The Lion

AUSSIE RULES 'ARCHERY IS TEAM HIT AN ADDICTION' OXFORD Phil Shepka

SAILORS PLAY HOST UBSC welcome 21 teams to Birmingham

Dave Wheaton's diary talks bows and of a very big day arrows with the archers

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THE LION

REDBRICK SPORT

Issue 3 | December 2010

PER ARDUA AD ALTA

Roaring into every corner of university sport

Cycling

Taekwondo

Captain Mark Brown reports on success in Manchester, p5

Jonny Price's team were victorious in Kings Heath, p3

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CAPTAIN'S CORNER ULTIMATE FRISBEE EQUESTRIAN ROWING AND MUCH MORE

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THE LION

Editorial Information Executive Editor Samuel Lear Editors in Chief James Phillips Simon Hall Deputy Editors Tom Fuller Dave Rudge Art Director Thomas Walters Thanks to Julz Adeniran Chief Photographer Mike Roberts chiefphotographer@redbrickonline.co.uk

Editorial Assistants

December 2010

WELCOME TO THE LION

Victoria Bull Rochelle Balach Laura Hewitt Vikki Jeff Will Hunter Kate Selvaratnam Copy Editor Sam Langtree Front Page Photographs Mille Guy Rita Toth Lincoln Smith Anish Patel Billy Gao James Carlsson Polly Bryan Tom Summerbee Jonny Price Roger Wootton Matt Kindinger Jack Brougham

Published by Redbrick in association with and part funded by UBsport Designed and typeset by Thomas Walters.

Copyright (C) Redbrick 2010 Redbrick strives to uphold the NUJ Code of Conduct. The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

To contact us: Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU 0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickonline.co.uk Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint.com: 08451 300667.

Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 or a.fitzpatrick@guild.bham.ac.uk

Write for us To write for Redbrick Sport, just come to our section meeting, every Friday at 2pm in the Guild Common Room.

VPS Julz (far left) cheering on the women's hockey players against Loughborough in November Rita Toth It gives me great pleasure to introduce the third edition of The Lion.

After the runaway success of last year's launch, Redbrick Sport has gone from strength to strength in its coverage of campus sport. The section unquestionably contributes to a much wider interest in sport at our university, through its captivating and broad dissemination of sports news across our student body. Bolstered by a renewed relationship with UBSport, its dedicated team of editors, reporters and photographers have worked tirelessly this term to leave no stone unturned in bringing to you the best university sport publication in the country, and I thank

them for this. Greater appreciation of those who represent and through their efforts enhance the reputation of our University is a focal point of my tenancy objectives, and Redbrick is intrinsic to this adoption of a more collective approach in recognising the many sporting successes that occur weekly and at a variety of levels.

I cannot continue without acknowledging the efforts of our sportsmen and sportswomen and reflect on what has been a tremendous term by all sporting accounts. The last 10 weeks have uncovered an array of superb results across the board with more than 2000 athletes in over 75 different sporting disciplines, from

archery to water polo, representing our University in competitive action.

There have been too many standout performances to pick from, but the clinical white-washes that our table tennis, American football, men's lacrosse and women's rugby union teams have inflicted certainly deserves a special mention. The breadth and depth of representation is tantamount to the fine balance between participation and performance, which I believe this University strikes better than any other establishment. This is testament to the fact that we remain the number one Russell Group University for sport.

Having had the opportunity to

THE LION

spectate on various Wednesday afternoons it clear for all to see that our sportsmen and sportswomen take a lot of pride in representing the red, blue and gold. This is perhaps best exemplified by the grit and determination our players have often shown in the face of adversity over the term.

For me, one of the best examples of this was the camaraderie of the men's basketball team whose revival personified 'a team effort', to stamp out a fierce Coventry resurgence in the last play of the game and secure a narrow 79-78 victory. More so, the character our women's lacrosse team showed in pulling back a closely fought match against Loughborough to a draw on three separate occasions, despite succumbing to a cruel blow in the closing stages to deny them 9-10. The manner in which our representatives pride themselves on the field and carry themselves off the field is an inspiration.

On a personal note I've enjoyed a frantic but productive first term, making progress on my frontline objectives of 'Awareness, Appreciation and Accessibility'. Through these three main projects and several background undertakings it's very promising to see positive change being instilled into the student experience at our University during my tenancy.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas

Julz Adeniran

VP Sport vps@guild.bham.ac.uk

In This Issue

sports@redbrickonline.co.uk

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Hello everybody, Welcome to the third edition of The Lion, Redbrick Sport's biannual pullout. In this edition we have strived to provide coverage of some of the less mainstream sports that you haven't been reading about every week in the regular Sport section of Redbrick.

We hope that this really shows the strength and depth of the University of Birmingham's sporting prowess and also the variety on offer for students who wish to get involved. The next edition of The Lion will be released near the end of March, where we hope to be reporting on much success at the annual BUCS Championships. Until then continue to read our weekly coverage in Redbrick. Enjoy the issue.

Ninjutsu

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James Phillips Simon Hall

@redbricksports

Relays

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redbrickonline.co.uk

December 2010

Steady growth continues for club looking to claim ultimate prize

Captain's Corner Name Dan Murphy

Stefano Goosey talks to members of Birmingham's ultimate frisbee setup as the team bids for BUCS glory this year

T

he University of Birmingham is now nationally renowned for being a force across a range of sports in the BUCS championships, and a rising sport at our university is ultimate frisbee.

Affectionately known just as 'ultimate', the relatively modern game has now been heavily incorporated from its American roots into the British university sporting system.

The club, which is known as University of Birmingham Ultimate or otherwise UBU, has seen a rapid growth since its introduction into the University 10 years ago. In the last couple of years, the club has enjoyed its most successful spell since its introduction at the beginning of the millennium, as the club qualified for national tournaments in every category except women's.

The game is based on an American football scoring style system where the frisbee must be caught within an end zone. However, you must remain still when throwing the disc. Therefore, players' fitness is tested throughout as outdoor pitch lengths are identical to those that NFL players perform on.

However, the most intriguing aspect of the sport, which essentially makes it unique, is that matches are self-refereed. Known as the 'spirit of the game', all competing players are given the option to call for fouls and violations, which certainly gives the game a sense of re-

Club/ position Men's cricket club captain Firstly, what is your earliest memory of the sport?

Playing in the garden with my older brother pretending to be the stars of the 90s, smashing windows!

What is your greatest sporting moment?

Reaching the final of the National club competition at Lord's in 2008.

The Brum team in training (left) and the first team competing in outdoor regionals (right) Tom Summerbee spect for the opposition.

In recent years the club has helped a number of key players to

perform at the highest levels for club and country and the team's

results haven't gone unnoticed.

In a tough region featuring the likes of Loughborough, Warwick and Cambridge, Birmingham had their best season yet last year. UBU finished 4th in the BUCS outdoor championships along with competing in national tournaments in the other categories. Sadly however, the women's team marginally missed out in qualifying for the nationals.

Kit secretary James Bauld, who was new to the sport last season, was still upbeat about the club's performances despite not

having the best of starts this term, 'We lost open regional qualification for nationals in a playoff, but got our revenge by knocking out Cambridge in a mixed game a fortnight later.'

In addition to Bauld's comments, a slightly more experienced player and club secretary James Bunting, seemed in good spirits ahead of the outdoor season, 'Although we had a disappointing indoor season, the club is gearing up for the outdoor season, which is by far the bigger test of the club's depth and ability.'

Consistently impressive on the student competition circuit, Birmingham was looking forward to showing what they can do on home soil. By the end of the day, the team had done themselves and the University proud, finishing in top position and bringing home the Team Trophy with a total medal haul of 6 golds, 5 silvers and 4 bronzes.

Fourth year Medical student Beth Philips, and Vice-Captain Kiran Basra both put in some extremely strong performances in their first round fights – winning comfortably and both earning their place in the final against each other. After a tense and close match Philips eventually went on

to win 16-15, but the hard work of both meant a gold and silver for team Birmingham. There were two more all-Birmingham finals as well, securing vital points towards the team trophy.

Sohail Iqbal also put in some very impressive displays on his way to the gold medal, although it was not without controversy. Despite narrowly losing his first match in the third rounds after leading in the first two, Iqbal caught a break and benefitted from his Bristol opponent having been entered in the wrong category.

The Bristol player was subsequently disqualified – forfeiting his place in the final. Showing great

resolve and skill, Iqbal did not waste the opportunity and within only two rounds dismissed his opponent in the final using a variety of controlled and powerful spinning kicks – impressive enough to win the 'fighter of the tournament' award.

Club captain Jonny Price was delighted with all of the day's matches and said of his club, 'everybody from Birmingham was a great credit to the club and it was brilliant to see both new and old members showing just what we are capable of.' He continued: 'We are really looking forward to the rest of the year's events and all the upcoming competitions.'

'Although we had a disappointing indoor season, the club is gearing up for the outdoor season' James Bunting

Brum fighters crowned in Kings Heath Jonny Price

Taekwondo Correspondent

Brum's Taekwondo club hosted and won the first ever Student Championship at the Bishop Challoner Sports Centre in Kings Heath. Against teams from across the country including Edinburgh, Liverpool, Oxford Brookes and Southampton, it was not going to be an easy day for the home players. But, boasting a team of 18 fighters and more than doubling the next team's score, Birmingham showed once again that they are a force to be reckoned with.

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On the flip side, what is your most embarrassing sporting moment?

Whilst helping the England and India teams train for a test match in 2007, I bowled a beamer (a ball that does not bounce and is straight at the batman's chest or head) at MS Dhoni, the captain and national icon of India.

Have you ever received the infamous 'hairdryer' treatment, or are you an angel to your coach?

In the U15 County National Final, I did receive the 'hairdryer' treatment for assisting us to lose the match after getting into a winning position.

Of all the banter you have received from the opposition, what stands out?

Whilst playing in a league match back home in Surrey, I accidently went out to bat with my phone in my pocket. It went off soon after me arriving at the crease, so I took it out of my pocket and handed it to the umpire. As I did this an opposition fielder called out to me, 'Who was that? Your mum?' to which I quickly replied, 'No, it was yours!' I don't know how it came to me so quickly but safe to say he kept quiet for the rest of the game.

Are there any team traditions that you would like to elaborate on?

During rain breaks all the team cram into the changing room, put on the their helmets and boxes, and proceed to launch tennis balls at each other for a good 15 minutes which provides great laughs and numerous bruises.

What is the funniest moment you have encountered within the cricket team?

Last season, our opening batsman, Hem, had the bizarre misfortune of being out by three methods off the same ball, caught out, obstructing the field, then run out to make sure. Safe to say he didn't wait for confirmation from the umpires.

Miguel Angel (left, red) avoids a powerful turning kick (right) before the men get stuck in

Jonny Price

Finally what is your pet hate in a match?

Arriving at tea after taking off batting equipment, only to turn up and see there's nothing left, with the exception of a couple of egg sandwiches, then glancing over at James Shackleton's plate which is filled to the brim.

Harry Kitchen

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THE LION

December 2010

Relays prove to be runaway success

Rita Toth

The men head past Aston Webb (left) while Megan Roberts charges for the line (right) Peter Whitehouse Sport Reporter

The annual University of Birmingham relays took place amid great excitement and tension, under the cool grey skies that loomed over the clock tower and onto the start line outside the Aston Webb building.

The hosts were well represented in the women's race with multiple teams battling it out against St Mary's, Nottingham, Leicester, Exeter, East Anglia and Liverpool. Birmingham's Lara Thomas executed the opening loop of the three kilometer circuit superbly, storming home with the joint fastest time of the day: 9 minutes 37

seconds.

She handed over to Sports Science student, Lucy Dowsett, who dashed around the course, clocking 9 minutes 50 seconds to hand over to Birmingham's final leg runner, Julia Cooke. She cruised home, equaling Thomas' time, to record a comfortable victory.

After the race, Dowsett commented she was 'happy to be part of such a team which features very well in everything' and that she hoped that this performance would be a 'vital stepping stone into the season to come.'

The men's race was a tighter affair, but Birmingham prevailed again over St Mary's and Nottingham as well as a Birmingham old

boy's team which included Commonwealth Games finalist, Luke Gunn. The hosts opened up with a solid leg from Andrew Stanton who brought Birmingham back in 5th position in 8 minutes 24 seconds.

Michael Salter held his nerve to keep Birmingham in touching distance with his 8 minute 31 second run. Carl Smith efficiently maintained this run of good form in roughly the same time to see Harry Harper begin his final leg in 6th place. By this stage, Birmingham were the pace-setters along with St Mary's and Birmingham old boys.

Harper began his effort, dauntingly behind Gunn, who had recently started training again af-

ter the post-season break. To the spectator, it looked like it would be beyond Harper's grasp, but he mustered an electric performance to storm past Gunn and all in front of him to bring Birmingham home 10 seconds in front of the old boys.

A grinning Harper appeared from underneath the law building to a great reception. He commented, 'The whole feeling in terms of racing is that you have to be very bold. You sometimes have to be aggressive and gamble and that's what I did when I went after Gunny. Luckily, it paid off.'

St Mary's, who beat Birmingham to silver in last year's BUCS cross country, finished in 3rd. With BUCS cross-country being held on

home turf this academic year, and the outstanding form Birmingham have displayed thus far, they look like firm favourites to take the crowns in both the women's and men's races.

With BUCS cross country being held on home turf this academic year, Brum are firm favourites to take the crown, emphasising the strength of the squad.

This was exemplified by the performances of James Wilkinson winning the Under 23 men's European trial race on Saturday 27th November, beating off the challenge of team-mate Nick Goolab. The duo head to Portugal this month for the European cross country championships.

The semester in photographs

Tom Flathers: Both middle

Dmitry Trushchenkov: Bottom right

Rita Toth: Both left, top right

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redbrickonline.co.uk

December 2010

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Medals in Manchester

Club captain Mark Brown gives us the lowdown on Birmingham's recent success at the Track Championships

James Carlsson

Birmingham's cycling team performed brilliantly in Manchester in November

O

n the weekend of the 6th and 7th of November, the National Cycling Centre in Manchester played host as the BUCS cyclists took part in their second event of this academic year, the Track Championships. Track cycling is a fastpaced sport, requiring a high level of tactical and technical skills and is certain to provide entertainment for spectators.

Over the course of the weekend, university cyclists from all over the country competed over a selection of different events at the indoor wooden velodrome, ranging from 12 second individual sprints to 25 minute group races.

Saturday's events mainly served as qualifiers for subsequent rounds on Sunday, and first up was the men's Individual Pursuit. Run over 4000m (16 laps of the 250m track), two riders start on opposite sides of the track and attempt to catch their opponent. The Birmingham pursuit riders were up against a strong contingent from Oxford and Cambridge, and excellent performances from all six riders saw them finish in 5 minutes 30 seconds or less. The top eight riders moved into the next round, as Birmingham's representative Xavier Disley qualified fastest of all the competitors in 4:51.476, some seven seconds faster than the next placed rider.

The second event was the qualification for the men's Sprint event, over 200m. Riders rode high on the banking before dropping down and completing nearly a full lap of the 250m track. Fastest of the Birmingham riders was Xavier Disley in 12.145sec (5th place), who unfortunately had to withdraw from the Sprint event due to a niggling

injury from a crash, in order to focus on the Individual Pursuit.

Mark Brown (12.731), Henry Knott (12.856) and Nils Gustafsson (12.960) all qualified for the next round of competition, as Birmingham took a third of the qualifica-

After weeks of 5:30am wake-up calls for track training and countless late night sessions all the hard work and effort was rewarded with the first BUCS medal" tion spots.

In the women's Individual Pursuit qualification round over 3000m Elle Hopkins easily secured her place in the following day's final with 4:06.360. Louisa Blamires (4:28.648), Jess Waterfall (4:31.371) and Emily Carter (4:35.220) all narrowly missing out on the 4:26 cutoff time in the ride-off for the bronze medal.

The final event on the Saturday was the men's Time Trial, over 1000m. Seven riders from Birmingham attacked the four lap race, with times often separated only by hundredths of a second. Xavier

Disley was the highest placed Birmingham rider in 5th place with 1:11.912, followed by Mark Brown (14th), Henry Knott (16th), Nils Gustafsson (18th), Alex Stephenson-Brown (23rd), Jack Peasgood (24th) and Will Rudgard (28th).

After a long day, the exhausted team retired back to a nearby house in Manchester to rest up for Sunday, with an even more packed schedule on the cards.

Bright and early at 10am, the three man Team Sprint over 750m saw Birmingham win their first medal of the championships. The team of Nils Gustafsson, Henry Knott and Mark Brown laid down the gauntlet with a 55.466, which would eventually be enough for the bronze medal. After weeks of 5:30am wake-up calls for track training at the local Halesowen track, and countless late night sessions at Wolverhampton, often returning to campus at midnight, all the hard work and effort was rewarded with the first BUCS medal ever won by the three riders. Birmingham also placed 5th and 7th in the event with their B and C teams again making use of excellent starting technique.

Another round of Individual Pursuit qualification saw Xavier Disley cruise into the final with a controlled 4:54.960, to be placed against Llewellyn Kinch of Cambridge who rode a 4:54.152 in the second round.

The women's 500m final saw the beginning of Elle Hopkins' domination of the women's events, her 39.279 breaking the 40 second barrier and taking the gold medal from Cardiff's Ruby Miller and Sheffield's Helen Clayton. Jess Waterfall and Louisa Blamires both turned in 45 second rides finishing 5th and 6th, whilst Emily Carter

put in a huge effort off the line, before wrenching her foot out of the pedal and hitting the banking hard in the first corner. After a trip to A&E and a repair to the track, Emily made it back for the rest of the day's racing to support the team

Many hours of practice and technique work saw the Birmingham team qualify fastest out of all the entrants over 4000m" and nurse her battle scars.

The Team Sprint bronze medallists of Knott, and Gustafsson rode well through the sprint heats, but saved themselves for the Team Pursuit where they were joined with Hill Climb team silver medallist Oliver Wilson. Many hours of practice and technique work saw the Birmingham team qualify fastest out of all the entrants over 4000m, placing them in the final against last year's road Team Time Trial gold medalists Cambridge.

Easily the best drilled of all the squads, Birmingham's effort in the final saw them finish just a handful

of seconds behind the strong Cambridge riders, as the teams chased each other all the way to the line.

Only a gold medal was awarded in the Team Pursuit, giving the team extra motivation to train hard and take the title next year.

Both the women's and men's Individual Pursuit finals saw epic contests that ran right down to the wire. Elle Hopkins continued her winning streak by taking the gold medal over Ruby Miller of Cardiff, as she fought hard and put the power down to take the win by 0.05sec, less than a metre of the track. Xavier Disley, up against Llewellyn Kinch of Cambridge went out hard and yet was reeled in at the end, finishing second by 0.713 seconds in 4:51.355 as both riders put in lung-busting efforts to go faster than at any other point in the competition.

Elle Hopkins was again up on the track to defend her women's Sprint title from last year, as she conclusively took apart Helen Clayton of Sheffield in two straight wins to add a third gold medal to her tally. Due to time constraints the women's 8km Scratch race was cancelled, denying Elle a fourth opportunity to take gold for her University. The men's points race saw a valiant effort from Henry Knott and Nils Gustafsson to finish the championships in style, Knott taking 12th place in a hard attacking race.

Overall the weekend was a fantastic result for the team after many months of hard work and preparation on the track. Three golds, a silver and a bronze look set to bump Birmingham up to top spot in the BUCS Cycling rankings, as now many months of winter training beckon before the road events in April.

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THE LION

December 2010

Captain's Corner

Big day out for Aussie rules boys

Name Kaz Melvin Club/Position Cheerleading Captain

Cheerleading contains dangerous manoeuvres, what is the biggest accident you have had in practice?

Aussie rules footballer and Sport reporter Dave Wheaton tells us all about a big away day

S

aturday 20th November was yet another noteworthy day in the history of the freshly constituted University of Birmingham Aussie Rules Football team; a day worthy of a feature in The Lion. The addition of a surprisingly large number of talented first years, enabled the squad to travel to Oxford University for their first authentic 18-a-side contest confident they could present a tough challenge.

9.30am: Meeting in Selly Oak Winter was definitely starting to take over Selly Oak as the team gathered, shivering around the minibus on a somber West Midlands morning. As I joined the circle of players in the car park, the atmosphere warmed up as a chat about the game began in anticipation of the hard hitting and silky play that was surely to follow.

A pleasant surprise was the presence of three former players, graduates now playing for Great Britain and England, Sean Walton, Joe Watkins and Rob Woodward. It was as though the captain had reunited the whole Birmingham Aussie Rules family in preparation for the battle that was to ensue that afternoon, the ball-up being planned for 1pm.

9.45am: After successfully cramming everyone into the minibus, the team was given a quick lowdown on their opponents. Oxford University has had an Aussie Rules Football team for almost 80 years and is composed almost entirely of Australian and Irish players. In 2009, in their annual varsity game against Cambridge, a similarly competent

side, they defended the Varsity Cup with a 43 point victory. This was a sign of encouragement to the Birmingham players. Joyful banter emanated from the bus for the next two hours through the luscious towns of Solihull, Banbury and finally Oxford.

Last year I got a concussion from hitting my head on the way down from a stunt. I went to A&E just to get checked up but nothing serious.

12.30pm: Tension went up a notch as the guests jogged onto the monumental 18-a-side pitch in front of a surprisingly large travelling crowd. A few students obviously understood how meaningful this confrontation was going to be. At 1pm the ball went up, signaling the start of an apprehensive first quarter, with neither team knowing what to expect from each another. It soon became apparent though that the hosts entertained a slight technical edge over Birmingham and greater experience of the way an 18-a-side game is organised.

This was to be a recurring theme throughout the game. Oxford's accuracy in front of goal meant the first quarter ended 32-14, the home team having scored 5 goals for 2 behinds and the visitors 2 goals for 2 behinds.

Throughout the next quarter, Birmingham rapidly came to grips with the enormity of the pitch. Impressive work by ruck-rovers Chris Britton and Tom Simmonds ensured a stronger contest in midfield, with Walton, playing as ruckman, winning every contest.

And an exemplary performance

by Dan Di-Lieto up front made sure Birmingham held on, trailing by just fifteen points at half time.

It was in the third and fourth quarters that the Shark's inexperience of 18-a-side really took its toll. It wasn't long before Oxford demonstrated the lethal accuracy in front of

Not being a mainstream part of English sport, how and why did you get to grips with cheerleading?

It was the first timeUoB Sharks had played 18-a-side

goal that makes them the best university team in the country.

Using tactical nous, they adapted their kicking and passing to compensate for fatigue. And unsurprisingly, the hosts added eight more goals in the two final quarters, making the final score 92-34.

Post-match analysis, Tim Smith, Birmingham Sharks President: I think we were a bit dazed by the daunting size of the pitch. It was hard to adapt to a drastically new organization compared to 9-a-side which we are used to. I maintain, however, that this was by no means a weak performance by our team as we offered a very strong contest right until the final quarter.

I'd like to mention that Cambridge University got 7 points past this same team last year,

Anish Patel

which demonstrates the quality of the Oxford side. I am proud of my players for achieving a decently high scoring ratio.

We gained an incredible amount of experience from this game. It's only by playing the best that you become the best and that is what I'd like the players to retain from today.

Sam Stranks, Oxford University Aussie Rules Football Club President: I could not believe it when Birmingham's winger told me none of these guys are Aussies. They have achieved a high standard of play after only two years of existence.

I think it was because of our superior know-how of the game and a couple of very technically talented key players that we got such a big margin in the second half of the game.

Archers 'chasing the perfect round'

Phil Shepka gets to within shooting range of the University of Birmingham's archery team

W

hen someone mentions archery, images of Robin Hood or activity days in school may come to mind. However at the first BUTTS Challenge League meet of the academic year, this stereotype is laughed at. The competitors take the sport very seriously, yet there is a definite sense of community between the universities at the Gillett Sports Hall.

The BUTTS League itself is comprised of eight universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Warwick and has been running since 1995. Each university will enter both a novice and experienced team into the competition to allow all skill levels a chance to play. And the future looks bright for Birmingham as last year their novice team came

2nd overall, only just losing out to Nottingham.

The leagues rules are based upon a Portsmouth round; where each archer has 60 arrows, with each shot gaining a score between 0 and 10. Most of the individuals in the experienced team will score around 550 out of a possible 600, which tells you that this game is all about fine margins. Jack Bryant, a PhD Bioscientist said, 'archery is an addiction. You are always chasing the perfect round.' That seems to be what draws people into an interest in the sport.

Curiosity will lure people into finding more about the game, and they catch the bug after a few sessions of shooting.

This may well have happened to Naomi Folkard, a graduate of Birmingham University.

In October, she was part of the

England team that won Silver at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

If you do end up taking to the sport it isn't cheap. Bows can range from £200 to anywhere as high as £1500. Arrows will also set you back around £20 each and a target board costs around £600. Most clubs, including ours, will give you equipment to get experience with before you make a commitment to buy your own.

The match itself was played indoors against 3 other universities with Birmingham looking to get off to a winning start to the season. The results are based upon individual competitor points, which are then added to create an overall team score.

In the gentlemen's novice event, Birmingham's Daniel Beattie narrowly missed out on first

place but still managed to gain a silver medal with an impressive score of 443. Kim Armitage claimed bronze in the ladies novice event in her first evercompetitive event with a score of 389. This was unfortunately well behind the eventual winner Cambridge's Alex Lucas who shot a round of 454, the highest of any novice so far this year. In the experienced section, Bryant was the highest placing individual from Birmingham finishing third overall.

Brum now sit 5th in the league in both classes, after the first fixtures which they may have been disappointed by.

However, the tables are very, tight with only 30 points separating them from 2nd placed Warwick in the experienced section. Birmingham will look to improve as the season goes on.

I have been a gymnast from a very young age so when I came to Birmingham I was looking to pursue something to do with gymnastics. As soon as I walked into sports fair in freshers week and saw the Pussycats I knew it was what I was going to do. It's so different from anything I have ever done but meant I can still continue with gymnastics.

What is the best moment for you as a cheerleader?

Probably xpLosION this year.

We had so much support from the crowd and the American Footballers and the routine went better than we could have ever imagined. It felt good to show everyone what were made of and how well we can perform.

Is there a rival group of cheerleaders or is that just a stereotype?

Loughborough and Southampton are our main competition but I wouldn't see them as rivals just tough competitors, they are both great squads and we always make the effort to talk to them at competitions.

To what extent do you think your cheers have helped the Birmingham Lions into their success?

We would like to think when we cheer they are motivated and encouraged to play on. We are at every game home or away so I think if we were not there they would miss us!

What would a typical training session consist of?

A typical Tuesday night involves meetings followed by dance where currently we are learning the jumps section of our competition routine. Then stunting – where we are kept on our toes with challenging stunts for competition Lastly, do you think you will continue cheerleading postuniversity in any form?

I hope so, I would miss it so much otherwise. If there's a good squad near where I'm living I would definitely be there and I would obviously come back to see the Pussycats!

Harry Kitchen

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December 2010

The attraction of ninjutsu

7

Focus on...

Joel Lamy takes a look at one of the University's lesser known clubs and gets dragged into the action

Equestrian

Polly Bryan in action Polly Bryan

Equestrian Correspondent

Millie Guy

Getting to grips with it: Two ninjutsu participants battle it out

W

hen one thinks of martial arts, one thinks of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee. As I battled my way through the snow to watch my first ever session of ninjutsu, it's fair to say that I was expecting something similar, but this perception turned out to be completely misinformed.

The ninjutsu society were holding a special session, run

by Norman Smithers, a trainee of ninjutsu for thirty years and someone who travels the world teaching it to students. Ninjutsu has a rich history of one thousand years, which originates from Japanese ninjas and is centred on one goal: survival.

This is done by learning skills such as non-armed combat, disguise, spiritual refinement and

a use of weapons including ninja swords, spears and blades; whatever it takes to survive.

Black belts and Olympic medals are seen as insignificant; this is what makes it so different from other martial arts.

Intrigued, I watched as a group of about twenty split into pairs and practiced fighting their way out of tricky situations, with the tutors watching and helping. The training was controlled so as to avoid serious injuries, but all the participants were quite willing to inflict pain on their partner. One person would get their partner in a seemingly unbeatable position, only to see him escape in a matter of seconds before inflicting pain back.

Having spectated from the side, it was now my turn

'Brummy Bender' event ends with Warwick triumph

to give it a go and test out my own survival instincts. With a patient and helpful partner, I was able to get myself out of a headlock by squeezing a pressure point and wriggling my way out as well taking an arm around my neck, putting it into a lock and twisting to cause maximum pain. What surprised me was how simple a lot of the moves were, with sometimes a push of the finger being enough to remove an opponent's pressure. Having recovered from the initial shock of trying to hurt somebody I'd never met before, I started to enjoy it but unfortunately I didn't get a chance to use the spears and wooden swords waiting by the side, although that might have been for the best.

The attraction of ninjutsu is

certainly the confidence it gives you. University of Birmingham club captain Richard West retold a story where he had been mugged in Selly Oak but had adopted a ninjutsu position which prevented his attackers from hitting him. His friend, on the other hand, ended up in hospital.

As West was keen to point out, the ninjutsu club is more than just a place to practice martial arts. After sessions on Tuesday and Thursday, the group go to the pub and socials are regularly organised for the cinema and bowling. So whether you are looking for a tight-knit group and a good time or just want to feel safe when going out, then the ninjutsu club could be a good place to start, even if you find fitness a problem.

Sparkling duathletes taste silver in Castle Coomb

Lincoln Smith

Sailing Correspondent

Last weekend, the University of Birmingham sailing club hosted the 'Brummy Bender'.

This event saw 21 teams descend into Birmingham on Friday night for two days of Team Racing.

The Birmingham team were not sailing but instead ran the event extremely smoothly.

Bartley Green Sailing club, home of Brum's sailing team, was covered in a thick layer of fog on Friday morning. This delayed the start of the racing until 12 o'clock, which allowed teams to recover from the previous night, but the good wind speeds made for some interesting races during the day.

On Sunday, a new race schedule was drawn up for the Gold, Silver and Bronze fleets, and with good but cold wind conditions, racing kicked off at 9am.

Two full round robins, 133

The Brum team psyche themselves up for the race Lincoln Smith races, were completed. The winning teams being, Warwick 1sts in second and Swansea 1sts in first position.

The Birmingham teams have raced at Leeds and Sheffield so far this year with a promising start, and will be competing and looking to qualify in the BUSA events (British Universities Sailing Association) in February next year.

Oliver Ziff

Duathlon Correspondent

A team of 23 set off from Birmingham and headed for Castle Coomb racing circuit in Wiltshire on Sunday 21st November to compete in a duathlon (2.5km run, 10mile bike, 2.5km run).

The event organisers appropriately named the event the Chilly Duathlon since the weather was cold and rainy, far from ideal racing conditions yet Brum battled

Oliver Ziff

through to produce some outstanding performances. The team collected the silver medal with team counters being Josh Miers who raced out of his skin to finish 8th and in doing so producing the fastest bike split of the day, Jack Peasgood putting in a great debut performance for Birmingham finishing 11th and fresher Ryan Ordidge rounding out the team in 23rd. In all a great start to the season for the Birmingham University Triathlon Team.

In their first fixture of the season the Birmingham team of Angharad Binnington, Polly Bryan, Georgia Bellis-Jones and Emma Strang battled well in a close competition, finally finishing third. Although not the result they had hoped for, strong individual performances, notably by Strang and Bellis-Jones, who finished 2nd and 6th respectively, contributed to a solid team display.

The day began with the dressage phase, where a competitor from each team rides a different horse, and is judged against opposing competitors allocated the same horse from the draw. With an emphasis on the skill involved in handling an unknown horse, each stage of equestrian competitions is a challenge. And once all sixteen riders had completed their dressage and an arduous set test, the scores were tantalizingly close. Just four points separated the leading team, Nottingham, from Loughborough and Birmingham in joint third.

The closeness of the marks meant there was everything to ride for in the show-jumping event. Having drawn different horses, the format of competition from the morning continued; riders having to jump a course of fences on an unknown horse.

Riding first for Birmingham was Strang, who put in a superb clear round, followed by Bryan who raised hopes for Birmingham by also jumping clear. By the time Binnington and BellisJones jumped, the tension had risen and fences had begun to fall for several riders. But despite rolling a couple of poles between them, the Birmingham riders clocked up some all-important style marks from judge Valerie Armitage.

With all jumping rounds completed, it was anybody's guess which team had finished first and clinched those crucial four BUCS points. Unfortunately though for Birmingham, they narrowly missed out. After the initial disappointment subsided, Birmingham reflected on a positive performance in which they had beaten the imposing Loughborough riders, and nearly triumphed over the Nottingham teams.

The Birmingham girls are now looking ahead to their next match hopeful of a result. B team captain Binnington commented, 'It is still early in the season, and we still have all to play for. As a team we put in some really good riding, which should hold us in good stead for the next matches.'

8 redbrickonline.co.uk

THE LION

December 2010

Murphy's men march on as Aberystwyth and Brookes beaten Mesh Johal Sport Reporter

The University of Birmingham men's cricket club moved a step closer towards the BUCS national indoor cricket six-a-side Finals after sailing through the regional stage.

Held in the indoor cricket centre at Edgbaston, Birmingham triumphed in their opening group match against Oxford Brookes.

Batting first, Brum's opening pair of Dan Murphy and Gareth James set a solid foundation, with both players retiring on 25 runs. Decent contributions from James Shackleton and Rory Pemberton saw the hosts finish their twelve overs with a competitive total of 143-1.

Birmingham's superior fielding shone through in the next innings, with Murphy and James accounting for three run outs whilst opening bowler Liam O'Driscoll starred with two wickets, both of which were caught and bowled.

The second group match proved to be a far more difficult encounter, with Brum surviving a sloppy batting performance to

overcome Aberystwyth University.

After being bowled out for 68, an exceptional team bowling performance saw Birmingham skittle their opponents out for 47. Wickets from Chris Guy, Shackleton and another caught and bowled from O'Driscoll set Brum on their way, but it was the performance of freshman James that caught the eye. Claiming three wickets, which were all bowled, James showed great control and pace.

Finishing top of the table, Birmingham will now have to wait until February to attempt to qualify for the final, which this year will be held at Glamorgan CCC, Sophia Gardens. On the team's performance, club captain Dan Murphy said, 'The boys did well today and we are happy to have qualified for the semi-finals. Six-a-side cricket is an all round game which requires players to be competent in all aspects of the sport. Our squad showed their ability today and its one of the reasons we did so well.'

The victory against Aberystwyth was the undoubted highlight of the day. On the matter Murphy said, 'Aberystwyth bowled well and

produced some good swing bowling making it tough for us, but we were sloppy when running between the wickets. With a low total to defend, our bowlers produced an unbelievable performance. Everyone contributed with wickets, whilst James' spell was the individual performance of the day.'

On the team's bowling effort, first XI captain, Liam O'Driscoll gave high praise, 'Today's bowling effort was the best I've seen in six years of university cricket.'

With the likes of Loughborough, Leeds and Anglia Ruskin Universities entering during the next stage, Birmingham know that bigger challenges lie ahead. However, Murphy was positive of the clubs chances of qualification. He added, 'We got to the Final last year and we've kept the core of the squad. We've got a good mix of youth and experience in the side and I'm confident we will continue our form into February.'

With a long winter of nets ahead of the team, Murphy will be hoping for a good run in this competition in preparation for the summer season.

The team in action at the indoor regionals

Row, row, row your boat

Brum climb to top but fall just short

John Wilmott reveals all about the effort and commitment required to succeed at Birmingham's rowing club

W

ith many sports already well into their season, the new development squad of the University of Birmingham boat club were only given their first taste of racing over the weekend, reaping the rewards of a strenuous training programme matched in commitment by few.

The development squad at the club provides a unique opportunity, as it is one of the few university sports where you can join as a complete beginner. For many it is a chance to get fully involved in university sport, and can lead to bigger and better things. Many members of previous squads have gone on to join the boat club's senior squad, racing at prestigious events such as the royal regatta at Henley and Men's Head down the Thames.

It is no small commitment, however, with many people considering it the equivalent to a second degree. The development squad training programme involves some form of exercise every day, with water sessions on Wednesday afternoons along with Saturday and Sunday mornings. There are even regular video sessions where every aspect of your stroke is broken down piece by piece, before being put back together by seasoned coaches.

Whilst much of the hard work is done in the gym on the rowing machine and in the weights room, water sessions are the bread and butter of the rowing world, with the squad training between Worcester and the Edgbaston reservoir. It is here that the theory gets puts into practice and where real strides are made towards becoming a refined rower. It is also where the weather can play its part. Next time you're

Roger Wootton

Jack Brougham

Climbing Correspondent

Brum charge ahead of the field at the Bristol Head enjoying the snow on a Sunday morning, spare a thought for the rowers battling on through it all, come rain or shine. There is no doubt that they will be out putting in the hours looking for that every inch come the next race.

The winter is not the best time for rowing, but when the sun comes out in spring and then summer there are few better places to be than gliding along in a boat, anywhere from Worcester to the

south of France where last year's development squad had a training camp.

The early signs for this year's development squad are good with the women's four winning their category at Bristol Head, along with the men's four coming 2nd and 4th, and the women's and men's A and B eights coming 8th, 7th and 14th respectively. But there is still plenty of work to be done for this year's novices before the bigger

Matt Kindinger

races of next summer.

With December upon us new rowers are still welcome, especially for the women's squad. It is now when much of the unseen work is done by Birmingham boat club members and coaches alike, who can rack up anything between 10 hours and 60 hours a week of time dedicated to the club, and who will hope to reap the rewards come BUCS regatta, in five months' time.

On the 28th of November, the Birmingham climbing team headed down to their local climbing centre, Redpoint, for a bouldering competition against Warwick and Worcester. There were 25 boulder problems and three hours to do them in. Ten points, seven points and three 'pints' (according to the mistyped score sheets) were given for completing a problem on the first, second and third attempt respectively.

Despite being familiar with the centre, the Birmingham team struggled at first as some of the team dropped points on the early problems. However, the Brum team fought back as Alec Kumar and Alex Dexter conquered the difficult yellow and white problems in the cave section on their first attempts. Helen Dale then made an impressive ascent of the blue problem, using an expert combination of arm-jamming and precise footwork, to gain a welldeserved ten points. The team scores between Birmingham and Warwick came closer and closer as the session progressed, with the final result becoming unpredictable.

As the session drew to an end, all the teams congregated around the steeply overhanging wall, whose problems saw many challengers but few who could successfully get to the top. The Brum team came a close second in the rankings in the end, with Alex Dexter also coming second (out of thirty) in the individual rankings. Overall, a good day for the Birmingham team. They put in a performance that they should be able to build on throughout this year, perhaps with more success to come.