Sport at
Selwyn SUMMER 2010
Cricket Cricket has proved one of the most fulfilling aspects of my university life, not only advancing my ability to play and knowledge of the game itself, but also providing me with great memories and some of my closest friends. Indeed, half of the team ended up holidaying together last summer! I first began playing cricket at home in my back garden with friends and family, so it has always been a sport I associate with glorious (and rainy, come to think of it) summer days and fun times. With relatively little, if any, women’s cricket close to where I grew up, I played for a very good, and otherwise all-male, team until the age of 18, when I began playing women’s cricket at Cambridge. The squad trains throughout the year. In Michaelmas and Lent terms, this normally involves two sessions a week and leads up to a couple of indoor tournaments, and
eventually the more intensive Easter term period. At this time, we often have three training sessions and at least one match every week. This can be quite a commitment, particularly as our promotion to the premier league this year meant our matches were 50 overs in length. This is made more difficult by the fact the main cricket season falls over the exam period; we try our best to plan academic work effectively, and have often been known to revise on the boundary, but invariably we cannot field our best team for all fixtures. This is a problem that recurs over and over, and along
This is a picture of the team before last year’s Varsity match – I am back row, fifth from left
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with the current status of women’s cricket, has resulted in it being very difficult for anyone in the team to achieve a full Blue. As well as the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) matches, we also play a number of friendlies. This year our opposition included the MCC, the RAF and the Army. Our season culminates in the 50-over Varsity match at Lords, which Cambridge won in both my first and second years. This year, the match was on 4 July, and the week leading up to that was dedicated to training, playing matches, and having team socials. My proudest and happiest memories from my time at Cambridge include both Varsity matches. In the first, I opened the batting and the bowling, and was particularly proud of scoring 119 not out. In the second, I reached 71 not out. In my second year, and just recently this year, I was asked to play in the “Best of the Rest” team versus Loughborough, also at Lords. Next year, I am heading off to the United States to complete a Master’s and although it is not really known for its cricket, I hope to play (or maybe teach!) some over there. Charlotte Hornsby (SE 2007)
Lacrosse Lacrosse has been a significant part of my life ever since I took up the sport on entering secondary school. Significant in that it means a lot to me, and also in that it has taken up a great deal of my time for the past eight years. My first Cambridge season got off to an unpromising start, as I succumbed to the infamous ‘fresher’s flu’ early on. Even worse, I broke my nose in the first match of the season whilst playing for the 2nd team (the Kingfishers) against Warwick – many of my
earliest Cambridge memories are of lacrosse, and Addenbrooke’s A&E. It was therefore a huge surprise to me to be put on the Blues team in Lent term, following a full recovery from my injury. I went on to play for the Blues for the rest of the season, and was extremely proud to be selected for the starting line up in the Varsity match. University level lacrosse has been a fantastic experience. We train two afternoons a week, along with a fitness session on Friday
mornings. Fixtures are weekly, with every other match away. This year, we made it to the BUCS final, narrowly losing to Birmingham to be placed second in the country. More importantly, we beat Oxford on their home turf at Varsity. I hope to continue playing next year: lacrosse has been a great way to keep fit, meet new people and generally have a good time, all in the name of Cambridge. Leah Schabas (SE 2009)
Tennis I started playing tennis at the age of eight, when I joined my local tennis club in Hockley, Essex. Up until the age of fifteen, I played 5-6 times per week and during that period, I became Essex Junior Champion on three separate occasions. Upon coming up to Cambridge in October 2006, I was fortunate to begin training with the Men’s Blues team, which I have been doing ever since. We have three weekly training sessions and one match per week throughout the academic year. The time commitment involved in such a long season is significant (especially when you have an away match in Stirling on a Wednesday afternoon!), but I have found that having such an enjoyable and focused extra-curricular activity
has greatly enhanced the quality of the time that I spend away from the tennis court. My most demanding academic year was my third year (2008-9), when I was Captain of the Men’s Blues Team. This involved the entire organisation of the training of the squad, arranging details for matches, selecting teams to play in the matches, and also generally trying to keep everyone motivated to play by the time that you reach week 7 of term! The experience was very rewarding however, especially given that we defeated Oxford by twelve matches to nine in our annual Varsity Match at the National Tennis Centre, Roehampton.
“I have found that having such an enjoyable and focused extra-curricular activity has greatly enhanced the quality of the time that I spend away from the tennis court”
John Western (2006)
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Hockey I played hockey throughout my school and university careers. I captained the Selwyn College team in my second year, and in this, my fourth and final year, I have risen through the University ranks to be awarded a full Blue. Despite enduring a frustrating season, half of which I spent sidelined with injury, I was thankfully fit to take my place in the starting line up in the 110th Varsity Match. Though I was not able to play as many games as I would have liked, I managed to contribute eight goals as a forward throughout the course of the season.
“Many of my finest memories of Cambridge will involve Wilberforce Road Sports Ground and the Light Blues”
The 22-week season is a considerable undertaking, as with the pre-season training period it subsumes both the Michaelmas and Lent terms. The weekly University training schedule features three to four sessions of varying length, focusing on technical, tactical and fitness drills, typically totalling six to seven hours in total. We then play weekly league fixtures on Saturdays, and sometimes cup fixtures on Sundays. While the time commitment is significant, especially when the weekend fixture is an away one, it is far from unmanageable. I have found that a small amount of forward planning with regard to academic work (and occasionally reading articles on longer car journeys!) proves sufficient.
Receiving a Blue is undoubtedly one of my proudest achievements to date. Having been a fringe player at a very good hockey school, I began (Cambridge) life on the substitutes’ bench for the 3rd XI. My subsequent rise to the second, and now, the first team represents the culmination of much effort, expense, sacrifice, and I do not deny a small amount of luck. Many of my finest memories of Cambridge will involve Wilberforce Road Sports Ground (or ‘Wilby’, as it is affectionately known) and the Light Blues. Playing hockey for Cambridge has endowed me with many things; a vastly improved sporting skill set, a group of friends to whom I shall remain close, and knowledge and evidence of the power of self-belief. Dan Quarshie (SE 2006)
As my third undergraduate year was spent abroad, I was fortunate enough to gain the experience of playing top-level hockey in both France and Argentina, playing with as many as six full internationals throughout the course of the year. This proved invaluable for my hockey skills, which improved dramatically over the year. It also added an extra social dimension to my year abroad from an academic point of view.
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Sports Bursary (Vickerstaff) Scheme A great year for Selwyn sport: on the water, swim and sail; against a target, shoot (bow and rifle); with a ball, soccer, korf, lacrosse, cricket, rugby, tennis and hockey; and not least, athletics. Twenty-four Selwyn men and women have represented international squads and University sides, as well as contributing to our own College sport and its administration as captains, treasurers and secretaries – often a thankless task.
This term the new Sports Bursary Scheme has been able to grant £2400 in individual awards ranging from £50 to £150. The generosity of alumni has funded club subscriptions, kit and equipment, competition entry fees and travel, and specialist coaching. The Presidents of Hermes and Sirens’ (John Western and Claudia Bates) and Dai Rowley-Jones (SE 1965) have been of great assistance in
distributing the grants and making sure it has been a success – thank you. On average, we have been able to meet two-thirds of the requests for money. We now need to strive for more and our intention is to be able to make two rounds of awards (Lent and May) in the next academic year. Robert Tasker (SE 1976)
Tideway A fly on the wall documentary SCBC have made quite a lot of use of the Tideway on the Thames this year. After seeing nothing but the familiar landmarks of the Cam floating past, what is it really like rowing on the Tideway? In one word, it’s massive! When the women’s first boat set off for WEHORR (Women’s Eights Head of the River Race) in March this year, the cox and I were the only ones in the boat with any off-Cam experience, and that had not involved any organising of trailers or putting back together
of boats. Many of the crew were surprised to learn they even came apart! Our fear – we won’t put it back together properly, it will drift apart during the race, we will sink, and then never live it down. It was soon time to push off for the race. First impressions from the boat were that it was a bit bigger than the Cam. Bit of an understatement – at one point in our race there were four boats all side by side trying to overtake. I remember thinking that this wouldn’t happen on Grassy.
The tide was really noticeable; it made everything feel much quicker. Rowing on the Tideway was a great, if slightly nerve-racking experience. It was like no rowing I had ever done before and we had a good race moving up over a hundred places in the starting order! Hopefully, SCBC will be back on the Tideway again for next year’s Head of the River Race. Ellie Healey (SCBC Women’s Captain 2009-2010)
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Selwyn College Permanent
Henley Fund
Originally set up in 1927 to provide financial support to Selwyn crews competing at Henley Royal Regatta, the Henley Fund has evolved a long way from its original roots. There is no escaping the fact that of all sports at Selwyn, rowing has the highest equipment costs. The College is able to fund the boathouse and boatman, but nearly all the rest of the cost of getting Selwyn boats on to the Cam rests with current and former Boat Club members. With an VIII, for example, costing something in the region of £15,000, the cost is well beyond the means of current rowers, which is where the Henley Fund contributes as the primary source of funds for major Boat Club equipment purchases. Boats purchased for the Boat Club by the Henley Fund have over the past five years included the Sally Hornsby in 2005, still in action as
the Ladies 1st VIII, and a new IV for the men in 2009. Apart from boat purchases the Fund has been called on to provide new blades for crews, and also to support the refurbishment of existing boats, which with modern technology is a cost effective alternative to buying new equipment. Historically, coaching for Selwyn’s crews tended to be provided by Selwyn alumni, but this has become more difficult to arrange. As a result the top Selwyn crews have needed training from professional coaches, and the Henley Fund has supported this. The Henley Fund has benefited in the past from single donations and
legacies, but for the majority of its income it is dependent on regular annual or monthly donations, which can be made through the Gift Aid scheme if you are a UK tax-payer. If you have a soft spot for Selwyn rowing, we would love to have any financial support you feel able to provide, no matter how small. A donation form is enclosed with this supplement, or alternatively you can donate on-line by visiting www.sel.cam.ac.uk/alumni/giving/ give2.html. Thank you for your support! Please contact the Henley Fund’s Treasurer, Brian Hornsby, at brian.hornsby@ntlworld.com if you have any queries.
Launch of Sally Hornsby, May 2005: this boat was paid for by the Henley Fund
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Day in the life of a rower 05:45 – Alarm goes off. I hit snooze, and enjoy my mini lie-in of 10 minutes, before eating a hurried bowl of Crunchy Nut. 06:25 – I go down to the P’lodge, unlock my bike and meet the rest of the crew there. Somehow, knowing everyone else is getting up early makes it so much more bearable. 06:45 – We arrive at Selwyn’s boathouse; turn the heater on. 07:10 – We do a bit of stretching to prevent injury while our coach tells us what we’ll be focusing on during this outing, and then push off from the side onto the cold morning river. The water is so crisp and still, a thin mist hanging over the surface, and the sun low in the sky. Matt, our cox, calls us “all eight to backstops... Ready... Go”, and we take the first strokes for the outing. We feel the boat slice through the water, our minds focussing on technique
points we’re trying to improve upon and hone during the outing. The sight of the sun rising in the clean blue sky is beautiful; nothing quite beats the feeling of rowing in the crisp, clear mornings. It’s one of the best ways to escape our normally hectic university life. 08:30 – We return to the boathouse, smiling and joking as we get out of the boat. The coach gives a bit of feedback and we then arrange a time for groups of people to do some land-training later in the day. 09:00 – Those with lectures are just starting them now. The rest of us head back to College for a much-needed breakfast and shower (in that order!). 17:00 – I go to the gym and start setting up for a workout with some of the others. We catch up on how our days were, as well as talking
about the outing that morning. We discuss which other colleges had crews on the river, and who is looking strong this year. There’s a real comradery about the crew, always encouraging each other to aim high. When someone does well (in or out of the boat), we all get a lift. 18:00 - Weights session blitzed through in 45 minutes, I’ve gone back to my room, showered, and head down to dinner. 19:00 – I work for an hour before going over to a non-rowing friend’s room to relax a little. A few of my friends don’t really understand the attraction of rowing, but I’ve given up trying to convince them. Rowing isn’t for everyone, but I know that it’s definitely for me. Chris Cottingham (SCBC Boat Club Captain 2009-2010)
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Development & Alumni Relations Office Selwyn College Cambridge CB3 9DQ Tel: 01223 767845 Fax: 01223 767843 E-mail: alumni-office@sel.cam.ac.uk www.sel.cam.ac.uk
Selwyn College, Cambridge, is an Exempt Charity (Inland Revenue number X3634)