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JOG ON
10 REASONS READING UNIVERSITY NETBALL CLUB (RUNC) WILL WIN VARSITY 2020- A WARNING TO BROOKES:
Meg Timmins | Part 2 Human Geography 1. We are immensely lucky to have such a large RUNC family of BUCs girls and dedicated social girls who will be shouting, cheering and supporting from the side lines, ready to roar when we get a goal, interception or turnover. The intimidating sight of our mass numbers will prove our superiority on and off the court in itself. 2. Our year-round commitment to 8am fitness sessions is prepping us for the biggest sporting event of the year. We will be able to run circles around Brookes, sprint down the court when we turnover and maintain our high stamina levels throughout, without breaking a sweat. 3. No amount of defence or distraction, from Brookes, will stop our RUNC shooters getting those goals in, they pride themselves on their high shooting stats, rarely missing a goal. Our goal difference will increase so far into the distance that it could reach Oxford. 4. RUNC defenders have the ability to have their intimidating arms over every single ball, combined with the longest leans, topped off by their phenomenal interception skills. Brookes’ shooters shouldn’t even begin to think about beating them to those rebounds. 5. Brookes won’t be able to keep up with our speedy centre court players who are here, there, and everywhere. They have some of the highest reaches around and will be ready to intercept and turn play at every opportunity; ensuring they get the ball into the circle. 6. RUNC have the privilege of being led into Varsity this year by our ace President, Jess Samways, who is the most dedicated and determined President around – meticulously devising our training schedule to ensure we come out on top.
7. As a close-knit RUNC family, who’ve trained together for years, Brookes’ play will be no match for ours with our telepathy-like communication skills we have developed within our units and teams, ensuring we execute every interception and goal.
8. We will have an advantage before we even step on to the court at Varsity in our eye-catching kit. Our Kit Rep, Bea Turner, has kitted us out in arguably the best, and most envied, kit on campus. Brookes’ speed will be no match for our fast feet in our matching personalised RUNC socks.
9. The enthusiasm of our Social Secs, Emily Kendon, Ellie Munday and Holly Ryan, have earned RUNC socials quite a name for themselves on campus. As varsity is fast approaching, you better believe they are already planning our victory social. So, watch out for the mass group of girls, in our fetching netball dresses, who will undoubtedly be dominating cheese room all night long. You can’t miss us.
10. We have made a Varsity teaser video, to show the rest of campus our immense netball skills, but most importantly, warning Brookes of what’s coming their way on the netball courts. So, come on then Brookes, do you think you’re ready for the RUNC Knights?
Reading University Rugby League
Izzy Einon | Print Sports Editor
The Reading University Student’s Union have created jogging/running routes on campus for students who want to stay fit for free!
There are several different routes, ranging from 945m to 1,750m which you can combine to run an overall distance of 4,000m.
You are encouraged to stay hydrated while you exercise, using the free water refill stations around campus.
Designed for any running ability, the first route outlines the sports ground, with a water refill station in SportsPark, the second route goes around Child’s, Windsor, Greenow, McCombie and Stenton Accommodation and Park Eat, where there is a water refill station.
The third and final route surrounds the scenic lake area, with water refill stations in RUSU and Eat at the Square.
Nat Wood | Part 3 Environmental Studies
Reading University Rugby League are a welcoming society that competes in South Eastern 1A.
We understand that due to the sport not being huge in the South, many may not understand the rules or have any experience playing – and the reality is, most of us hadn’t too. Having never played before university, I now see it as a faster paced, exciting form of rugby.
“Having never played
before university, I
now see it as a faster
paced, more exciting
form of rugby”
ments we also have the varsity fixture against Oxford Brookes, a game that has become a closer affair ever since my first year.
Considering our last game against them ended with a 4-point difference, it should make for a tense fixture. Several of our players have represented national teams.
Last summer, two players went on tour with the Great British Lions, whilst another played for Scotland in the University Four Nations. This season, several players played for South East, with four of these players making the South squad. Their match against North England will be played soon.
On top of the high standard of rugby that we play, we are a very friendly society with lots of social opportunities. We are going on tour to Budapest in April, with rumours of playing the Hungarian national team.
On top of this we regularly go and watch professional rugby league teams and even had the opportunity to play against London Skolars development side last year, a day out that was made even better by being invited to watch their 1st team against Newcastle later.
I hope this has revealed a little more about the Rugby League society at Reading. We train on Tuesdays and play on Wednesdays, all are welcome. See you soon!
Photo by Felix Clarke
Having won our league three times in a row, and narrowly missing out on promotion last year, we are very pleased with our progress this season. We currently sit second in our league, with four mustwin matches left to play, making the remainder of this season very exciting.
Taz Usher | Print Editor
Whether you’ve just joined the gym or have been going weekly for six months, feeling like you don’t fit in can be really demotivating when it comes to fulfilling your fitness goals. However, it’s important to remember that you’re going to the gym for you and that others’ opinions shouldn’t affect this.
If it’s a lack of experience or knowledge that’s putting you off remember to ask for help. Gym staff are more than happy to show you how to use the machines and do certain workouts.
Equally, if it’s your appearance or the prospect of others watching you that makes you nervous, remember that everyone is here to reach their own fitness goals so just focus on your own workout and others should do the same. And girls- remember the gym isn’t a beauty contest so doing your workout makeupless and with a scraped back bun is completely normal (and sensible!).
FEBRUARY 2020 45 Reading University Rugby Football Club 2019- 2020 Season so far and what’s to come: Sports
Reading University Rugby Football Club
Photo by Ollie House
that we’ll get to play in warmer, drier, more spectator-friendly conditions.
The 1st XV have played some exciting, expansive rugby this term but have also had the ability to reign things in and play a game of attrition. With a good following wind, it’ll be interesting to see where the seasons finishes with regards to the league, cup and varsity. Exciting times.
The 2nd team plays in the South Eastern Tier 2 league, with matches being played home and away on Wednesday afternoons. We train on Mondays with the 1st team down at the RAMS ground and normally do a team run through the day before a match. We are a very fun and welcoming team, however, when we are training or playing matches,we take the rugby seriously. We tend to have team socials every 3 weeks which can involve going to curry houses, doing pub quizzes, or having themed parties. I’ve met some of my best mates in this rugby team so it’s not only a way to keep your fitness up but also a chance to meet new people.
The Reading 3s are at the heart of RURFC, developing players for the 1s and 2s, whilst giving 4s and Saturday league players a chance to demonstrate their skill.
Our team has an equal share of 1st, 2nd and 3rd years; creating a great balance between rugby and fun. We are joint 3rd in the South Eastern Tier 4 division 1 with 10 points. As for the Cup, we will be playing in the quarter-final of the South Eastern Conference Plate. The 4s season has started slowly this year, with several games being forfeited to foul weather. Despite this, with 2 games in hand we are still 3rd in the league, and hopeful of mounting a promotion charge. There’s healthy competition in the squad, and team chemistry is really starting to shine through. We look forward to our busy fixture list in the coming weeks. So, if you fancy a run about come down to training Monday evenings at the paddock.
With Varsity around the corner, our 4 teams are looking forward to the big grudge match with Brookes. This year should be as big as ever so make sure you find yourself at one of the pitches supporting the uni come March the 28th.
In order to give you a bit of an idea about men’s rugby union, each team has put together a few words to give you an idea of what we get up to.
From pre-season in September through till now, the 1st XV have worked exceptionally hard on and off the field to put themselves into a good position for promotion.
The gruelling weekly schedule of training and playing, alongside full academic commitments (and socials!) makes all members of the 1st XV very busy men. So far, the season has been successful with wins coming against Brighton, Gloucester and Portsmouth.
The heavy downpour throughout mid-late November meant that games scheduled to be played during this time are now rescheduled for early March. Frustrating at the time, the positives have been taken out of it
Water Polo Society
Livvy Shelmerdine | Part 2 Primary Education with Mathematics
Try the toughest sport in the world! Water Polo is one of the newest and fast-growing clubs at the University of Reading, having nearly 30 members at the start of this year.
Friendlies against other Universities are currently being planned and training sessions are now every Sunday, thanks to funding from SwimEngland.
Most players are beginners and we have regular socials with exciting themes and activities, including pub golf. It may be the most physical sport in the world but our training is very relaxed and is a great way of getting you the fittest you have ever been!
world all at different levels, with the president currently running the sessions, who is always open to new ideas for the club.
Have you played Water Polo on holiday? Why not bring it to Reading on a relaxed Sunday evening. Swimmers, aren’t you bored of just swimming up and down all day? We need you! Join a sport which where you will challenge yourself, meet new people and get incredibly fit. Water Polo society is like a family and we are looking for new members to take up the current committee roles from September 2020.
We are always open to new members, whether you want to play competitively or just come along to our socials.
Find more details on our RUSU page or on our Facebook (Reading University Water Polo Club) and Instagram (@uorwaterpolo) pages. Have a look at our new personalized hoodies on the RUSU website.
Photo by Livvy Shelmerdine Photo by Ollie House
FEBRUARY 2020 46 READING UNIVERSITY TAP AND MODERN HOST PLATINUM SHOW Sports
Amelia Dinsdale | Online Lifestyle Editor
RUTAM hosted their annual Dance show on the 6th December 2019 featuring: Reading University Tap and Modern Society, Reading University Ballet Society, Reading University Kpop Society and Reading University Ballroom, Latin and Salsa Society.
Featuring Number 1 songs such as: Stay with me (by Sam Smith), Bohemian Rhapsody (by Queen), Rolling in the deep (by Adele), Lady Marmalade (by Christina Aguilera) and Wannabe (by Spice Girls) it was set to be an amazing show from the start.
The show consisted of 2 acts with an interval, a raffle and of course lots of snacks in the middle. It opened with Black and White (by Michael Jackson), a modern dance featuring the renowned Michael Jackson glove. From the moment the music started it was clear that it was going to be an exciting evening.
My personal favourite dance of the night was Boy with luv (by BTS), danced by Kpop. They have so much energy, passion and high-speed choreography that just makes you want to get up on stage and dance with them.
As a relatively new society, Kpop are doing brilliantly and are consistently produce amazing choreography with a selection of really talented dancers.
I also really enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody by RUTAM which was an attention-grabbing blend of tap and modern and by far the biggest dance of the evening.
There were four dances from the Ballet society, the most interesting of which featured torch lights which produced some brilliant effects.
And then there was the effortlessly beautiful pointe dance to What a Wonderful World (by Louis Armstrong). Then there was a feature dance from the Ballroom, Latin and Salsa Society that looked too quick to be possible whilst still being faultless.
The show fundraised for Chance to Dance CIC which is a local organisation that allows children and adults with a whole range of disabilities to access dance and other activities that are designed to be accessible as possible to them.
An amazing £760 was made from the show and all of it has been donated to this amazing organisation.
With a vast range of dance genres, from elegant Point to sassy jazz and Number 1 songs from all the decades, there was definitely something to suit everybody.
This term the Universities dance show is being hosted by Reading University Ballet Society featuring many of the same societies and is happening on Tuesday 24th March.
Keep watching for updates on ticket sales closer to the show, hope to see lots of you there!
AND SHAPE THE FUTURE OF YOUR UNIVERSITY WIN VIP SUMMER BALL TICKETS
Complete this year’s undergraduate surveys at reading.ac.uk/ug-surveys*
*Undergraduate surveys open until 30 April 2020. Twenty pairs of tickets to be won – 10 pairs per survey 47
