Cambridge
SPORT Issue No.3 Feb 18
Dr Sarah Leiter aiming for Tokyo 2020
Inside this issue: Goalball | Taekwondo | Athletics | GoodLad | Women in Sport
sport.cam.ac.uk
Events Calendar February 2018 17 Duathlon Eton Dorney 17 Squash - Blues RAC, London 23-24 Real Tennis - 2nd Team Lord’s, London 24 Lacrosse - Men, Women and Mixed Oxford University Sports Park 24 Swimming Rosenblatt pool, Oxford 24 Trampoline University Sports Centre, Cambridge 24 Waterpolo Rosenblatt pool, Oxford 24-25 Ultimate Frisbee Oxford 25 Gymnastics Oxford
March 2018 2 Rugby League Honorable Artillery Company, London 2-3 Real Tennis - 1st Team Lord’s, London 3 Squash - 2nd & 3rd Teams Oxford 3 Athletics Varsity Field Events and Relays, Indoor Lee Valley 3 Pistol Oxford 3 Karate Oxford 4 Hockey Southgate Hockey Club 10 Fencing Oxford Exam Schools 20-24 Golf - Men & Women Royal Porthcawl Golf Club, Wales 24 Boat Race The Tideway, London 24-25 Yachting The Solent 25 Football The Hive, Barnet
April – July 2018 7 Apr Cycling Oxford 12 May Equestrian - 1st Team Royal Windsor Horse Show 13 Triathlon various locations 18 Cricket T20 The Parks, Oxford 19 Athletics - Outdoor Iffley Road, Oxford 22 Jun Cricket - One Day, Men & Women Lord’s, London 23-24 Lawn Tennis - 2nd & 5th Teams Oxford 30 Jun Lawn Tennis - Blues Moor Park Golf and - 1 Jul Tennis Club, Herts 2-5 Jul Humphry - Match Rifle Bisley, Surrey 19 Cricket 4 Day The Parks, Oxford Surrey 27 Chancellors - Target Rifle Bisley, Surrey Magazine editors and content Nick Brooking, Qiu Xiang Chen, Lucy McGennity, Ashley Edwards, Callum O’Shea Design & production academydesign.com Photography and images Sarah Leiter – Inside Media, Dr Sarah Leiter Captain’s Log – Miss Elodie Photography Taekwondo in 30 Seconds – Matthew Fagg ThisBUCSGirlCan – Sports Service Lucy Cavendish College Boat Club – April Bowman CUIHC 100th Varsity – CUIHC
“... the first time either University has won both games at Twickenham...”
Welcome Welcome to the third issue of Cambridge Sport. I am delighted to share with you a few pictures of our victorious Rugby teams at Twickenham on 7 December 2017. This is the first time either University has won both games at Twickenham – and it was done with some style despite the poor weather, so well done the Light Blues! The next big event for your diaries will be the Men’s and Women’s Boat Races, taking place at the Tideway on 24 March. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate CUBC Head Coach, Steve Trapmore, on his recent appointment to join the High-Performance Coaching Team at British Rowing. We hope he goes out on a high with a Light Blue victory and thank him for his work over the past few years. Whilst Rugby and Rowing may be acknowledged by most people as the main features of Varsity sport, there are in fact over 140 Varsity sporting contests taking place over the course of the year. Many of these have great history and can rightly claim to have been the pinnacle of their sport during a certain era. This may no longer seem the case but surely the sheer breadth and depth of activity, plus the emotions that surround these special fixtures, is worthy of celebration? On the subject of Varsities, it strikes me that it is not often the case that the collegiate University is united for a common cause. However, when it comes to our historic sporting rivalry against “the other place”, that changes, and all the different teams heading to play against Oxford this Spring do so with the common purpose of winning their games. It may be a brief respite from the books, supervisions and labs but, for a significant number of students, training and playing sport is a purposeful and constructive release from their primary academic lifestyle. You can read more about this topic in the article about scholar athlete, Dr Sarah Leiter (pages 4 and 5). It is worth stressing that you don’t have to be a performance athlete or elite player to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle. We have seen increasing numbers of people from the University and the local community join in with the activities at the Sports Centre – not because they are aspiring to make the Olympic team but because they feel it worth their while to invest in their own ongoing good health and wellbeing. Whether it’s group exercise classes, personal gym programmes or the lure of coffee with friends after our social sport sessions on Tuesday mornings, there’s something for everyone to take part in.
Contents 4-5
Dr Sarah Leiter
7
Taekwondo in 30 Seconds
8-9
Captain’s Log
10
Snapshots
11
GoodLad
12 Women in Sport: This BUCS Girl Can
Nick Brooking Director of Sport
13 Women in Sport: Lucy Cavendish College Boat Club 14
CUIHC 100th Varsity
15
BUCS Roundup
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
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GB Goalball player Dr Sarah Leiter
Discover more: g oalballuk.com tass.gov.uk
GB Goalball player Dr Sarah Leiter never dreamed of being an athlete. With a visual impairment from birth and no access to disability sport at school, the conscientious student focused on her education, later landing a place at the University of Cambridge. Now, as a part of the Cambridge team, and with the help of TASS, Sarah manages the demands of competing on an international stage along with finishing her medical degree.
to be involved at a high level. I was extremely fortunate that my supervisor had rowed for Cambridge, so they understood my situation. I was advised that although I’d need to make difficult choices and sacrifices in future, they were happy to be flexible and urged me to ‘go for it’!”
“From age 11 I knew I wanted to study medicine but aside from keeping active and healthy, I wasn’t really involved with competitive sport. At school I couldn’t take part in any sports and women’s Blind Football didn’t exist. It was only when I went to watch the London 2012 Paralympics that I discovered Goalball.”
A string of impressive performances included Sarah appearing in the starting line-up for the European B Championships in Portugal, where the GB Women’s Team were promoted to the A League. “We’re aiming to go out to Tokyo in 2020. Last time round we didn’t manage it, but we’ve learnt a lot since and we’re ready to earn our place there.”
Through her numerous achievements on and off the court (Sarah was awarded the “Most Committed Athlete” accolade at the TASS Stars Awards 2017, and was also given a Women of the Future 2017 award in the “Sport” category), Sarah is undoubtedly a role model for ‘dual career’; an area that she is a passionate advocate for. She said: “I think that many of the things required to succeed in academia and sports are the same and you can certainly
never dreamed of being an athlete “At my first training session with the Cambridge Dons team, I fell in love. I really liked the culture there and quickly became involved with fundraising and finding a new venue for the club.” After being spotted at a local tournament, Sarah was soon on the radar of Goalball UK and was invited along to a national Talent ID event. “It all happened extremely quickly,” she explained, “from being selected for the National Development Squad, to competing in Poland three weeks later.” “I had to go to my PhD supervisor to explain that Goalball hadn’t been part of my grand plan for life, but I would like
Cambridge University is, of course, most typically known for its academic prestige as well as the outstanding calibre of its students, and Sarah is no exception. “It was a big relief to hand in my PhD. Then it was back to medical school, which definitely comes with new challenges! Where a PhD has some flexibility, medical school runs on timetable and you have to go on placement. You have to be organised and there’s a lot of careful negotiating required! Fortunately the Clinical School have been very supportive; I’m now looking forward to becoming a junior doctor in August 2018. It’s going to be tough but I definitely want to continue with Goalball.” Sarah is keen to share her experiences as an elite athlete with younger players as well as introducing schools and community groups to the sport. “Lots of people don’t realise able-bodied people can play too. It’s such a great leveller, meaning that disabled children don’t always have to be the last to be picked in the class!”
transfer them. I came into sport relatively late but my academic training had prepared me well. You obviously need some talent in both, but I believe in the end, it boils down to good time management, determination, hard work, and enthusiasm for what you want to achieve.” Written by and republished with permission from Zoe Thompson, TASS.
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
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Taekwondo: cutkd.soc.srcf.net
Every issue, we’re introducing a new sport with some of Cambridge’s top players and coaches. This time round: Taekwondo with Natasha Jones, Instructor and PhD student.
Taekwondo
30 in
“... you get a serious workout and great stress relief after a day hitting the books.”
seconds
When did you begin Taekwondo? In my second year of University. Having done Karate from age 10, I took a break during my first year, but missing martial arts, I decided to try something new. What kept you competing? Fun and friends! Taekwondo is a very sporty kind of martial art, far less traditional than many styles, meaning you get a serious workout and great stress relief after a day hitting the books. Plus, the club has a relaxed and supportive atmosphere, and I’ve made many great friends over the years - nothing better than that to keep you motivated!
Tell us a bit about the sport. Taekwondo is an Olympic sport, martial art and self-defence system from Korea. Originally conceived in 1955, it is a hybrid of ancient Korean martial arts that has developed over the years to become the world’s most popular martial art that you see today; around 70 million people practice Taekwondo. What is Taekwondo like at Cambridge? The Taekwondo Club is really popular. There is a mix of abilities including lots of beginners, so if you are new to it you won’t feel intimidated. There is a good
split between men and women too and we compete in several competitions throughout the year. And, of course, there is always the excuse to have the odd night out with other members during term times. Where do I sign up? Pop along to one of our Tuesday sessions at 7:30pm in Studio One at the University Sports Centre, and try a class for free. One of our instructors will be there to take care of you and guide you through some basic kicking and punching techniques as well as some self-defence. Make sure you bring a bottle of water though as Taekwondo gets quite sweaty!
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
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Athletic Club: cuac.org.uk
As England and Australia prepare to do battle on the cricket pitch, two figures can be spotted making their way toward Wilberforce Road Pavilion – one happens to be Australian; the other English. But instead of talking cricket, both have come to share their experiences of being hurdlers in CUAC (Cambridge University Athletic Club). For Daisy Irving-Hyman (St John’s), current President of CUAC, it was a gradual process. “I was always taking part in different activities outside of school, and sport was just a part of it. I wasn’t part of a club, I just took part in Athletics when the season came around. I took it a little more seriously when I came to Cambridge as I was a little overwhelmed by the range of activities on offer, and so decided to stick with something I had some knowledge of.” “Between finishing school in Australia and starting at Cambridge, my muscles had changed due to a different training pattern, so my fast-twitch muscles were weaker than I would have liked them to be. It prompted me to explore other events and learn some different techniques, before eventually settling into the 400m. Picking up hurdles was a whole new adventure.” For Derek Wilson (Christ’s), CUAC Men’s Captain in 1987 and Vice President in 1988 (now Senior Associate Director for Sports Clubs and Societies at the University of Cambridge Development Office (CUDAR)), hurdling seemed to come naturally. “I started when I was at prep school. It wasn’t perfect by any means but I had the style, albeit a slightly bizarre one!” The natural flair stood him in good stead as he went on to compete in the English Schools Internationals alongside Jon Ridgeon (Magdalene, 1986), and then on to represent Great Britain in the U20 110m hurdles alongside Colin Jackson. Although both have an affiliation with the same club, their training experiences could not have been more different. The Sports Centre, Athletics track and other sporting facilities available to Daisy and her peers were things Derek could only dream of. “For me, it was a complete shock. I had gone from having a term time coach and a holiday coach to almost zero support. I trained reasonably hard and managed to get my Blues but it was still a real challenge. We trained on a cinder track at Milton Road,” remembers Derek, “it was grey, uninspiring and horrible to train on when wet from the rain. The only time we got access to a tartan track was during Away competitions.”
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Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
Captain Log
n’s
In order to keep their training dynamic, Derek and Jon (Ridgeon) took to Castle Hill, taking advantage of the incline for extra strength training. “When the Council found out, they threatened to come after us for ‘damaging the historic mound’!” Undeterred, they moved their training to Newmarket, next to the Racecourse: “I have wonderful memories of misty mornings, watching the horses being let out whilst we went about our training.”
“When the Council found out, they threatened to come after us for ‘damaging the historic mound’!”
However different their experiences of sport at Cambridge may be, it’s clear to see that both are passionate about promoting sport as a tool to help support a student’s University experience. Mixing sporting activities with academic endeavours has always been a contentious matter but this has only served as fuel for them to drive the message out there stronger and louder. “The thing is, this is more than just about doing sport,” says Daisy, “it’s about getting people to recognise that you need to do more than just sit in a library for hours on end. It’s about doing something else that gives you a different head-space and makes you a well-rounded person. In the 19th century, Cambridge was actually exemplary in promoting sport for students, on the grounds that it better prepared them for challenges of study and Tripos exams!”
“Doing something a bit more tangible, such as sport or performing arts, gives you a different buzz, and you can say to yourself ‘I can do it! I had a goal and I achieved it!’”
Derek agrees, “Graham Virgo (Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education and Chair of the Sports Committee) made a very good point: in order to educate the whole, we have to introduce the students to other activities, and in an environment where we’re preparing people for employment, we ought also to equip them with skill sets that will help them beyond the academic world. Sport, the wellbeing of students, and broad participation is fundamental to the future of Cambridge University.”
“The academic side of Cambridge is, of course, extremely challenging” admits Daisy “Doing something a bit more tangible, such as sport or performing arts, gives you a different buzz, and you can say to yourself ‘I can do it! I had a goal and I achieved it!’”
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
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25
500
+
The number of TASS Athletes Cambridge University Sport has supported since 2015
The number of participants in the Greater Cambridge 10K
Snapshots 185 The number of BUCS fixtures Cambridge has won so far
700
31
The number of People taking part in Try Eton Fives
:52
The new record for the Greater Cambridge 10K
The number of Group Exercise places available each week
27 The number Cambridge currently ranks in the BUCS Ranking out of 150 UK institutions 10
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Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
17 The number of activities available to CADMuS members
Good Lad: goodladworkshop.com
Founded in 2013, the Good Lad Initiative (GLI) was started by a group of academics and postgraduate students from Oxford University with the goal of promoting gender equality, more positive masculinity, and challenging sexual harassment amongst their students, for the benefit of both women and men. GLI has subsequently expanded to deliver gender-based skill and training for schools, universities, business schools and professional organisations.
In conjunction with their workshops for men, the organisation also runs parallel workshops for women to discuss their experiences, provide their perspective on the Initiative, and learn about the frameworks being discussed by their male peers. These hour-long workshops focus on a diverse range of issues which include consent, sexual harassment, peer pressure, and power and responsibility; all of which are a series of scenarios based on real-life situations. The aim isn’t to tell people what to do but to equip them with an alternative framework which they can use to decide for themselves. The University’s Sports Service is working in collaboration with Good Lad and Cambridge Hub, a student-led, staff-supported charity, to develop the Cambridgebased facilitator hub. The aim of the hub is to deliver workshops to University Sports Clubs, College Sports Clubs, non-sporting societies and other Department and College groups. Workshops have already been held, with highly positive feedback from the participants. One team captain found it a “great team building exercise, offering space to redefine a really positive group culture. It was effective, fun and we were treated like adults.”
“positive group culture”
@glinitiative /goodladinitiative
If you would like to find out more about GLI, the workshops or if you are interested in becoming a Good Lad facilitator, you can contact the Good Lad Cambridge Coordinator at Goodlad@cambridgehub.org.
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
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Athletic Club: cuac.org.uk Volleyball Club: cuvc.org Women’s Boat Club: cuwbc.org.uk
This BUCS Girl Can
During Michaelmas, the Sports Service took part in the nationwide campaign to raise the profile of Women in Sport, This BUCS Girl Can. The campaign, coordinated by the National Governing Body for University Sport (British Universities and Colleges Sport), sought to demonstrate the benefits that sport and physical activity can bring, particularly whilst balancing demanding academic schedules, and profile women across the nation who recognise and enjoy the benefits of being part of a sports club.
In collaboration with the University of Cambridge Communications Office, three short films profiling three Cambridge Sports Clubs were created and posted across our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube). The clips featured team members sharing insight into how sport at Cambridge played a key part in their student experience at University, the experience of competing in BUCS competitions, their key aims for the season, and advice for new students looking to take part in sport and physical activity. The three Sports Clubs featured were Cambridge University Athletic Club (CUAC), Cambridge University Volleyball Club (CUVC) and Cambridge University Women’s Boat Club (Lightweights, CUWBC). As well as the three short films, for the first time we also streamed the Blues Netball Trophy Cup match against King’s College London live on the University of Cambridge Sport Facebook page, in which the Blues triumphed 58-29. Our campaign proved to be a huge success, amassing around 28,000 views in total, and nearly 1,500 likes, comments and shares across the three channels (total correct as of 07/12/2017). In response to content being so well received, across Lent and Easter Terms we plan to profile different clubs, and stream matches live on the University of Cambridge Sport Facebook page every Wednesday afternoon throughout the season – if you would like your club to feature, please get in touch with Ash at marketing@sport.cam.ac.uk. And, if you haven’t already, head to the social media channels to watch the films!
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Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
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Ice Hockey: cambridgeicehockey.com
100 St. Moritz The 100th CUIHC Varsity
We are delighted to announce that the historic 100th Men’s Ice Hockey Varsity will be held in the same place where it all started in 1885 – St. Moritz, Switzerland – on the 24th of March 2018! Since 1885, the world has seen many changes, but our powerful tradition lives on. Throughout history, every player has contributed to our special community. As such, we’d like to invite all of our alumni to take part in the celebration of the oldest rivalry in Hockey history. We plan to host an alumni Winter Classic-style match on the very same day as the Varsity Match. The entire weekend will be dedicated to Oxbridge hockey with a gala dinner after the Varsity Match. The Blues will be also joined by the Eskimos, who will play their Varsity game against the Oxford Vikings earlier in the day.
@CUIHC /CUIHC
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If you would like to find out more about this event or apply to take part, please visit www.cambridgeicehockey.com/varsity/.
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
BUCS ROUNDUP
At the halfway stage of the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) season, Cambridge clubs will be looking ahead to the rest of the season with victories and titles in sight. At the time of writing, a total of 182 fixtures have been played, with an overall win percentage of 51%. There have been a number of excellent team performances so far this season; here’s a selection of them:
• Women’s Lacrosse
• Men’s Volleyball
1st have picked up where they left off in 2016/2017. They are unbeaten after seven matches, and saw 2017 culminate in a thrilling draw with Oxford, which was streamed live on the University of Cambridge Sport Facebook page. The return fixture could turn out to be the league decider, with Oxford also still unbeaten.
Likewise, Men’s Volleyball 1st will be hopeful of progressing in the Cup, and face Sussex at home in February. They have consolidated well following relegation from the top tier last season, and their highlight of Michaelmas term would surely be the resilient performance which saw them overturn a twoset deficit against league leaders UEA to win the match 3-2.
• Women’s Rugby
• Fencing Club
In addition to their fantastic Varsity victory at Twickenham, Women’s Rugby are looking to bounce back from relegation in 2016/2017, and look set to do just that after emphatic performances during Michaelmas – six wins from six games, and a massive 476 points scored.
The Fencing Club teams are all competing in round robin tournaments this year. With half of the fixtures played, both the Men’s and Women’s 1st teams are in third position in their respective Premier South divisions. Both have a great chance at claiming the prestigious league title, with the final round robin tournament over the final weekend in January.
• Men’s Football 1st are aiming to win promotion to the top tier again this season after narrowly missing out in 2016/2017, and couldn’t have hoped for a stronger first half of the season – they are unbeaten after seven matches, including a 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Cardiff Met in the Cup, and look forward to a tough away match against Bristol in the next round.
• Rugby League
• Men’s Tennis
A huge congratulations to the Cycling Club, as they took on the BUCS Hill Climb Championships in South Yorkshire, finishing 2nd in the Men’s Team Event out of 31 teams, and the BUCS Track Championships, achieving a bronze medal in the Men’s Team Pursuit.
Also unbeaten are Men’s Tennis 1st, who could win promotion to the South A division if they top the Midlands 1A league. Having only lost 3 rubbers out of 36 in total so far, they are well on course to do that.
After a tough couple of seasons, Rugby League have made an excellent start and have promotion to Midlands 1A in sight with five games played but must overcome difficult opposition in Oxford and Nottingham if they are to do so.
• Cycling Club
• Women’s Football and Men’s Hockey Women’s Football and Men’s Hockey 2nd began the season in higher tiers after promotion in 2016/2017, and have adapted really well to the higher standard. Women’s Football find themselves in the top half of the Midlands 1A division, and are still in the Cup, showing great composure to progress on penalties 3-1 against Queen Mary UOL. Men’s Hockey 2nd have won all 6 games so far in Midlands 3B, and could wrap up the title and promotion with victory in their next two matches.
As well as the regular league fixtures, this term we look forward to a number of different BUCS events, from Sailing to Archery, and Badminton to Athletics. Well done to the teams for their efforts so far, and good luck for the rest of the season!
• Netball Both Netball teams are having strong seasons so far, with the 1st team looking at a potential cup run – they’re away to UCL in the next round and should be confident about reaching the later stages if they can replicate their league form.
Cambridge Sport magazine • Issue No.3 February 2018
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