attention switched to the Varsity match, with a preparatory Town vs Gown match shot at the same range as Varsity in Wantage. A comfortable win in this fixture was followed-up by success in the Varsity, at which all three teams emphatically won their matches. The Club ended the season at the Oxfordshire Rifle Association Air Pistol championships. We had several individual and team entries into this, and again acquitted ourselves well, with our members coming in the top three for each event, and OUPC winning the team event overall. S`akd Sdmmhr It was a mixed year for the Table Tennis Club with some excellent performances, as well as a couple of disappointments. In the BUSA league, the men’s team defeated a strong Nottingham side in their final game of the year to win Midlands Division 1, but subsequently lost their promotion playoff against London Met. The women’s team also performed well, finishing second in their division. In the Varsity match, both men’s and women’s first teams struggled, losing by 8–2 margins. The men’s second team managed to avoid a Cambridge clean-sweep, by securing a creditable 5–5 draw. The season ended on a positive note when the men’s first team secured a narrow victory in the Town vs Gown match.
first tournament of the year was the beginners’ competition in Loughborough. Participation, enjoyment and improvement were the key aims for the weekend, and the new starters who attended came on leaps and bounds. This was followed by a London Winter League (LWL) event in November –two teams were entered for the open and mixed divisions and both competed well against a mixture of university and established club teams, managing to hold their seeding. At Outdoor Regionals, we were drawn in a very strong league, ultimately finishing in fifth place, which qualified us for National Division Two – where we eventually lost out to Manchester in the semis. In our third/fourth place playoff, we won an exciting game 11–10 against Portsmouth.
QNTMC,TO @hjhcn A large number of new undergraduates started practising Aikido in 2007–8. As the new members began to learn the basic structure and practice of Aikido, things settled down, and sessions became more fluid. In the past year, OU Aikikai has hosted various British University Aikido Federation weekend events directed by Kanetsuka Sensei, seventh Dan and technical director of the BAF. These have had very strong attendance and been greatly valued by participants.
Tkshl`sd Eqhradd @ksdqm`shudr Ohbj,To Hbd Gnbjdx The year started well with a strong turnout at our beginner sessions as well as a good carry over of experienced players from last season. The
‘Alts’ this year has once more gone from strength to strength. We had a fantastic turnout
of freshers in Michaelmas term, a trend that continued all the way through Hilary and Trinity terms. In particular, excitement this year came from the long-awaited return of Cuppers. More than 16 teams signed up, with the Exeter Spartans and St Edmund Hall battling it out in a tense final, the Spartans eventually sealing victory. @trrhd Qtkdr Ennsa`kk The Aussie Rules Club retained Varsity again this year after a strong season. With plenty of fresh legs on the sidelines, we started with the masterful game plan of quite literally running Cambridge off the pitch. By quarter-time it was six goals to zip and Oxford never looked back. Cambridge pushed hard to the last minute and chased every ball, but were undermanned and outplayed – eloquently summarised by the Cambridge skipper: ‘We played some tough footy, we had a great day, and we got drilled.’
The Sports Federation offers two Dark Blue Scholarships, which are funded by the royalties from the Dark Blue clothing range, available to Oxford sports clubs and teams. Our recipients this year are the Balliol duo Jessica Leitch and Justine Potts. Jessica has excelled for Oxford’s cross country and triathlon teams over the past six years, winning a mass of Half Blue and Full Blue accolades. She also boasts a striking representative profile, competing for Wales in several international cross-country championship and road race events. Jessica is now focusing her efforts purely on marathon running, aiming to achieve a Commonwealth Games qualifying time. Justine, meanwhile, has excelled at the martial art form Taekwon-Do, and was honoured to be elected as President of the University’s Taekwon-Do Club last year. Simultaneous to her impressive achievements in Taekwon-Do, Justine ably demonstrated her natural sporting prowess this summer; swapping the Dojo for the Nursery Ground at Lords, she represented OUWCC in the Varsity Cricket Match.
B`mnd `mc J`x`j OUCKC had an excellent start to the year with a record attendance at the beginners’ white water trip to the River Usk in South Wales. Unfortunately, overall Club success in the Varsity White Water Race was not so forthcoming; although the men battled bravely, only the women’s team was able to beat Cambridge. The year has nevertheless been particularly successful for the Club’s polo section. Andrew Spurr led the men to third place in the regional league, thereby qualifying to play in the upper league next year, and the women’s team is also showing some promising potential, despite their Varsity defeat. Regardless of the disappointing Varsity results, including a further loss in the Varsity marathon event, the overall BUSA standings for the Club are the highest for ten years.
A`rda`kk B`ud The Oxford Kings had a cracking start to the 2008 season, with the team sporting the third best record in the British Baseball Federation AAA League South at the end of May, which has recently culminated in the King’s inclusion in the league playoffs. Highlights have included Mike Pabian’s 13 strikeout performance against Bristol on the opening day and Nick Shelton’s complete game shutout against Burgess Hill. The team also defeated Nottingham University in a pre-season friendly as part its entry into BUBA, the newly formed British Universities Baseball Association. With a number of new members giving key contributions, the team
RBGNK@QRGHOR 1//7 Sgd Ronqsr Edcdq`shnm hr oqhuhkdfdc sn ad `akd sn bnmshmtd sn needq ronqsr rbgnk`qrghor sn dwbdoshnm`k ronqsrldm `mc vnldm eqnl vhsghm sgd Tmhudqrhsx- Sgd rbgnk`qr rdkdbsdc enq 1//7Î8 qdoqdrdms `mnsgdq ntsrs`mchmfkx s`kdmsdc fqnto+ `mc vd `qd oqntc sn rtoonqs sgdl hm sgdhq sq`hmhmf `mc bnlodshshnm bnllhsldmsr- Sgdqd `qd mnv entq rbgnk`qrghor `u`hk`akd sn btqqdms rstcdmsr-
hopes to carry its initial successes through to the end of the season.
The Eliza Blackwell Sports Scholarship, established by the Blackwell family in memory of Eliza and Richard Blackwell, both excellent students and sportspeople, has this year been awarded to Joseph Mercer, a Pembroke orienteer, who also enjoys a Full Blue for cross country, alongside his ‘extraordinary’ Full Blue for orienteering. Joe has been a member of the Great Britain Junior Orienteering Squad since 2005, competing in the 2006 and 2007 Junior World Orienteering championships, and also ran for the Senior Great Britain World Cup Team in Norway and the Senior Home Internationals during 2007. Earlier this year, Joe further enhanced his success on the international scene when he placed 19th in the Jan Kjellström World Ranking Event. Finally, this years Vincent’s Scholarship for an outstanding sportsman has been awarded to Exeter’s Matthew Baker, a fencer of prodigious talent who has had a huge impact on the fortunes of the University’s Fencing Club, captaining the side to a second place finish in the 2007 National Championships. Mathew has already amassed a noteworthy representative record: he was placed 13th in the UK senior rankings in 2007, has been a member of the Australian men’s Epee Team since 2005, and was the Australian Junior Champion in 2002. During an equally impressive 2008 season, Matthew has competed for Australia in the FIE World Cup A Grades in Lisbon. The Sports Federation and the supporters of the individual scholarships wish all of our athletes the greatest success for their forthcoming seasons.
The 2007–8 season was another outstanding one for the Oxford University Cave Club, and one that saw us celebrate our 50th anniversary. This landmark was commemorated by an anniversary dinner and a caving trip to GB cavern in the Mendips – 50 years on in time and place from the first ever OUCC trip. A remarkable feature of this celebration was the impressive turnout of members from all periods of the Club’s history. The Club has enjoyed a successful year of caving weekends around Britain, in addition to expeditions in Spain, New Zealand and Chile. Amongst others, OUCC’s caving and scientific expedition to Madre de Dios explored one of Chile’s largest caves with greater than 1.6km of passages surveyed, and collection of samples that will assist with the reconstruction of this region’s climate history. Hilary Greaves also participated in the Voronya 2007 expedition. Bgddqkd`chmf This year, the Oxford Sirens have continued to be a strong, committed and vibrant squad, earning numerous successes over the course of the year. We entered four competitions, each with tremendous achievement. The highlight was undoubtedly the squad’s performance of its Senior Co-ed Level 2 cheer routine at the National Championships in March, where we won first place in our division. Further involvement in the British Cheerleading Association University Competition saw a second place finish, which was particularly pleasing and rewarding, as we beat Cambridge in our first ever Varsity-style clash. Bqnptds After the disappointment encountered last year, when Cambridge withdrew, the Varsity match resumed in 2008 at Hurlingham. A splendid day was had by all, and Oxford delivered the goods, taking home the trophy with a 9–0
victory. Oxford enjoyed further success during the season in the student championships, with the first team winning the team event and Robert Wilkinson winning the singles. College cuppers ran very smoothly, with Teddy Hall emerging victorious, following a tough match against New College in the semis and a decisive victory over Trinity in the final. Bqnrr Bntmsqx OUCCC has thrived over the past year; a swollen membership has produced a quality crop of runners able to compete at the top level of University cross-country racing, delivering an impressive set of results throughout the season. At the annual RAF Invitation Match in October, Ian Kimpton secured a convincing victory, while Tom Samuel and Garrett Ash raced superbly to finish third and fourth. Overall, the performances on that day, throughout the field, were encouraging as we prepared to build up to the Varsity competitions two months later. The II-Vths Varsity match, held on 24 November at Shotover Country Park, Oxford, resulted in a convincing Dark Blue victory, winning all but one race. The final score was 797–811, with special congratulations to David Taylor, Ian Hewitt and Alex Thomas for taking the top three medal positions. We had a blinding run at the men’s Blues match, held this year at Wimbledon Common. Ian Kimpton split the Cambridge top three to take second place, while Richard Franzese and Dave Bruce performed exceptionally well, to finish fifth and sixth. Although we didn’t take the win overall, every single person gave it their all and ran against some very tough competition superbly well. The women’s teams have had a dominant season, comfortably winning the Blues match, seconds and thirds Varsity races, and finishing seventh at the BUSA competition in Swansea. The Blues side consisted of Courtney Birch, Jess Leitch, Alison Crocker, Lucia Gibson, Emily Crowley and Captain Cathy Ansell. Congratulations also to Jess Leitch, who has been selected as the University’s Dark Blue Scholar for 2008–9.
Eknnqa`kk This year the Floorball Club made further progress in establishing the sport at Oxford. The Club has grown substantively throughout the year, continuing to increase its membership base. The more experienced members of the Club played their second season in the National League, gaining further competition practice. Additionally, we are the proud owners of the ‘Most Valuable Female Player’ in the League this season, proving that our choice of integrating everyone in the team is a recipe for success. F`dkhb @sgkdshb @rrnbh`shnm OUGAA made significant strides forwards in 2007–8, chalking up a number of significant results. In particular, pre-season victories against the University of East London, Bedford and Imperial College meant that we entered the BUSA championships with high hopes. Unfortunately, however, injuries to a couple of key players resulted in below-par performances and failure to qualify from the group stages. This year’s Varsity matches, meanwhile, produced a mixed set of results for us: a tie in the men’s Gaelic football, a close defeat in the hurling and an emphatic victory in the women’s Gaelic football and comogie.
Dsnm Ehudr It has been an exciting year for the Eton Fives Club, with a number of new players joining the squad. Foremost amongst these was Chris Michaels, who joined forces with Will Betts. The pair was unfortunate to go down in five sets in the final of the University championships, but they look set to be a strong force next year. Hopes were high for the Varsity match, but it was not to be: Oxford lost close five-setters at pairs two and three. On the upside, the Oxford Peppers defeated the Cambridge Penguins 2–1, showing the Club’s strength and depth for the future. The very strong women’s team of Juliet Browning and Rosie Scott convincingly beat their Cantabrigian counterparts, and look set to become a major presence on the circuit in years to come. Overall it has been an extremely enjoyable year and the Club is in a very healthy state.
Fnke As with the vast majority of Blues sports, the men’s golf team could be said to have had a successful year purely on the basis of our victory over the Light Blues in the 119th Varsity match. Played at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake, host of the 2006 Open
0/
00
ANNUAL SPORTS REVIEW 2008
©www.ice-pix.co.uk
VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7 Championship, the Oxford men headed into the deciding day with a 3–2 lead after the Friday foursomes, when, despite some tight singles matches, they held their nerve to secure a Dark Blue win. With the Varsity win capping off the season in the perfect fashion, we had a very enjoyable and fruitful year. The ladies have once more had an eventful season – with some great fixtures and many individual games and overall matches going down to the wire. Leading up to Varsity, we were feeling confident of securing a third successive victory. However, the foursomes did not go well, leaving us 2_ – _ down at lunch. While we comfortably won three of the singles matches, Cambridge’s top order showed their class, and we lost the match 5_ – 3_ overall. Fxlm`rshbr The Oxford University Gymnastics Club has had a very successful year. Despite facing significant problems in finding suitable training facilities, our gymnasts performed admirably in their annual Varsity match, held at the Huntingdon Olympic Gymnastics Club. OUGC won both the men’s and the women’s first team competitions, while the women’s seconds narrowly lost out. Notable performances came from Claire Rivington and Amy Morreau, who placed first and third overall in the women’s event, and Simon Hänni and Mathew Bullimore, who won individual silver and bronze respectively for the men. G`mca`kk In the 2007–8 season, the Oxford University Handball Club has enjoyed a growing membership, which has had a positive influence on results. The men’s side continued to perform well, finishing second in the National Student championships, and qualifying for a place in the National League playoffs and the British Cup semi-finals. The women meanwhile competed admirably in the National League against strong opposition, and narrowly missed qualification for the student championship’s final stages. Hbd Gnbjdx The past year represents one of mixed fortunes for the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club. The men’s Blues enjoyed much success: they finished in second place on goal difference in the Southern Division of the British University Ice Hockey Association League, were undefeated on tour in France and triumphantly defended the Patton Cup in the annual Varsity match. The women’s Blues meanwhile experienced a tough time in Division One of the National Southern League, finishing eighth overall, and a Varsity loss to a strong Cambridge side was also disappointing. The men’s second team finished fifth in their league and unfortunately lost their Varsity match. All three teams have also participated in outreach this year, greatly enjoyed by the children who take part, as well as by the members of the Club.
Ihsrt The Jitsu Club has had another very successful year. At the recent Randori Nationals, members won nine individual medals, including four gold medals, with the team subsequently finishing in third place. The Michaelmas and Hilary term gradings saw the Club securing eight new yellow and three orange belts. While this year the Club has flourished, our ambitions for next year include repeating our performance at the Nationals, and sending several Oxford Jitsuka to the International Competition in South Carolina. JCR It has been another cracking year for the Shotokai Karate Club. After a good and steady flow of beginners, the year’s training has been hard but extremely worthwhile. In particular, Michaelmas term included a trip to an annual KDS winter school course, held in Newport, under the instruction of Harada Sensei. Everyone acquitted themselves well and progressed in their practice, which was evidenced by some excellent results during Hilary term Club grading, where all our members deserve congratulations for their deserved new grades. Jdmcn This year has been superb for the Oxford University Kendo Club: the first team won the Varsity match for the first time in five years, and also finished as runners-up in the British Universities Kendo championships. Teams also participated in the Mumeishis 3’s and a European Competition with good performances. Aside from excellent results in competitions, the Club also organised a visit from a highly respected Kendo practitioner from Japan, Mr Hiroshi Ozawa, who is a 7th Dan Kiyoshi.
Overall, the event was a huge success and his presence in the dojo was a great source of encouragement for all members. Jhbjanwhmf
often as possible, usually at weekends, for kiting or wakeboarding, and this year we have organised 20 expeditions. Lncdqm Odms`sgknm OUMPA has had another very successful and enjoyable year. Having beaten Cambridge at Novice Varsity, the benchmark was set, and our more experienced members followed up by posting strong results early in Michaelmas term at the Yorkshire Pentathlon. After a tough training camp in January, the Club’s sights were firmly set on the Varsity match, which was hosted by Oxford at Tonbridge over Easter, and was kindly sponsored by Accenture. The men had varied success, but despite some individual disappointments produced a very strong team result and were rewarded with a victory, as well as Blues for Mostyn Brown and Richard Hildick-Smith. The women had an incredibly close match. They produced some superb results, including several personal bests, and President Kate Cokayne-Naylor became the first woman in several years to win a Blue. The women have strength in depth, and stand in good stead to win the trophy back next year.
Bouldering wall and at the Oxford Brookes Rock Solid Climbing Centre. Geoff Hannis has added a new circuit to the Iffley Guide Book, Sonja Baumli demonstrated that Gormenghast was a practical route for shorter climbers and Steve Broadbent created an eliminate of the same line, Gormenghastly. This year, for the first time, the Club entered the Southern Counties University Bouldering League, where Eddie Barbour proceeded to demolish the competition. All those who took part had a good time, and felt the experience was of benefit to their climbing. Nbsnotrg
Lnsnq Cqhudqr
This year the Kickboxing Club has become increasingly popular and successful. Our membership has grown enormously, and we continue to welcome beginners and more experienced kickboxers. Many members have had their skills recognised through participating in grading, with some who were total beginners in October now proudly sporting yellow belts; meanwhile, more advanced members have impressed examiners with their technique at higher grades. OUKBC has also had outstanding results in national competitions this year. At the BUSA championships we won four titles, dominating the women’s event with an allOxford featherweight final. The Varsity event was another decisive win for OUKBC. Widely celebrated in Oxford’s student press and Fighters magazine, Cambridge was sent home reeling from a comprehensive defeat – Oxford won 5–1 overall. The event was a sell-out and our dominance in the ring was easily paralleled by the volume of supporters throughout the evening.
The Motor Drivers Club has had another solid year, with very competitive performances in the British University Karting championships as well as enjoyable events such as Cuppers and the inaugural Oxford Drivers Cup. Oxford’s BUKC campaign began brilliantly, with excellent performances at Whilton Mill, Buckmore Park and Rye House, putting Oxford among the overall championship favourites. However, a mixture of bad luck and a few errors saw their chances plummet, and by the final round at Llandow, further misfortune saw Oxford finish sixth in the final standings. Although this was disappointing, the year was still very enjoyable and the team looks forward to bouncing back next year. For the fourth consecutive year, Oxford cruised to victory at Varsity, the race being won by Jamie Harvey and Cameron Noble, with Philip Senior and Steven Gaskell taking third place. All four have subsequently been awarded a Half Blue. The Club has also enjoyed a series of less serious occasions – freshers’ and cuppers karting events were both extremely entertaining, generating much interest in the Club.
JhsdrtqÜmf
Lntms`hmddqhmf
OUKC – still in its infancy as a University Club after its introduction last year – has already attracted a dedicated core of enthusiastic members, with more joining all the time. The Club has taught many beginners, who had never kited before, to perform at a level where they can skim across the waves with a degree of confidence, with some nearly at the stage where they could become instructors. We offer a fun, friendly community to more experienced kitesurfers, where it is easy to improve your riding by exchanging hints and tips with fellow kiters. We try to run trips as
The OUMC’s main activity has continued to be fortnightly trips to climbing destinations around England and Wales, with Snowdonia, the Peak District and Portland remaining firm favourites. We also organised two outdoor freshers’ meets this year, to introduce new members to the joys of outdoor climbing. These were a great success, with many returning for the Michaelmas trip to North Wales. Other destinations this year have included the Lake District, Dartmoor and Swanage. Beyond the weekend outdoor meets, members have been active in Oxford at the Iffley
In the principal competition of the year, the University Nationals, the Oxford University Octopush Club was tested to its limits. Battling valiantly, we were eventually defeated by a combination of the strength of the opposition and, rather unfortunately, the difficult timetable drawn, finally finishing twelfth. The Club has hosted a number of social events and undertaken a vigorous advertising regime in an attempt to increase membership: we have been filmed by the BBC, mentioned on local radio stations and featured in articles in student newspapers. Nqhdmsddqhmf The Oxford University Orienteering Club has had another highly successful year, strengthening its position as one of the leading university orienteering clubs in the country, with successes at regional, national and international level. The Club has also successfully staged several open events and continued its outreach work with local primary schools. Last summer, Joe Mercer and incoming fresher Anne Edwards represented Great Britain at the Junior World championships in Australia – a fantastic achievement for both. At the 2008 BUSA championships, Oxford won a bronze medal behind the British Squad filled teams from Edinburgh and Sheffield. The 2008 Varsity match, meanwhile, held in Uppsala, Sweden, forced the Dark and Light Blues to battle not only with each other, but also the navigationally demanding terrain the area has to offer. The result was rather emphatic nevertheless, seeing Oxford take a clean sweep of the trophies.
Onkn The Polo Club has enjoyed a successful past 12 months, competing widely and achieving good results. In the winter national tournaments (SUPA), the Oxford team placed fifth in the open division. In the Atlantic Cup over Easter, the team finished second, after being pipped at the post by Yale in the final chukka, losing 16–14 overall. In the annual Varsity match at Guards, the highlight of the Club calendar, the first team won, shutting out the Light Blues 4–0. The seconds unfortunately lost at Cambridge the following day. The Club has been very active throughout the year, running practice sessions catering for players of different abilities twice a week. Membership has increased, and this has been reflected in the ability of the Club to put forward many more teams in the various tournaments it participated in than has traditionally been the case. Onnk This year the Oxford University Pool Club finished runners-up in the Oxford Local League Championship Division One to gain promotion to the premiership section. The Club also won the Town vs Gown match for the first time since 2003, and enjoyed a last-16 finish in the BUSA team event, where Chris Hook reached the quarter-finals of the singles competition. The Varsity match, however, was a disappointing affair, with the Club losing 47–43.
01
02
ANNUAL SPORTS REVIEW 2008
VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7 The Varsity ski trip, jointly organised by the Oxford and Cambridge Ski and Snowboard Clubs, has set yet another peak, with over 1,700 students descending on Val Thorens in December 2007. This event hosted the Varsity races, which included some very exciting encounters, with our men’s and women’s Blues ultimately finishing on top. We are already looking forward to the 2008 Varsity trip, which will be held in Val Thorens in the second week of December, and are currently looking into organising an alumni Varsity race.
Onvdqkheshmf Despite having re-formed only nine months ago, it was impressive to see the new-look OUPLC contend so competitively against a well-established Cambridge side at Varsity 2008. Oxford’s Luke Pike won first place with a combined deadlift, squat and bench press of 642.50kg, beating Dave Chapman with an equally impressive total of 595kg. The level of performance this year was astounding for both teams, and bettered our performance at the Varsity match in 2005.
Rpt`rg Q`bjdsr The Rackets Club, captained by former Foster Cup winner Will Fortune, received a welcome influx of new members this year, subsequently producing an incredibly strong team to play in the Varsity match in March, which culminated in an emphatic Dark Blue victory. Many thanks to our sponsors, Neptune and Pol Roger, for the Varsity playing kit and their hospitality, and to the Queen’s Club for allowing us the use of their fantastic facilities. Qd`k Sdmmhr
This year the Real Tennis Club placed primary focus on recruiting and training for the Varsity teams, in the knowledge that Cambridge would once again be fielding some world-class players. Oxford put up a good fight in the face of strong opposition and high-quality tennis was played in all four Varsity matches. Aside from Varsity, Oxford also fielded a strong team in the Premier Division of the National League and hosted a series of excellent League matches and Club tournaments throughout the course of the year. Qhchmf The Riding Club has enjoyed a very successful year. We started with a very healthy turn-out at trials and subsequently decided to change our format to a two stage process, with four teams of four participating throughout the year. We had a very frustrating BUSA year, with all our teams just marginally missing out on qualifying for the regional round. The first team were drawn in a very difficult league, and missed out on qualifying by one point. However, Katharina Streit was one of the two qualifying individuals which was a fantastic achievement in such a difficult league. In the regional round, Katharina led the dressage but
then was unfortunate in the horse draw for the show jumping which dropped her down. Oxford hosted the 2008 Varsity match at Warwickshire College. Ultimately Cambridge emerged victorious, but it was a very closely fought battle between two excellent teams. Individually, Oxford boasted good results, Lucy Thorp taking top honours, and Tica Pichulik finishing in fourth place.
Varsity match, a solid team performance led to a comfortable 260–193 victory, and a 160–93 victory for the second team. Again, this was down to the dominance of the third pair (David Park and Sam Adcock) and the fourth pair (Ed Emmett and Ed Wilman); while the big-name pairing of Dan Tristao and Jack Furniss led the way, with Rob Holl and Ali Jennings holding there own against Cambridge’s first two pairs.
QhÝd
Qtfax Kd`ftd
The University Rifle Club has had an eventful 2007–8 season. Early difficulties regarding training facilities fortunately did not hamper a good team performance against Sevenoaks School in Michaelmas term. However, such good fortune was not continued during the three Varsity matches in Hilary, where the Club lost 2–1 overall. A further three matches during Trinity term against the RAF, London & Middlesex RA and the Surrey RA brought a mixture of results, winning one and losing two. On an individual note, Tom Wharram was selected to represent BUSA on their Channel Islands tour.
The 2007–8 season has seen the OU Rugby League Club go from strength to strength, with great performances allied with steady club development throughout the year. Accomplishments on the pitch have been impressive, with the Blues winning 10 of their 15 matches, culminating in an impressive 38–10 Varsity win at the end of Hilary term and promotion into the Southern Premier Division for 2008–9. The Club has also registered a new side with the RFL, the Mavericks, to play weekend friendly fixtures against other sides in the south of England, which will be followed next season by the Club entering a second team in the BUCS leagues.
Qtfax Ehudr
Rgnqhmih Jdlon
Fives has yet again flourished this season. After a number of mediocre performances in the preceding weeks, Oxford returned with three of the four trophies on offer from the BUSA championships. Notably, the reigning national schools champion Dan Tristao won the singles competition, beating a top ten player and the reigning champion on his way. He then paired up with Jack Furniss to take the doubles title. The squad’s depth was proven by David Park and Sam Adcock, who won the doubles plate, while Ali Jennings gallantly lost the singles plate final. Preparation for the Varsity match was low key, with successive defeats against Executioners, the RFA, St Paul’s School and the Oxford Past. Although little momentum was carried into the
The Shorinji Kempo Club has had another successful year, with a number of gradings and a comprehensive programme of Club excursions for seminars at various British venues. The greatest achievement of the year was the Club’s 25-year reunion training session and dinner, attended by 15 old members, the majority of whom were still training or teaching elsewhere. Rjh `mc Rmnvan`qc Throughout the year we have continued our effort to develop the Club to make skiing and snowboarding more accessible throughout the University, and in particular have seen a strong increase in membership from free-stylers.
The 2007–8 season has been a very successful one for OUSRC. The men’s Blues were able to maintain their position in the BUSA Midlands Division 1A League, finishing in third behind Birmingham and Loughborough. The men’s second team also continued their position in Midlands Division 2A, narrowly missing out on coming top after losing to Birmingham, the eventual winners. The women’s seconds finished fifth in Midlands Division 1A, while the women’s Blues, in their second year in the Premier Division, improved their position in the league finishing fifth, and progressed to the semi-finals of the BUSA knock-outs. The local Oxfordshire League competition also proved successful for the Blues teams, and in particular the women’s Blues, as they not only maintained their position in the top division from last year, but also went on to win it. For the first time, the women’s seconds entered the Oxfordshire League, finishing fifth in Division Two. There were mixed results for OUSRC in the Varsity matches this year. Having lost the entire team from last year, the men’s Blues unfortunately could not match the previous year’s victory, and, despite some good individual performances, lost 5–0. Nelsen Fung at number one played an exciting and competitive match against Cambridge’s Harry Leitch, a Scottish International, eventually losing 3–1, and Nick Douglas at number five narrowly lost 3–2. The women’s Blues, meanwhile, won 4–1 with strong performances from all players, and the women’s seconds and thirds also won 6–5. The men’s seconds unfortunately lost their Varsity match 4–1, but the thirds managed an impressive 5–0 victory. OUSRC is very grateful to OLSWANG, which continued to sponsor us this year, and for Schroders sponsorship of the Blues’ Varsity matches. Our thanks also go to our coaches, Jason Martin, Jim Lynn and Richard Callaghan, for all their hard work this year. RtkJhCn OU SulKiDo had another highly successful freshers’ recruitment campaign in 2007 and this initial enthusiasm translated into consistently high attendances throughout the year. With hard work on the part of both instructors and students, members at all levels have made rapid progress, culminating in large groups attending all three UK SulKiDo Federation gradings held over the year.
Rvhllhmf
S`h Bgh
The Oxford University Swimming Club has enjoyed its most successful year in recent history. In its second year as an ASA-affiliated club, OUSC continued to be a formidable presence in a host of local ASA meets. The combined effect of an increasingly rigorous training programme, more race practice and a highly successful training camp held in Lignano resulted in fantastic performances both in the Varsity match and in the BUSA team championships. Not only did OUSC triumph over Cambridge for the first time in nine years, the Club also finished the season ranked within the top seven university swimming teams in Great Britain. The Varsity match was undoubtedly the pinnacle of the season and the impressive culmination of hard work, dedication and commitment. The event witnessed some incredible performances. Several Blues records were set, and the majority of the men’s team emerged from the competition as Full Blues, as did an impressive six members of the women’s team. Finally, OUSC put a conclusive stop to Tabs’ nine-year domination and finished the day 14 points ahead of their Cambridge rivals. OUSC’s shock performance at the British university team championships in March put Oxford on the map of British University swimming. The team reached the BUSA finals – a feat which hasn’t been done by an Oxford University swimming team since 2002 – and finished the competition ranked seventh in the country. The season finished in spectacular style in the biannual Varsity Channel Relay against Cambridge. The six-person team, led superbly by Clare Kane, fought valiantly against jelly fish, raw sewage and tanker ships, to reach France ahead of its Cambridge rivals, bringing to a close a season of decisive Dark Blue dominance.
Over the past year, the Oxford University Taijiquan Association has gone from strength to strength, growing from a fledgling society to a well-established club with a growing membership base. Classes have been able to take a slightly more martial leaning, with the acquisition of several pairs of focus mitts and a kicking shield, along with a pair of Thai kicking pads, for the more adventurous and dexterous members. This ensures that as well as being a traditionally relaxing activity, our students can learn practical self-defence skills in a realistic fashion.
S`djvnm,cn The 2007–8 season has been a very successful and significant one for OUTKD. It heralded the 40th anniversary of the foundation of the Club by Grand Master Rhee Ki Ha, as the first Taekwon-do club in Britain, and also saw a precession of notable performances by its current members. In particular, Valentina Iotchkova became European champion, for patterns, for a second time in her career, and Justine Potts was awarded the Oxford University Dark Blue Scholarship for 2008–9 in recognition of her overall achievements. The highlight of the year was the Club’s emphatic victory at Varsity, with wins in all four categories of the competition. Our thanks go to Master Miller VII, our greatly respected coach, without whom Oxford could never have trained (and won) so well. After a successful year, OUTKD will be working hard to keep up such worthy representation for the University and Club, gearing up for another year full of enthusiasm and perseverance.
Sq`lonkhmhmf Throughout 2008, the Trampolining Club has attracted an influx of new members, and we were particularly lucky to gain five fully qualified coaches over the course of the year. A small team attended the Warwick open competition in Michaelmas term, with Jon Beckett gaining third place in the intermediate men’s competition, Amanda Brookes finishing fourth in the inter-advanced group and Charlotte Houldcroft and Bryony Holden coming eleventh and twelfth in the intermediate women’s event. An injury-plagued Varsity match for OUTC, combined with a well-prepared Cambridge side, resulted in a Light Blue victory this year – but we did fortunately have more luck at BUSA regionals, with a Half Blue won by Amanda Brookes in the advanced competition, and Bryony Holden and Robert Dixon both qualifying in seventh place for the BUSA Nationals novice category. Sqh`sgknm It has been another amazing year for the Oxford University Triathlon Club. A highlight was the promotion of the men’s team to discretionary Full Blue status, and it is hoped that the women’s team will follow suit in 2008–9. Building on the strengths of last season, Oxford continued to have excellent representation at national events, including the BUSA Duathlon in November, the BUSA Sprint Triathlon in May, and the Varsity Triathlon in June. OUTriC posted some impressive results at the BUSA Duathlon, including a first-place finish by Katy Moore. At the BUSA Sprint Triathlon, a team of our fastest two men and women on the day placed fourth overall, an excellent performance considering that Oxford comfortably beat Cambridge and was the fastest team not to receive external funding as a centre of sporting excellence. The Varsity Triathlon was held at the beautiful Blenheim Palace. As in 2007, the Oxford women were unstoppable and retained the women’s trophy by a comfortable margin. The Oxford men, however, came up just short against an exceptionally strong Cambridge team.
03
04
ANNUAL SPORTS REVIEW 2008
VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7
Qdrtksr 1//6./7 LdmÓr Etkk Aktd Athletics Basketball Boat Boxing Cricket Cross Country Football Golf Hockey Lawn Tennis Rugby Union Squash Swimming Modern Pentathlon Yacht
Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Draw Cambridge Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Oxford Oxford Oxford
116-96 73-61 7-2 47-32 5-3 8-7 3-1 15-6 22-16 5-0 52-38
LdmÓr G`ke Aktd match 96–121, it is one of the closest results in a long time and should hopefully be turned around next year. The Club had a brilliant result in the BUSA National Championships in Southampton, where second and fifth place finishes by Matthew McCormick and Nick Bennett, respectively, helped the team secure a third place finish in the overall university rankings. This is an impressive result, as the team beat some big coastal universities such as Exeter and Cardiff.
Tmcdqv`sdq Dwoknq`shnm This year the Club training programme aimed to work intensively during Michaelmas and Hilary terms to complete the Ocean Diver and Sports Diver courses, which were successful in attracting and retaining a large number of novice members. The remainder of the year saw a successful Easter training outing, followed by two excellent Weymouth trips. Overall it has been a flourishing year, with the Club now in a healthy state, and with an enthusiastic body of members. V`kjhmf Walking Club activities have taken more than 100 students away from their desks and out into the fresh air this year. There has been plenty of high-quality mountain walking, with weekend trips visiting Snowdonia, the Lake District and Scotland, while minibus daytrips have been increasingly popular, with walks on the Dorset and Sussex coasts, Cannock Chase, the Roaches and the Brecon Beacons. Local walks every weekend of term have taken students all over Oxfordshire and the surroundings counties, to sites both known for their beauty and of historical interest. V`sdq Onkn It has been a very successful season for OUWPC. The men’s team, playing in the top division of BUSA, comfortably negotiated the group stages to progress to the semi-finals. However, the tough opposition of Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester proved a little too much in the semis, and the men were knocked out of the competition. The women, meanwhile, were determined to regain their place in the top
X`bgshmf
tier, having been relegated to Division Two last year. They opened their account by crushing Surrey 23–1, and followed up with a 9–2 win against UCL to secure a place in the semifinals, where they unfortunately lost against a strong Bristol side. However, this impressive display was sufficient to gain promotion back to the top BUSA division. Varsity was a resounding success for the Club. The men faced an equally matched Cambridge team and produced a very exciting encounter, with Prem Vadiveloo scoring an equalising goal for Oxford on the final whistle, while the women’s match resulted in an emphatic 8–4 victory for the Dark Blues. The men’s development side also continued the positive trend with a win over their Cambridge counterparts. VhmcrtqÜmf The Windsurfing Club has achieved one of its most successful years ever. Many new members have joined the Club and given windsurfing a try, whether at the Aussie Kiss festival in Cornwall or at the local reservoir in Farmoor. Although the Club narrowly lost the Varsity
The OUYC has had another successful year on the national circuit, with the mixed first and second teams invited to several of the UK’s top team racing competitions. The first team qualified top in the area for the BUSA Team Racing Finals in Oxford, while the second team achieved a ‘playoff place’ to ensure a strong Oxford contingent. However, extreme wind conditions unfortunately led to all finals being cancelled, with the first team subsequently finishing ninth overall. At the Wilson Trophy, one of the most prestigious team racing events in the world, the Oxford first team finished as the second highest university. OUYC ladies team had a great season this year, with Philippa Girling and Nikki Russell achieving fifth place and a silver medal, respectively, in the Team Racing Worlds. They improved steadily throughout the year with the help of their experienced third helm Liz Jamie and were seeded top before BUSA finals, where they unluckily finished second, when the final was blown off, on countback of the last completed round. The Club would like to take this opportunity to thank Matthew Podger and David Royse for all their hard work and dedication throughout the year.
Archery Badminton Canoe & Kayak Croquet Cycling Dancesport Eton Fives Fencing Gliding Gymnastics Ice Hockey Judo Karate Lacrosse Lightweight Rowing Motor Drivers Orienteering Pistol Polo Real Tennis RiÞe Rugby Fives Rugby League Skiing Table Tennis TaeKwon-Do Ultimate Frisbee Volleyball Water Polo WindsurÝng
Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Oxford Oxford Oxford Cambridge Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Cambridge Cambridge Oxford Oxford Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Cambridge Draw Cambridge
14-1 3-1 9-0
3-0 108-103 558-396 8-2 4-3 95-35 12-4
2166-2084 4-0 6-0 260-193 38-10 8-2 13-2 3-0 10-10 121-96
Lhwdc G`ke Aktd Lacrosse Lifesaving Korfball Trampolining Yacht
Oxford Cambridge Cambridge Cambridge Oxford
7-6 10-9 3-1
BNMFQ@STK@SHNMR
Nwenqc Tmhudqrhsx hm Adhihmf Nwenqc Tmhudqrhsx g`c `mnsgdq e`atkntr ronqshmf xd`q hm 1//6.7+ cnlhm`shmf hm ntq sq`chshnm`k lnmnonkx ronqsr `mc `bghduhmf vdkbnld rtbbdrr eqnl lnqd tmkhjdkx pt`qsdqr , bdldmshmf NwenqcÓr ok`bd `lnmfrs sgd adrs hm TJ rstcdms ronqs- Etqsgdq sn sgd atqfdnmhmf cnldrshb rtbbdrr enq ntq C`qj Aktd bktar+ bnmfq`stk`shnmr sn `kk ne sgd TmhudqrhsxÓr hmsdqm`shnm`k rs`qr eqnl sghr rtlldqÓr Adhihmf Nkxlohbr- @s sgd F`ldr Nwenqc an`rsdc svdmsx,nmd `sgkdsdr+ qdoqdrdmshmf Üud cheedqdms bntmsqhdr+ `mc vhmmhmf svn fnkc+ svn rhkudq `mc svn aqnmyd ldc`kr+ vghbg vntkc g`ud ok`bdc sgd Tmhudqrhsx 20rs hm sgd ldc`k s`akd+ Üud ok`bdr `anud B`laqhcfd C`hrx Chbj vnm ntq Üqrs ldc`k ne sgd F`ldr+ s`jhmf aqnmyd hm sgd Sd`l Dudmshmf+ `mc v`r pthbjkx enkknvdc nm ÒRtodq R`stqc`xÓ ax Odsdq Qddc `mc @mcx Sqhffr,Gncfd+ vgn vnm fnkc hm sgd qnvhmf entq- Bnkhm Rlhsg+ ` btqqdms rstcdms `s Rs B`sgdqhmdÓr Bnkkdfd+ `mc @bdq Mdsgdqbnss ld`mvghkd vnm rhkudq hm sgd ldmÓr qnvhmf dhfgs Î `bbnlo`mhdc ax Inrg Vdrs vgn hr ` Tmhudqrhsx qdrd`qbgdq- Ctqhmf sgd enkknvhmf Rtmc`x+ O`tk L`sshbj pt`khÜdc enq sgd Üm`kr ne sgd khfgsvdhfgs entq+ Ümhrghmf hm Üesg ok`bd+ vghkd TR@ qnvdq I`lhd Rbgqndcdq snnj sgd r`ld rons hm sgd pt`cqtokd rbtkkr Üm`k- Ateex Vhkkh`lr ne B`m`c`+ vgn rstchdc `s Rs Gtfgr hm 1//3+ f`hmdc entqsg ok`bd hm sgd vnldmÓr dhfgs Üm`k+ vghkrs edkknv B`m`ch`m `mc enqldq rstcdms+ I`jd Vdsydk+ vnm fnkc hm sgdhq ldmÓr dhfgs- Etqsgdqlnqd+ Fdnqfd Aqhcfdv`sdq+ ` Mdv Yd`k`mc qnvdq vgn rs`qsdc qd`chmf enq `m LA@ `s Nqhdk Bnkkdfd hm Nbsnadq vnm ` aqnmyd ldc`k hm sgd ldmÓr qnvhmf o`hq Üm`kRhltks`mdntr sn rtbbdrr `s sgd qnvhmf k`jd NwenqcÓr enqldq rstcdmsr `krn hloqdrrdc dkrdvgdqd- L`q` X`l`tbgh+ vgn rstchdc `s Rs @mmdÓr hm 0881+ rtqo`rrdc O`tk` Q`cbkheed sn Ümhrg rhwsg hm sgd vnldmÓr l`q`sgnm+ dpt`kkhmf sgd adrs Ümhrg hm `m Nkxlohb l`q`sgnm ax ` Aqhshrg vnl`m- Vghkrs ntq rnkd qdoqdrdms`shnm `s sgd 1//7 Adhihmf O`q`kxlohbr+ Itrshm Eqhrgadqf ne A`kkhnk Bnkkdfd+ o`qshbho`sdc hm sgd FA vgddkbg`hq qtfax sd`l- Cdrohsd ` e`ms`rshb odqenql`mbd+ sgd sd`l m`qqnvkx lhrrdc nts nm ` ldc`k+ Ümhrghmf hm entqsg onrhshnm nudq`kk-
05 VVV-RONQS-NW-@B-TJ @MMT@K RONQSR QDUHDV 1//7
Qdrtksr 1//6./7 VnldmÓr Etkk Aktd Athletics Basketball Boat Dancesport Fencing Football Golf Hockey Karate Lacrosse Lawn Tennis Modern Pentathlon Netball Rugby Union Squash Swimming Yacht
Oxford Oxford Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Cambridge Oxford Draw Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Oxford Draw Cambridge
109-90 63-62
123-105 5.5-3.5 2-1 51-51 8-4 11-10 41-34 13-12 4-1 40-40
VnldmÓr G`ke Aktd Archery Badminton Canoe & Kayak Cricket Cycling Cross Country Gliding Gymnastics Ice Hockey Judo Lightweight Rowing Orienteering Pistol Real Tennis Skiing Table Tennis TaeKwon-Do
Cambridge Cambridge Draw Cambridge Oxford Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Oxford Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Oxford
Triathlon Volleyball Water Polo Ultimate Frisbee
Oxford Oxford Oxford Cambridge
Nsgdq Aussie Rules Football Gaelic Games Kendo Kickboxing Powerlifting Rackets Riding Triathlon (MenÔs)
Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Cambridge Oxford Cambridge Cambridge
Edited by Beth Wild, Sports Federation President Designed by Andrew Harvey for the Public Affairs Directorate Supported by VincentÔs Club
vvv-ronqs-nw-`b-tj
14-1 2-2
29-13
8-3 3-2
2031-1992 6-0 8-2
3-2 8-4 12-3