A sporting review 2014-2015

Experience Durham

A Sporting Review

1

Contents WELCOME FROM THE HEAD OF SPORT

2

TEAM DURHAM - CELEBRATING OUR SUCCESS

4

TEAM DURHAM AWARDS 7 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

10

SPORTING SEASON REVIEW

14

COLLEGE SPORT

40

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

43

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

2

Welcome From The Head of Sport

Quentin Sloper Head of Sport, Music and Theatre

It was truly another outstanding year for Durham University Sport. At the start of 2014/15 the challenge to everyone was simple; to strive to replicate and ultimately surpass our previous record breaking achievements. I had every confidence that we would do that but I certainly had not predicted the level and breadth of success that the year will always be remembered for.

The mood was set in September when Durham University were named the Times and Sunday Times Sports University of the Year for 2015 in recognition of “outstanding performance in both the research and teaching of sport and for student and community participation in sport at all levels”. As we now reflect, we can take some genuine pride in our collective achievements. We: •

are Britain’s number 1 team sport university for the first time in our history;

•

are ranked second in the overall BUCS points table for the 4th year in succession with a points total that only Loughborough has ever surpassed;

•

continue to have an ever growing participation rate with over 12,000 of our students involved in college and university sport;

•

and, when one considers our vast student led infrastructure, have had

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

over 3,000 students volunteering in various leadership and organisational roles throughout the year.

Individually these statistics are incredibly impressive but, when added together, they are a series of success stories that accumulate and reflect the natural ability and talent that we have here at Durham University.

I do, of course, have my highlights. There have been a number of performances, results and reactions that will live long in the memory but, for me, my mind always turns to March 25th 2015 and the BUCS team sport finals at Loughborough. It was a fantastic day for so many reasons. Yes, we won more national championships that anyone else; yes, we secured our status as Britain’s number 1 team sport university for the first time in our history and; yes, we did it all in Loughborough’s backyard but there was something far more important than that: the reaction of every single student, whether they had won or lost, at the end of competition. It was the tears, the cheers, the hugs and the camaraderie that struck me and it served as a very strong reminder as to why performance sport is so valuable to our students and staff but equally valuable to this institution as a whole. Not everyone at Durham is an international athlete and not everyone is a national champion but, almost without exception, every athlete at Durham has given everything to be the best that they can be. Durham athletes will have sacrificed many other parts of life in pursuit of sporting goals and will have learnt to deal with incredible highs and,

3

at times, crushing lows. Not everyone was lucky enough to have the BUCS finals as a release, but the situations and emotions that I have just described are relevant to all Durham athletes and it is this story, the story behind the success that is so very important.

I strongly believe that at the heart of the programme there has to be an outstanding and unique student experience. An experience that ensures Durham students are some of the most employable students that will graduate from this University.

Ultimately, our pursuit of excellence in

performance sport has to be underpinned by our belief in its educational value for our students. We want our Durham students, in years to come, to go on to be some of the very best ambassadors for this institution.

In closing, it goes without saying that I would like to take this opportunity to thank our coaches, our strength and conditioning team, our facility staff and our mentors for all the hard work they put in to support and help out. I also can’t forgo this opportunity to thank all of our parents, alumni and sponsors who continue to make our outstanding programme possible, here at

Durham. We have had a phenomenal year at Team Durham and without your on-going support this most definitely would not have been possible and we hope to carry this through to the next academic year.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

4

Team Durham Celebrating our success BUCS POINTS TABLE 2014-15 University

League

Cup

Individual

Total

Loughborough University

2047

1008

2823

5878

Durham University

2205

1061

828

4094

University of Edinburgh

1394

311

1545

3250

University of Bath

1512

495

1113

3120

University of Birmingham

1593

679

837

3109

University of Exeter

1767

755

526

3048

University of Nottingham

1779

707

521

3007

Northumbria University

1335

707

619

2661

Oxford University

1120

415

638

2173

Leeds Beckett University

1212

488

392

2092

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE WINNERS American Football

Basketball (W)

Fencing (M)

Football (W)

Lacrosse (M)

Lacrosse (W)

Rugby (W)

Tennis (M)

Tennis (W)

Water Polo (M)

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE RUNNERS-UP Hockey (M)

Durham MCCU (W)

NORTH DIVISION 1 WINNERS Badminton (M)

Futsal (M)

Futsal (W)

Lacrosse 2nds (W)

Squash (M)

Table Tennis (W)

Tennis 2nds (M)

Water Polo (W)

NORTH DIVISION 2 WINNERS Basketball 2nds (W)

Hockey 3rds (W)

Table Tennis 2nds (W)

Water Polo 2nds (M)

NORTH DIVISION 3 WINNERS Badminton 2nds (M)

Badminton 2nds (W)

NORTH DIVISION 4 WINNERS Football 2nds (M)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

Squash 3rds (M)

Rugby 4ths (M)

5

NORTH DIVISION 5 WINNERS Badminton 3rds (M)

Tennis 5ths (M)

NORTH DIVISION 6 WINNERS Hockey 5ths (M)

NORTH DIVISION 7 WINNERS Hockey 5ths (W)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS Canoe Polo (M)

Football (W)

Lacrosse (M)

Lacrosse (W)

Rowing (W)

Tennis (M)

Water Polo (M)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP RUNNERS-UP Basketball (M)

Futsal (W)

Tennis (W)

Volleyball (W)

Pool (W)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LAST 4 American Football

Basketball (W)

Canoe Polo (W)

Fencing (M)

Hockey (M)

Rugby (W)

Table Tennis (W)

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LAST 8 Fencing (W)

Football (M)

Rowing (M)

Rugby (M)

NATIONAL TROPHY WINNERS Futsal 2nds (W)

Pool (M)

Tennis 2nds (W)

Water Polo (W)

Pool 2nds (W)

NATIONAL TROPHY RUNNERS-UP Futsal (M)

Futsal 3rds (W)

NATIONAL TROPHY LAST 4 Badminton (M)

Lacrosse 2nds (W)

NATIONAL TROPHY LAST 8 Hockey 2nds (M)

Hockey 2nds (W)

Squash (W)

Squash 2nds (W)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

6

NORTHERN CONFERENCE CUP WINNERS Lacrosse 3rds (W)

Table Tennis 2nds (W)

Tennis (M)

NORTHERN CONFERENCE CUP RUNNERS-UP Badminton 2nds (W)

Football 2nds (W)

Lacrosse 4ths (W)

Table Tennis 4ths (W)

Futsal 3rds (M)

NORTHERN CONFERENCE CUP LAST 4 Badminton 3rds (W)

Lacrosse 2nds (M)

Rugby 2nds (W)

Tennis 4ths (W)

Water Polo 2nds (M)

Water Polo 2nds (W)

NORTHERN CONFERENCE CUP LAST 8 Badminton 2nds (M)

Basketball 2nds (W)

Fencing 2nds (W)

Football 2nds (M)

Golf 3rds

Hockey 3rds (W)

Rugby League (M)

Rugby Union 4ths (M)

Squash 4ths (M)

Table Tennis 5ths (W)

INDIVIDUAL EVENTS Gold

Dan Robson, Ed Hawes and Mark Ledger (Canoes – Open Team WWR); Alice Haws (Canoes – K1WS); Thomas Timothy and Matthias Newsome (Cycling – Men’s Road Race Team); Heather Goodman (Judo – U63kg).

Silver

Jennifer Walsh (Athletics – 3000m Indoor); Mark Ledger (Canoes – C1), Alistair Robson and Anthony Stewart (Canoes – C2); Dan Robson and Alastair Paterson (Canoes – C2S); Lucy Butt (Orienteering); Lucy Butt, Aine McCann and Julie Emmerson (Orienteering – Women’s Relay and Team).

Bronze

Mark Ledger (Canoes – C1MS); Mark Ledger and Anthony Stewart (Canoes – C2S); Abigail Potter (Judo – U78kg); William Broad (Full Bore Rifle).

ROWING BUCS Head

Women’s Championship Eight; Women’s Intermediate Eight; Women’s Championship Coxless Four; Women’s Lightweight Coxless Four.

BUCS Regatta

Women’s Intermediate Eight; Men’s Lightweight Coxless Four; Women’s Lightweight Coxless Four; Men’s Beginner Coxed Four; Men’s Lightweight Quadruple Sculls; Women’s Lightweight Quadruple Sculls; Women’s Intermediate Double Sculls.

BUCS Head

Men’s Intermediate Coxed Four; Men’s Championship Coxless Four; Women’s Quadruple Sculls.

BUCS Regatta

Men’s Lightweight Eight; Women’s Lightweight Eight; Women’s Championship Coxless Four; Women’s Beginner Coxed Four; Women’s Championship Quadruple Sculls; Men’s Intermediate Pair; Women’s Lightweight Double Sculls; Men’s Intermediate Single Sculls.

BUCS Head

Men’s Championship Eight; Men’s Lightweight Coxless Four; Men’s Lightweight Quadruple Sculls.

BUCS Regatta

Men’s Championship Coxless Four; Women’s Lightweight Pair; Women’s Lightweight Championship Single Sculls; Men’s Lightweight Intermediate Single Sculls; Women’s Lightweight Intermediate Single Sculls.

Gold

Silver

Bronze

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

7

Team Durham Awards We honour our top sportsmen and women each year, awarding many accolades including the prestigious Half and Full Palatinates.

These differ from colours awarded by many other universities, as they are not awarded for merely representing the University but, instead, are awarded to those who have contributed significantly to sport at the University. These decisions are made by an elected student committee each year, chaired by the Student President of Team Durham.

Sportsman of the Year – awarded to Michael Roe (Badminton)

Sportswoman of the Year – awarded to Heather Kerr (Rugby)

This is awarded by the Student President to the male athlete who is deemed to have achieved the most within the past academic year. The award is based on performance, and the success of the athlete, for the University and beyond, is taken into consideration.

This is awarded by the Student President to the female athlete who is deemed to have achieved the most within the past academic year. The award is based on performance, and the success of the athlete, for the University and beyond, is taken into consideration.

Director of Sport Award – awarded to Will Legg (Football)

Club of the Year – awarded jointly to Tennis and Water Polo

This prestigious award is given to the student who has contributed the most to University sport within the past academic year. The award cannot be received by a member of the current Student Sport Executive.

This award is in place to recognise the club that has contributed the most to Durham Sport within the past academic year. Performance is a consideration, but the emphasis is on the contribution and the impact that clubs have made upon Durham sport.

Team of the Year – awarded jointly to Women’s Lacrosse 1s and Volunteer of the Year – awarded jointly to Charlie Heard (American Women’s Football/Futsal 1s Football) and Ellie Williams (Boats) This performance based award is given to the team who have This is awarded to the individual who has made the greatest achieved the most within the past academic year. contribution to the volunteering and community programmes within Experience Durham.

Contribution to College sport – awarded to Emileigh Clifford (Rugby) and Sophie Bingham (Netball) This award is in place to recognise the individual that has made the greatest progress, or contributed the most, in an administration or development capacity to the College sport programme.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

8

HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP NAME

NATION

LEVEL

SPORT

COLLEGE

Daniel Robson

GB

Full

Canoe Polo

St Mary’s College

Olivia Hithersay

GB

U21

Canoe Polo

St Mary’s College

Angharad Ward

GB

Full

Curling

College of St Hild and St Bede

Catriona McLellan

Scotland

U21

Hockey

Josephine Butler College

Juliette Inverdale

England

U21

Hockey

St John’s College

Laura Bevan

England

U21

Hockey

College of St Hild and St Bede

Emma Adams

England

U19

Lacrosse

College of St Hild and St Bede

India-Rose May

England

U19

Lacrosse

Hatfield College

Louise Jeffrey

England

Full

Lacrosse

University College

Heather Kerr

England

Full

Rugby Union

St Mary’s College

Luke Belton

Guernsey

Full

Swimming

Josephine Butler College

Angharad Phillips

Wales

Full

Table Tennis

Trevelyan College

Megan Phillips

Wales

Full

Table Tennis

Trevelyan College

Finn Nugent

GB

U20

Triathlon

College of St Hild and St Bede

Hamish Wilson

GB

U24

Triathlon

College of St Hild and St Bede

Natalie Mitchell

GB

U24

Triathlon

Hatfield College

Lauren Munro-Bennett

GB

U20

Triathlon

St Aidan’s College

FULL PALATINATES NAME

SPORT

COLLEGE

Jen Walsh

Athletics and Cross Country

University College

Cameron Steel

Cricket

College of St Hild and St Bede

Oliver Steele

Cricket

Collingwood College

Isabel McNab

Lacrosse

College of St Hild and St Bede

Louise Jeffrey

Lacrosse

University College

Mary Carson

Netball

Stephenson College

Heather Kerr

Rugby Union

St Mary’s College

Jamie Bache

Rugby Union

St Mary’s College

Finn Nugent

Triathalon

College of St Hild and St Bede

Hamish Wilson

Triathalon

College of St Hild and St Bede

HALF PALATINATES NAME

SPORT

COLLEGE

NAME

SPORT

COLLEGE

Charlie Heard

American Football

St Aidan's College

Matthew Hall

Badminton

Grey College

Jamie Gallagher

American Football

Trevelyan College

Philip Pereira

Badminton

Grey College

Simon Carey

American Football

Collingwood College

Ellie Williams

Boats

St Cuthbert's Society

Dave Rich

Athletics and Cross Country

University College

Henriette Ringleb

Boats

John Snow College

Izzy Hainsworth

Athletics and Cross Country

Trevelyan College

James Styles

Boats

University College

Rachael Dunn

Athletics and Cross Country

St Cuthbert's Society

Katy Denham

Boats

St Cuthbert's Society

Rob Torch

Athletics and Cross Country

Van Mildert College

Lloyd Seaman

Boats

College of St Hild and St Bede

Martin Woodhall

Badminton

St Aidan's College

Mimi Carlton

Boats

St Cuthbert's Society

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

9 NAME

SPORT

COLLEGE

NAME

SPORT

COLLEGE

Anthony Stewart

Canoes

Ustinov College

Eloise Andrews

Netball

Collingwood College

Daniel Sheppard

Canoes

Josephine Butler

Sophie Bingham

Netball

College of St Hild and St Bede

Olivia Hithersay

Canoes

St Mary's College

Joe Kenny

Rugby League

St Cuthbert's Society

Amy Rentell

Cheerleading

Josephine Butler

David Spelman

Rugby Union

Grey College

James Blanshard

Clay Pigeon

College of St Hild and St Bede

Harry Thompson

Rugby Union

Grey College

Chaitanya Bishnoi

Cricket

Hatfield College

Will Foster

Rugby Union

St Mary's College

Matt Milnes

Cricket

George Stephenson

Alex Webster

Rugby Union

Van Mildert College

Will Jenkins

Cricket

St Cuthbert's Society

Imme Leipnik

Rugby Union

Grey College

Philippa Rawbone

Cricket

Hatfield College

Ian Cook

Sailing

College of St Hild and St Bede

Matthew Atkinson

Cycling

Grey College

James Bennett

Sailing

St Aidan's College

Hilary Secker

Equestrian

St Aidan's College

Henry Treble

Ski & Snowboard

St Aidan's College

Jade Watt

Equestrian

Trevelyan College

Michael Sills

Ski & Snowboard

University College

Joseph Schenkel

Fencing

John Snow College

Luke Belton

Swimming

Josephine Butler College

John Priestner

Football

Grey College

Ruth Ewing

Swimming

Van Mildert College

Jonny Giles

Football

College of St Hild and St Bede

Thomas Stuart

Swimming

Collingwood College

William Legg

Football

St Aidan's College

Angharad Phillips

Table Tennis

Trevelyan College

Chris Drakeford-Lewis

Football/Tennis

Hatfield College

Clara Chau Hai Qing

Table Tennis

Grey College

Elizabeth Crompton

Football

University College

Megan Phillips

Table Tennis

Trevelyan College

Jennifer King

Football

Trevelyan College

James Milligan

Tennis

College of St Hild and St Bede

Joanna Gibson

Football

Hatfield College

Mallory Cecil

Tennis

St Mary's College

Tom Bloxsome

Golf

Hatfield College

Mara Waters

Tennis

Josephine Butler College

Jake Ward

Hockey

Hatfield College

Torsten Wietoska

Tennis

Van Mildert College

Juliette Inverdale

Hockey

St John's College

Arthur Lewis

Water Polo

Collingwood College

Lizzie McAdam

Hockey

College of St Hild and St Bede

Ashley Novak

Water Polo

Ustinov College

Matthew Murphy

Hockey

Hatfield College

Jack Farkas

Water Polo

College of St Hild and St Bede

Oliver Davies

Hockey

Hatfield College

Jack Skerritt

Water Polo

Van Mildert College

Anna Featherstone

Lacrosse

College of St Hild and St Bede

Laura Smithson

Water Polo

Van Mildert College

Emma Adams

Lacrosse

College of St Hild and St Bede

Matthew Calvert

Water Polo

Van Mildert College

Hannah Sims

Lacrosse

College of St Hild and St Bede

Meghan Lappan

Water Polo

Ustinov College

India-Rose May

Lacrosse

Hatfield College

Tom Morcom

Water Polo

University College

Andrew Dawson

Motorsport

University College

William Betts

Water Polo

College of St Hild and St Bede

William Van Es

Motorsport

Collingwood College

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

10

Leadership Academy Chantelle Cumming Sponsorship, Mentoring and Alumni Development Executive

About the Leadership Academy The concept of the Experience Durham Leadership Academy was born of a desire to help further support students within leadership roles through the challenges faced by those who want to get the most out of their university experience.

As university enrolment has steadily increased over the last 20 years, so too has competition in the workplace. Gone are the days when a student, graduating from a prestigious, academic university, could expect to ‘waltz’ into the job of their dreams. Of course a strong degree classification, from a renowned university, is still a pre-requisite to be invited to future job interviews: but outside, in the corridor, there are perhaps 6 other candidates with similar qualifications. Why should the prospective employer go for the Durham graduate?

It is our passionate belief that, through promoting Excellence in Sport, Music and the Arts, we have the opportunity to help our students develop and hone some of the key transferable skills which will set them apart from the rest. Through their engagement in the governance of high performance sport teams, accomplished

music societies and fantastically talented theatre groups, our leading students have the perfect vehicle to help develop and refine these key skills in preparation for life beyond university.

By creating our Leadership Academy programme, which will expose our students to some of the most gifted and talented Leaders from an earlier generation, we believe that we can make a significant difference to the overall Student Experience. Through the workshops, training and networking opportunities that the Leadership Academy offers, Experience Durham believes that we arm our student leaders with the ability to develop the unique skills learnt, so they can be utilised in the world’s boardrooms, hospital wards, research centres or wherever else our students find themselves in the future, and so lead and inspire others. Furthermore we seek to cement lifelong relationships between current students and Durham alumni which will hold the programme in good stead for many years to come.

I trust that the students who are about to embark on this Leadership Academy programme and those who are involved in its delivery, will recognise the same vision as members of the Experience Durham team, who have worked so hard to see the programme flourish.

Experience Durham Mentors “I gained much from my time at Durham and hope I can share, as a mentor, some skill-sets and experiences with an undergraduate stepping forward into his/ her future” Rear Admiral Alex Burton HMS Bulwark, Royal Navy “My six years at Durham were really important to what has been achieved since – mainly the time out of the lecture room.

The Alumni Sports Mentoring Scheme is a fantastic ideas and it was a good opportunity to keep in touch with the Boat Club” Dr Paul Hawkins Inventor and Director of Hawk-Eye “In my current role … I still use these skills.

My role is about managing talent so that we succeed as a company. This is pretty much what being involved in a high-level sport is all about. It is about maximising a diverse range of talent to cover all the bases. It is also about how you can mould diverse groups, different talents and various roles into a team. It leads to clear decision making, taking responsibility for your decisions and learning from mistakes as well as your successes. All this I learnt by being part of a team while at Durham.

The Leadership Academy has been an excellent way for me to re-engage with Durham.

Having the confidence to grab an opportunity when it was presented to me is what I gained most from my time at Durham University. It was my time playing cricket and being part of the first team that gave me this confidence.”

Steve Easterbrook Executive Vice President and Global Chief Brand Officer for McDonalds Corp

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

11

With special thanks to our Leadership Academy partners:

Leadership Training Schedule 2015-2016 Army Leadership Training (Residential weekend with the Northumbrian Universities Officer Training Corps): The aim of this weekend is to provide leadership development and expose Durham captains and society leaders to military leadership through military training and development activities. This will include a series of military ‘followership’ lessons followed by leadership tasks with each group activity scored and prizes awarded to the winning team. Activities are designed to be both mentally and physically challenging.

Expectations of Leadership (Seminar): Delivered by Dr Peter Warburton (Dean of Experience Durham) and Quentin Sloper (Head of Sport, Music and Theatre).

Marketing Yourself – You are your Brand (Seminar): Delivered by Chantelle Cumming (Sponsorship, Mentoring and Alumni Development Executive).

Mentor Meeting (Hosted by Clifford Chance Law Firm): A termly opportunity for students to interact and network with alumni mentors face-to-face.

The Importance of Networking (Seminar): Delivered by Kate Davies, Company Director of Kate Davies Consulting LTD. Assessment Centre and Interview Skills Talks and Interview Practice: Delivered by PwC. Women in Leadership (Seminar): Delivered by Northumbrian Universities Officer Training Corps.

Royal Navy Leadership Talks and Workshops: Delivered by Rear Admiral Alex Burton.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

12

Arts degree English degree

History degree

Your degree is just the start

Our training & development programmes are designed to help you learn the most from an outstanding variety of work

Science degree

Geography degree

The experience stays with you Work in: Actuarial Assurance Consulting Deals PwC Legal Tax Technology

We welcome all degree subjects at PwC. In fact last year, almost half our graduate recruits had degrees in arts & humanities, science, law or social sciences. Surprised? Don’t be. We see your degree as just the start. The foundation to providing help to take your career in all sorts of directions – from accounting to consulting and tax to technology. You need to be passionate about business and we’ll provide an environment where you can learn, grow and excel in your career.

Join PwC – we’re focused on helping you reach your full potential.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime pwc.com/uk/careers

/pwccareersuk @pwc_uk_careers 2014/15 - A Sporting Review

© 2015 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved.

Create value through diversity.

Be yourself, be different.

13 Team Durham are extremely lucky to have a close, and on-going, partnership with PwC. This long running sponsorship supports Experience Durham and allows our students to participate in extra-curricular opportunities in sport, music, the arts and volunteering. As a result, students can excel in their chosen area and develop their skills beyond the academic realm.

Through this partnership, students are also able to investigate and discover career opportunities at PwC. We wish to take this opportunity to thank PwC for yet another successful year.

Team Durham athletes are able to access

a range of support services as a result of the relationship with PwC, which includes workshops on interview skills and CV writing, as well as seeing 2 Directors from PwC acting as mentors within our Leadership Academy scheme.

PwC is a very popular choice for Durham students when looking to begin their careers. Richard Podd, a Tax Director at PwC and one of our Experience Durham mentors, graduated from Collingwood College in 2001. Richard shares his biography as an example of a possible career path and the transferable skills acquired whilst at Durham.

Richard Podd Profile of a Durham Alumnus Degree: M.Sci. Mathematics & Physics College: Collingwood Years: 1997 - 2001 Sport at Durham: Badminton 1st team, 97-01, Men’s Captain (2000), President (2001), Half Palatinate (2001) PwC Career: PwC, 2001 to date, Newcastle / London Current role I’m a tax director based in our Newcastle office responsible for providing tax advice and business support to a portfolio of clients. I help clients manage their tax affairs and comply with the ever increasing complexity of our tax legislation. With a maths and physics degree it will come as no surprise that I enjoy solving problems and undoubtedly the most enjoyable aspect of my job is using my experience and knowledge to help solve clients’ problems and bring them innovative solutions.

Working at PwC offers a fantastic breath of opportunities whether that be international secondments, transfer between teams or offices or client secondments. Whilst it is a cliché it is definitely fair to say no two days are the same. PwC prides itself on doing the right thing for our clients, our people and our communities and that ethos comes through in everything we do.

PwC is one of the world’s leading professional services organisations with 210,000 people across 157 countries and

whilst scale in itself does not differentiate us it does mean that the wealth of experience, knowledge, resource and agility that we can apply to solving our clients problems really makes us stand out from our competitors. PwC operates in a very inclusive manner and believes in giving everybody the opportunity to fulfil their own potential.

If you are interested in pursuing a career within PwC, make sure you take the time to research the organisation, attend the careers fairs, apply for the summer internship programme or career open days and speak to our current employees. We recruit about 1,500 graduates each year so it shouldn’t be too hard to track one of us down!

Favourite memories My favourite memory of sport at Durham is the National BUCS tournament which took place at Nottingham each year. Whilst I was probably never going to win this tournament, the support, the camaraderie and the experience always brings a smile to my face!

Learning from experience The two executive roles I held for the Badminton Club were probably my first real leadership challenge. How do you influence people to follow you? Get them bought into your way of thinking and develop a strategy for the success of your club?

How do you make, deliver and articulate those tough selection decisions? Whilst in the workplace the goals may be different but those basic leadership skills remain

fundamental to running and delivering a successful business.

Why Durham?

I grew up in the North West of England and took a gap year before starting university.

I visited a number of university towns and campuses around the country but immediately fell in love with Durham.

The combination of its reputation, the city and the collegiate system were all a big attraction for me. Durham University undoubtedly has one of the best reputations for producing employable graduates but combine that with the extra-curricular activities and alumni network and Durham graduates really do excel in the workplace.

Experience Durham Leadership Academy I act as a mentor for the Experience Durham Leadership Academy and for me it is important that I give something back to the University and Team Durham who helped me develop those academic and leadership skills which have enabled me to develop a successful career. It is a hugely rewarding role and a great opportunity to spend time connecting with current graduates and stay in touch with the University. When I was a graduate I didn’t have a clear career path mapped out and as a mentor my role is to act as a sounding board, to share my experiences and help make sure that Durham graduates fulfil their potential in their chosen field.

The graduate recruitment market is very competitive and therefore if I can help in any little way I am more than happy to do so!

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

14

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

15

Sporting Season Review

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

16

Hockey Club Jake Ward Durham University Hockey Club Captain This season has been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride for Durham University Hockey Club (DUHC), with great successes, near misses and fabulous escapes. At the start of the season we were in a unique position of having no coach, the new PlayerLayer kit contract, a sponsorship deal very much in the balance and two new 5th teams. Firstly, I must thank everyone who has helped along the way, and made a potentially very difficult season into a great one! The spirit and resilience shown this season, by everyone involved, epitomises just what it is about DUHC that you cannot put a price on.

It is clear; the DUHC spirit that all past and present students know and love continues to make DUHC such a special club to be a part of.

The appointment of Gareth Weaver-Tyler as head performance coach has had a great impact on the performance end of the club, and after a few difficult years of continual change, the club is moving in the right direction. DUHC continues to build and it is very reassuring that we may start to have some continuity, as Gareth has assured me that he is willing to take on a second season next year! However, as many people are aware, DUHC is far from a oneman band. Mike O’Neill and Gabby Foster

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

have both done a fantastic job in assisting Gareth on the men’s and women’s sides of the club respectively.

Both 1st teams were extremely disappointed to miss out on the BUCS championship finals, with close losses in the semi-finals to eventual winners, but are pleased with mid table finishes in the national league.

Mark Galloway and Mollie Rawnsley have both done excellent jobs as 1st team captains, and both teams are shaping up to have very successful seasons next year.

Exemplifying the strength of performance hockey, congratulations go to Mollie, Pippa Lewis, Laura Bevan and Juliette Inverdale for being selected for England U21s and Catriona McLellan for Scotland U21s. As

17 the North Hockey Leagues get continually stronger, the men’s 2nd team had a very tough time of it and pulled off a great run of results through January and February to remind the league they are a serious contender, whilst the women’s 2nd team accomplished ‘the great escape’ with a remarkable end to the season. Everyone at the club, who has ever come into contact with Mike and Gabby would like to thank them and wish them all the best, as they end their years of service at Durham.

The development squads have had very successful seasons, with the depth as strong as ever, helped by the numerous student player coaches who gave up their time to coach the development squads.

The men’s 3rd team won the North East Premier League yet again, with the men’s 4th team in a very commendable 4th place.

In BUCS, the men’s 3rd team survived in a very competitive league, and thanks must go to Sheffield Hallam for being deducted points in their last game, to drop behind us into relegation! Meanwhile the men’s 4th team closely missed out on BUCS league promotion with a strong season. The women’s 3rd team came 3rd in North Division 2 and the women’s 4th team won the Durham Clubs League yet again. In BUCS the women’s 3rd team had a fantastic season, being promoted into Northern 1A, whilst the women’s 4th team found the going tough, remaining in the same league.

Last but by no means least, the newly created ‘danger 5s’, our new 5th teams both gained promotion in their first BUCS season, with a combined 14 games played, 14 won, 135 goals scored and 4 goals conceded! Besides being the teams to watch out for, this move has created a link between college hockey

and university level hockey, with the 5th teams currently only competing in BUCS Wednesday matches, allowing players to still compete for their college sides at weekends. Similarly, following a successful joint umpiring course with the colleges, in conjunction with college sport, the club are in the process of setting up a university wide umpiring society to co-ordinate all umpiring and games.

and lows it has been an honour to be club captain during such an interesting time of change. Thank you to everyone for their support and advice throughout the year, as well as all the boys and all the girls who have made this season so memorable.

Off the pitch has been equally as busy and exciting for DUHC. The social calendar has been as great as ever, playing host to all the long-standing events such as Freshers’ Dinner and Annual Dinner, as well as the Wednesday team favourites. Most notable however were the January London weekend and the BLP June Alumni weekend, which demonstrate DUHC’s greatest asset – the Alumni family.

Secretary – Alice Stuart-Grumbar (Hatfield College)

All in all it has been a very exciting season for DUHC, and although a year of highs

Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captain - Jake Ward (Hatfield College) Treasurer – Martyn Lear (Hatfield College)

Sponsorship Officer – Juliette Inverdale (St John’s College) Events Organiser and Vice Club Captain – Harry Kilbourn (University College) Events Organiser – Jenni Polson (Van Mildert College) Friends of Durham Hockey Organiser – Lucy Turner (St Cuthbert’s Society) Kit Officer – Laura Bevan (College of St Hild and St Bede) North Hockey Officer – Lizzie Seeley (Josephine Butler College) Men’s Fixtures Secretary – Nick Chandler (Van Mildert College) Women’s Fixtures Secretary – Juliette Parry, (Collingwood College) BUCS Fixtures Secretary – Chessie Ruffell (College of St Hild and St Bede) Registration Officer (University College)

–

Alice

Toynton

Publicity Officer – (University College)

Natasha

Nichols,

Programme Editor – Pippa Lewis (College of St Hild and St Bede College) Umpiring Development Officer – Ellen Paterson (Hatfield College) Tour Officer – Charlie Dowdle (Van Mildert College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

18

Men’s Rugby Club Harry Thompson Durham University Rugby Club Captain 2014/5 This year the 1st XV team saw a plethora of changes in both personnel and attitude in their pursuit of the BUCS Championship title once more. A strong crop of first years including notable figures such as Brodie Wilson, Adam Brocklebank, Buchan Richardson and Rob Stevenson all came straight into the 1st XV adding real strength and speed to our ranks.

Furthermore, under 1st XV captain Jamie Bache and Club Captain Harry Thompson, pre-season ran both smoothly and professionally, proving to be our most difficult yet, under the watchful eyes of Director of Rugby Alex Keay and fitness coach extraordinaires Cameron Henderson and Dan Lonsdale. This set all four teams up superbly for the start of the BUCS season and sure enough the club, led by the 1st XV got off to a great start with the Charity Match against Leeds University 1st XV at Durham City RFC in the first week of the academic term.

As the season progressed the 2nd XV, led by captain Elliott Husband, went from strength to strength demolishing all their opposition who were mostly 1st teams from rival universities in splendid form and

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

playing genuine Durham style rugby in the process; attacking the wide channels with real pace and vigour throughout following strength work from the pack up front.

The 1st XV, however, found things a little more difficult; an unlucky string of matches against Northumbria University, Loughborough University and Leeds Beckett University in quick succession knocked the wind out of our sails following last minute defeats to the eventual finalists of BUCS. These games would haunt us later in the season, forcing the 1st XV away to a strong and confident Hartpury side rather than securing the home draw for the BUCS quarter-finals. In the end our best performances came as the season progressed and the younger members of the squad grew into the old cohort bringing a very strong blend of rugby. In particular the forwards offered a superb platform for the backs from the scrum which should be attributed to all eight players, although one can really not overlook the importance of the all-England student props, Dave Spelman and Adam Brocklebank with Jack Beazer sandwiched between their not inconsiderable figures.

In the end, the 1st XV fell short owing to a multitude of back-line injuries in the direct run-up to the BUCS quarter-final, losing to a strong Hartpury side away from home in front of a large crowd. With a young squad, a lot of returners and the prospect of a chance to right some wrongs from last season, DURFC 1st XV will be in great shape come the 2015/16 season and their pursuit of another victorious and undefeated BUCS campaign, especially following their undefeated tour of America where they played some very strong sides.

After a highly successful season last year, the Durham 3rd XV were promoted to compete in the Northern 1A league this year. The league consisted of 8 university teams: four 1st XVs, three 2nd XVs and the Durham 3rd XV. With 14 matches played, the team secured 7 wins, 1 draw and 6 losses. But to grasp the full perspective of how the season went, it is important to know that the 3rd XV only managed 2 victories in the first 8 fixtures. The good old days of the 3rd XV winning by cricket scores last year were over. The newly promoted side faced harder contests. It took the team until December 2014 to finally discover

19 the potential they held and to hold their own against the stronger opposition. And the team did so brilliantly, winning five out of the last six games in 2015, lifting themselves out of a relegation battle into a commendable 4th place. The highlight of the year came in triumphing over Leeds Beckett 2nd XV University (their 1st team won the BUCS Championship) whilst the best performance came in the victory over Liverpool 1st XV University away.

The aim for DURFC’s 4th team this year was clear; to win the Northern 3B league.

With 10 league matches played, all 10 matches were won, accumulating a points difference of +212. Being the only 4th XV in the league this shows the real strength in depth which DURFC has and also paints a bright future for the club. In the BUCS Conference Cup, the 4th team were knocked out to the eventual winners and champions of the league above, Hull 1st XV. However, in many ways this match was as a highlight to the team; although they lost 13-10, it was staggering to see the way the men played for one another on the pitch and were there for each other off it. This year has seen the emergence of some notable first years such as Tom Stanley, Hector Mckimm, Ed Varney, Gregg Dann and Will Helme, who have been great additions to the club on and off the field. The 4th XV would like to thank Alex Keay and Fergus King for their support throughout the season, and also Richard Knowles and Paul Baty who travelled with the 4th XV on away journeys. Fergus King persistently says that this team is the future of the club, and if this is the case then rest assured the club’s future is in good hands.

Our recent alumni Josh Beaumont and Simon Hammersley have both flourished in their respective professional rugby

careers, securing regular starting positions for Sale Sharks and Newcastle Falcons 1st XV’s in the Aviva Premiership throughout the season. Josh was even named in the England men’s development squad which played against the Barbarians at Twickenham shortly following the announcement of the World Cup training squad for England ahead of the 2015 RWC in England.

on Marcus’ experiences and knowledge to further the advancement of DURFC as Britain’s best university rugby club.

I have been mentored by Lt Corporal Marcus Elmhirst this year. He has been an immensely helpful figure in discussing not only styles and approaches to leadership but also in terms of discussing ways in which to motivate, manage and discipline club members. His personal focus on rugby and his passion for the sport have been genuinely inspiring this year and most enjoyable to chat over on our Friday afternoons at Maiden Castle. I look forward to remaining in contact with Marcus long after university as I believe that he will be a useful figure for years to come for the club to remain in contact with in order to maximise their efficient approach to obtaining more BUCS titles through the leadership of club captains who can draw

Marketing Officer – Jack Heeney (College of St Hild and St Bede)

Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captain – Harry Thompson (Grey College) Vice Club Captains – Thomas Gretton (St Mary’s College) and Oliver Petrides (College of St Hild and St Bede)

Public Relations – Andrew Willis (St John’s College) Community Officers – Ollie Harris (Trevelyan College) and Oli Wilson (Trevelyan College) Treasurer – George Winstanley (University College) Kit Officer – Jack Walkden (Stephenson College) Fixture Secretary (Hatfield College)

–

Luca

Vincenzini

Social Secretaries – Rory Anderson (Collingwood College) and George Burrows (College of St Hild and St Bede)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

20

Women’s Rugby Club This has been another wonderful year for Durham University Women’s Rugby Club (DUWRFC) with both team and personal successes. Our 1st team remains strong and a team to beat in the Premier League, this year only losing out to Leeds University in the league and securing the Premiership title.

After a very successful quarter-final, beating the University of South Wales 72 – 12, the first XV did not quite manage to reach the BUCS Championship final at Twickenham, narrowly missing out to Cardiff Metropolitan University 15 - 0 in a well fought and physical semi-final match. The second team have continued to grow in size and strength and have firmly cemented themselves as a formidable force in the Northern 2B League, finishing in 2nd position this year. Our head coach, Cameron Henderson, as ever has been passionate and supportive of both teams this year and has been supported by some of the DURFC players.

DUWRFC’s first XV match away against Loughborough University is still vivid for many on the 1st team as well as those on the side lines. Durham University’s historic rivalry across all sports with Loughborough

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

University means that this match is always incredibly hard fought and to add to this, the match acted as a decider for the Premier League title. The game was very equal and hard fought. The grit and determination demonstrated by Durham University was phenomenal as each team continuously went up and down against each other.

With only a minute to go Loughborough University were challenging the Durham University try line, however, composure and discipline meant that the final score came down in favour of our Durham 1st team, 22 - 19 allowing Durham to achieve ‘the double’ – a real testament to the hard work and tenacity of the team.

“This season has been the best year I’ve played so far in my three years in DUWRFC. As Captain I couldn’t have asked anything more from my team; they put in the hard graft during every minute of every game, leading to us winning the Premier League title. As a player I cannot wait for the coming season, to build on our success and continue to bring in new players.”

Heather Kerr (C), St Mary’s College

Sophie Lee Durham University Women’s Rugby Football Club Captain Our 1st team captain this year, Heather Kerr has led her team with drive and composure, and attained wonderful results. As well as her fantastic contribution to Durham University, recognised by a Full Palatinate and Honorary Life Membership at the prestigious Palatinate Dinner, she has had a phenomenal personal year of rugby.

Selected into the England Women’s Rugby EPS (Elite Playing Squad) she has found her time split between Durham University and London for England training. This is an extremely difficult commitment to juggle and it was wonderful to see her hard work rewarded during the 6 Nations as she earned her first senior England cap playing against Scotland.

“This year saw DUWRFC competing and succeeding as a whole club which is excellent to see! The 2nd team have gone from strength to strength and the 1st XV had one of the strongest squads I have seen since joining the club three years ago. I am excited to become a part of DUWRFC alumni and I am eagerly awaiting next year’s challenges, and no doubt success!”

Emma Stephens, St Aidan’s College

21 The second team’s most memorable match was against York St John University, who at the time were at the top of the league, and were the toughest team match of the year. A lot of preparation went into what was expected to be an extremely tough match. With some strong decision making, excellent defence from us, and a final penalty kick in the last minute of the game, the seconds came back from 5-0 down to we secure the win, 17-5.

“This match [against York St John] was a pinnacle moment for the 2nd team, as it showed how we had come together as a team, and playing at home with a lot of 1st team supporters made it an excellent atmosphere for an excellent match!”

Harriet Bantock (C), Grey College Members of DUWRFC are fiercely loyal and with a number of leavers this year our alumni network will continue to expand and will become a greater resource for the club to tap. The squad each year runs a development day which often entices a number of new squad members and these people, along with those already known to the club, will have no trouble in building on the successes of this year. The new executive committee have been elected and those leaving their roles are confident that the club is in safe and enthusiastic hands for next year. In terms of aims it will of course again be the target of the 1st XV to maintain their dominance in the Premier League and focus will be directed towards reaching the BUCS Championship finals at Twickenham. The 2nd team will continue to develop new players and aim to maintain their numerous successes into the coming season.

“I feel so lucky to have been part of DUWRFC this season. I won’t ever forget the feeling of beating Loughborough University away to win the Premier League. It was amazing to see our hard

work as a team pay off. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves, but everyone put their body on the line for one another and that is what I love about DUWRFC; you do your best for your friends and teammates.”

Rebecca Gough, St Aidan’s College This year we have been fortunate to be sponsored by BP. As a growing club any additional support is always enormously helpful and we are grateful for all the funding we have received. This season funding has meant we have benefitted from strength and conditioning support and hire of 3G pitches which have a huge influence on the success of our teams. Furthermore this season we have enjoyed wearing new PlayerLayer kit which was only feasible due to funding.

“As a fresher coming into DUWRFC, I couldn’t have asked for a better first year, or a better club. I love being a part of a group of girls willing to put everything they’ve got on the line for each other on the pitch, and who are always there for each other off the pitch. I have made some of my best friends in DUWRFC and

can’t wait to build on all the success of this season over the next couple of years.”

Ella Halcrow, Josephine Butler College It has been a pleasure to be a part of the Leadership Academy and mentor scheme for the past two years. The trips to London have been extremely good fun as well as informative and useful for looking to one’s personal future. Although unable to participate this year I did get the chance last year to take part in the army weekend which was a great experience.

The classroom sessions were fantastic for understanding different leadership styles, and the practical sessions were completely out of my comfort zone, which meant that I was really tested in my ability to put what had just been explained to you into practice. What is so wonderful about the scheme is that at these events, it is not only your personal mentor that takes an interest in what you are up to, but there is also a genuine interest from other mentors in the scheme, allowing wisdom from more outlets.

Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captains – Sophie Lee (St Mary’s College) and Imogen Leipnik (Grey College) Secretary College)

–

Jodie

Edwards

(Hatfield

Treasurer – Eleanor Pitcher (Josephine Butler College) Alumni Secretary (Hatfield College)

–

Harriet

Forsyth

Second Team Manager – Carolyn Wilson Media Secretary – Genevieve Moody, (Hatfield College) Events Managers – Harriet Bantock (Grey College) and Cassie Diotte (Grey College) Development Officer – Becki Gough (St Aidan’s College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

22

Boat Club James Styles Durham University Boat Club President The 2014/15 season has seen outstanding performances from Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) athletes throughout the club.

Before the season had even started the women’s heavyweight and lightweight doubles were representing GB at the EUSA games in Rotterdam, with the lightweight crew of Katy Denham and Mimi Carlton winning Silver and the heavyweight crew of Charlotte Drury and Becky Dell placing 6th. A rigorous two week pre-season training camp was followed by a successful start to the racing year at the British Rowing Championships, with a top result from the Women’s Championship Coxless Four taking home the University pennant.

March saw our athletes reaping the benefits of their perseverance over the winter training period at BUCS Head, coming second in the medal tally by taking home four gold, three silver, and three bronze medals. Subsequently we had our best ever result at the Women’s Head with the 1st VIII coming 10th overall and 3rd in Universities, with the 2nd VIII jumping 26 positions to place 21st in their best ever finishing position. At the Head of the River,

our men’s 1st VIII claimed the Halladay trophy placing 32nd, closely followed by a storming performance from the 2nd VIII who placed 33rd.

A truly impressive set of results at BUCS Regatta saw the club retain the Women’s Victor Ludorum and regain the overall title, topping the medal table with seven gold, seven silver and six bronze. Special

mention must be made of the lightweight men’s and women’s crews with stand-out performances over the weekend winning 10 of the 20 Durham medals. The following weekend saw the Boat Race of the North return to Newcastle, with DUBC taking home both Novice titles.

The women’s Henley Regatta saw DUBC storm to victory in the Academic 8+, with the Lightweight 4x losing closely in a well-fought final with the GB crew. DUBC athlete Hanna Inntjore also won Gold in the Elite Pairs race, rowing a composite with Anna Een Sture of Norske Studenters.

At Henley Royal Regatta our men’s 1st 4+ gave some great races in the Prince Albert, losing out to Nereus of Holland on Friday 3 July 2015. Good performances also came from the Temple 8+ who made the Friday before being knocked out by Oxford Brookes A. Our Henley Regatta reunion drinks event on Saturday 4 July 2015 was a resounding success, and our thanks go out to the incoming Executive Committee for their tireless work in making it happen. DUBC also owes a debt of thanks to Andrew Riley for once more hosting the alumni drinks and canapés during the Friday lunch interval, which was enjoyed by all who attended.

Turning now to individual successes, several of our athletes have done well

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

23

in the GB trials selection process with notable mentions to Katie Denham and Mimi Carlton for ranking 6th and 7th in the women’s U23 Lightweight at final trials. Further congratulations go to Lloyd Seaman who was selected to represent Ireland in the Lightweight Four at the U23 World Championships in Plovdiv.

Paul Mainds and Jeremy Wilson, who have mentored the Vice-President and myself under the Experience Durham Leadership Academy. They have provided excellent advice and ideas for both club and personal development, and their input has been invaluable in shaping our thoughts on these.

Looking forward to next year, the club has elected a very capable set of hands in Edward Gleadowe to lead the club as President. Along with the rest of the Exec and Committee, I am sure he will work tirelessly to ensure every single athlete in our programme is supported to achieve their full potential.

Our alumni have seen great successes on the international stage this year. In the World Championships in Varese there were Gold medals for Angus Groom (Men’s Quad), Lou Reeve (Women’s Eight) and Stewart Innes (Men’s Eight). Also selected to represent GB in Varese were Callum McBrierty and Lucinda Gooderham in the second men’s and women’s pairs, whilst Will Fletcher took home a Bronze in the Lightweight Double.

Thanks also goes to all those who have contributed to our successes this season, with particular mention to the S&C team for their tireless work to make us stronger, and to the coaching staff for devising the programme which makes this all possible. A mention of thanks also goes to our sponsor EY for their contribution. Last of all I would like to thank those who have served on the Executive and General committees this year, for doing the often unacknowledged work without which the club would cease to function.

Executive Committee 2014/15

As the season draws to a close, I would personally like to thank two of our alumni –

President – James Styles (University College) Vice-President – Henriette Ringleb (John Snow College) Men’s Captain – William Mace (Ustinov College) Women’s Captain – Charlotte Drury (College of St Hild and St Bede) Secretary – Eleanor Williams (Josephine Butler College) Treasurer – Christina Law (Van Mildert College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

24

Tennis Club James Milligan Durham University Lawn Tennis Club President Over the past 4 years, the Durham University Tennis Club (DULTC) has gone from strength to strength, consistently bettering previous year’s achievements. This season has been no exception, with the club securing an unrivalled position atop the university tennis tables. This year we have not only outscored every other tennis club in the country but we have also scored more BUCS points than 79 universities scored across all sports. This incredible achievement reflects the fantastic results of all 10 of our teams.

Having finally won the Premier League for the first time last year, the men’s 1st team started the season with their sights set on securing the BUCS Championship that has been snatched from them in the final in each of the last 3 years. The hard work and hours of training in the gym and on court paid off, as they not only retained first place in the Premier League, but also finally claimed their maiden BUCS Championship. Masters student and Durham veteran Jonny Binding sealed the title with a straight sets 7-6 6-2 victory.

As is fast becoming the norm in the northern women’s Premier League, our women’s 1st team secured a 5th consecutive league title after an unbeaten season. Sadly the championship once again remains elusive

as the 1st team narrowly lost out in the final to a very strong Bath University.

an early exit. This will undoubtedly be a priority to put right next year.

An unbeaten league season saw the men’s 2nd team finish atop division 1, securing promotion to the Premier League, a feat accomplished by our 1st team only 4 years ago. The league dominance of the men’s 2nd team undoubtedly made them favourites for the men’s BUCS Trophy this year, yet an unfortunate combination of injuries on a crucial away day fixture meant

After a rocky start to the season the women’s 2nd team found their top form when it mattered. Competing in the Premier League alongside our women’s 1st team, and the likes of Leeds Beckett University and Loughborough University 1st teams, meant a challenging season. Nevertheless, a late rise up the Premier League table saw the women’s 2nd team equal their previous record with a 4th place finish. However, this team’s eyes were predominantly set on securing the BUCS Trophy, after losing out in the semi-finals last year. The team beat Cardiff women’s 1st team in the final, 10-2 to make this team BUCS Trophy Champions once again.

Having just gained promotion to division 1, it was always going to be a difficult task for the men’s 3rd team to stave off relegation.

This was eventually achieved by some margin, as the 3rd team finished 1 point off 3rd, and 12 points clear of relegation.

Having established their place in division 1, the 3rd team will undoubtedly look to build on this next year when the unenviable task of facing our 2nd team is no longer a key feature of the calendar.

The women’s 3rd team having also gained promotion to division 1A were also looking to consolidate their position in the league.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

25 With promotion to the Premier League not possible due to BUCS regulations, a 2nd place finish for the girls was a fantastic result.

The men’s 4th team found themselves in a tough league this year filled with many 1st teams, including local rivals Northumbria 1s. The men’s 4th team narrowly lost out in the final match of the season to finish 2nd in the league, but managed to finish on a high, winning the Northern Conference Cup defeating Northumbria along the way.

The women’s 4th team did a fantastic job consolidating their place in the Northern League 2 with an impressive 3rd place finish as well as great semi-final run in the BUCS Northern Conference Cup. This year saw the introduction of 5th teams for both the men and women, allowing even more students to represent Durham in the competitive BUCS environment.

The men’s 5th team certainly hit the ground running with an unbeaten season giving them an instant and well deserved promotion. The women’s 5th team had a slightly slower start, but the form found towards the end of the season provides great promise for the seasons to come.

This addition combined with our newly structured development squad has meant that player development has a new found fluidity, promoting progression for

all players from complete beginners to contenders at the national championships.

In spite of injuries to key 1st team players for both the men and women during the BUCS individual university championships, there was still a great deal of success, with the Palatinates being an ever-growing presence on the draw sheet.

1st team player Torsten Wietoska was the star of the championships finishing 2nd in the singles, and winning the doubles with

1st team partner Jaime Vazquez. On the girl’s side, Mallory Cecil and Jessica Ren had a fantastic run to reach the singles semi-finals. There were also notable performances from Jonny Binding and fresher Dom Beesley, both making the quarter-finals of the men’s singles.

This has undoubtedly been our most successful season ever, and as our club continues to improve and expand it is important to recognise the immeasurable impact of the support provided by those surrounding the club. To perform at the level we aim for requires hours and hours of training every week and this does not come cheaply. The support of our sponsor PwC has enabled our training programme to expand and develop, providing our athletes with the best possible opportunity for success. This year we have been lucky enough to have the help of two former members of the club: former captain Simon Thorpe has been a great mentor to me personally, providing invaluable input on the clubs development; and his former teammate Ian Baggett has also recently furthered his involvement in the club, providing support and mentoring for our 1st team players.

Executive Committee 2014/15 President – James Milligan (College of St Hild and St Bede) Women’s Captain – Mara Waters (Josephine Butler College) Men’s Captain – Sam Lowden (Josephine Butler College) Treasurer – Jon Hook (University College) Secretary – Jayne Oswald (St Cuthbert’s Society)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

26

Men’s Cricket Club The Durham MCCU cricket side reported back for pre-season on Saturday 21 March 2015. The top quality facilities at the Racecourse ground enabled the side to get vital preparation in before taking to the field for three first class games against county sides. On Wednesday 27 March 2015 the team took on Leeds MCCU in a warm up game at the Racecourse. Batting first, Leeds MCCU posted 235/6 having taken advantage of some loose bowling early on from Durham MCCU. However, they were pegged back by the spin of Darrel Williams, Chaitanya Bishnoi and Dimitri Ratanayake. In response, Bishnoi and Jack Clark both posted half-centuries, to leave Durham MCCU requiring 32 from the last four overs. Durham MCCU sneaked over the line with a single off the last ball to win by one wicket.

A buoyant side made the seven-hour trip down to Taunton Vale to face Somerset CCC for a three-day first class game from Monday 2 – Wednesday 4 March 2015.

Bowling first, Durham MCCU took the field after lunch on the first day having been delayed by rain. Jack Wood got the side off to a dream start getting Abell caught behind by Oliver Steele for 0. When play resumed late on day 2 – again due to rain – Wood continued his excellent spell to fell former England great Marcus Trescothick.

Johann Myburgh and James Hildreth went on to post chanceless tons for Somerset CCC as they finished on 356/3 declared.

In response, skipper Cameron Steel was the standout performer with a splendid 80 that carried Durham MCCU to 1297 at the end of day 3, meaning that the match was drawn – albeit mainly due to the early season weather. Moving forward, Durham MCCU knew they had to be more disciplined with their bowling and batting to compete against Durham CCC captained by former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood in two days’ time.

The team made the long trip back up to Durham to face up against the local county team for another three-day fixture from Tuesday 7 - Thursday 9 April 2015 at the

Emirates ICG. Bowling first, Ben Williams got the early wicket of Mark Stoneman before Keaton Jennings and Scott Borthwick went on to post 100’s, helping Durham CCC to declare with the score on 448-4. Ratanayake, a post-graduate with prior first-class experience, was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets. Ollie Steele made a defiant 48 not out in response to Durham CCC’s imposing total. Having been bowled out for 159, the Durham University side took to the field once more. Durham declared their second innings on 260-7 with two wickets apiece for Jenkins and Phillips. Charlie Macdonell and Gibson started positively in the fourth innings of the game scoring 37 and 24 respectively.

However, a strong Durham CCC bowling unit dismissed the Durham MCCU for 170; Ollie Steele again provided some resistance in grinding out 34 runs. The University side eventually succumbed to an inevitable but respectable defeat, losing by 379 runs.

Durham MCCU travelled down to Birmingham to play Warwickshire CCC in a non-first class game from Sunday 12 – Tuesday 14 April. On a flat wicket the bowlers toiled hard for 124 overs as the hosts amassed 553, with the highlight of a tough day in the field being Bishnoi’s four wickets. In reply, Durham MCCU amassed 220, which contained a superb 136 from Macdonell. Warwickshire went on to bat out the rest of the match to end on 414-5.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

27

Women’s Cricket Club Naomi Pratt Durham University Women’s Cricket Club Captain After sustaining heavy player losses at the end of the 2013/14 season, the year kicked off well for Durham University Women’s Cricket Club (DUWCC) with a great turnout for our taster sessions in Michaelmas Term.

As hoped we gained a varied intake ranging from county players to those who had never wielded a bat before.

Due to the success of these sessions and the commitment of our coach, Alan Walker, we were able to continue the 2nd XI side alongside our established 1st XI team, for which we ran a mixture of separate and joint sessions. Pub lunches, Christmas dinner and socials including the annual whites bar crawl were well-attended by members of both teams and set a great tone for the rest of the year.

Epiphany term was busy for the 1st XI as the BUCS indoor cricket competition took place. The initial stages were conveniently held at Durham CCC, where we had already honed our impressive catching-off–thenetting skills in practice sessions. We batted first and set good totals in all of our first round games, beating Edinburgh University, Leeds Beckett University, St Andrews University and Newcastle University; finishing as champions of the Northern Premier League. Unfortunately semi-finals day was not our finest, and after losing to a strong indoor Cardiff Metropolitan University side, spirits fell and defeats from Southampton Solent and old rivals Loughborough University followed.

In Easter term we implemented a longer, ten-day, preseason due to the weather

reducing outdoor net availability in previous years. We also welcomed a new coach from the Durham Cricket Board, Darren Brown, who helped provide a muchneeded boost of intensity and motivation going into the season. Annabel Simms stepped up to the post of 2nd XI Captain and built a great team bond going into what was a difficult season in the Northern 1A League. It is worth noting, that we are the only university in the country to field two teams in women’s cricket resulting in all matches being against first teams.

The 2nd XI produced a good batting performance against St Andrews University 1st XI, batting out their full complement of overs, and took their first wicket of the season against Newcastle University 1st XI: promising signs from a fresh-faced squad that is sure to grow in coming years.

Meanwhile, our 1st XI finished second to Loughborough MCCU in the Premier North League this year, in the now traditional routine of moving on to face Exeter University in the semi-finals. Along the way, tight fielding performances and an upper order strengthened by first-years Cordelia Griffith and Laura Ellison brought about emphatic wins over Leeds University and Leeds Beckett University. Perhaps the highlight of the season was second year student, Charlotte Pape, whose stylish 202 not out away at Leeds University allowed Captain Philippa Rawbone to declare after just 25 overs due to the looming rain clouds.

In a restricted over game at Chester-leStreet CC, Loughborough University were restricted to 175-5, however we struggled against an experienced bowling line-up and fell short, finishing on 123-6 despite a half century from Rawbone. It was a similar story for the away fixture; the Loughborough University 1st XI team reached 2007 whilst the Durham team struggled to find the runs, only managing 124-9 with Rawbone again top scoring. The annual 16-hour round trip to Exeter University was enjoyable, and in unprecedented fashion Captain Rawbone won the toss. Despite a positive opening to the batting innings, we couldn’t build the innings that we

hoped for. After tea, the 1st XI produced perhaps our best fielding performance of the year, but even this couldn’t beat an excellent Exeter University team’s batting performance; it took the home side 37 overs to reach the required 176, losing three wickets along the way.

Next year we are hoping for membership to continue to grow as a result of the increase in popularity of the women’s game nationwide. In order to compete on a level with sides like Loughborough University and Exeter University a change in approach may be on the cards, with more intensive coaching and outreach. Nevertheless the Durham University Women’s Cricket Club continues to be one of the top university teams and simultaneously a great club to join as a beginner.

Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captain – Naomi Pratt (Hatfield College) 1st XI Captain – Philippa Rawbone (Hatfield College) Treasurer – Maddy Sears (Van Mildert College) Social Secretary – Sadie Lucas (Van Mildert College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

28

Men’s Lacrosse Club

Sivaloganathan Kumaran Durham University Men’s Lacrosse Club Captain

The Durham University Men’s Lacrosse Club went from strength to strength in the past season, seeing a triumphant 1st team retain the BUCS Championship title. Outstanding performances from Captain Sam Hewitt and goalkeeper Charles Pease saw the team rally to a 11-8 win for a sixth successful year, with a strong second half come back in the finals against league rivals Nottingham.

Undefeated for the majority of the season, the 2nd team narrowly took 2nd in the league, despite impressive wins against rivals University of Leeds men’s 1st team (7-6) and Leeds Beckett University (Carnegie) 2nd team (7-4 and 14-0). With many players now graduating, we look to our 3rd team to step up in the season ahead.

As one of the only universities in the country to maintain a development team, our 3rd team showed plenty of talent finishing mid-table against far more seasoned opponents, building success as the season went on. 1st team Captain Sam Hewitt, Club Secretary Ben Iremonger and Player’s Player George Highley can leave knowing the club is in good hands, with considerable thanks for their years of dedication.

Special mention goes out to our sponsors EY for their regular involvement and active contribution, and our friends at Boconni University Men’s Lacrosse for hosting the annual Cathedral’s Cup Game, both aiding to grow the game in Europe. I’d also like to give thanks to my mentor, Elspeth Talbot

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

Rice, for her encouragement and invaluable advice in leading a Club whilst balancing academic commitments. Next year’s Club Captain is Frank Gillies, whose patience and commitment will undoubtedly serve the club well.

Executive Committee 2014/15 First Team Captain – Sam Hewitt (Trevelyan College)

Second Team Captain – Mike Bedigan (University College) Third Team Captain – James Hudson (John Snow College) Treasurer – Charles Pease (Ustinov College) Secretary – Ben Iremonger (Collingwood College) Social Chair – Ian McGhee (University College)

29

Women’s Lacrosse Club This year has undoubtedly seen some outstanding performances from Durham women’s lacrosse. The high growth rate of the club combined with international athletes laid the foundations to create an unforgettable year of women’s lacrosse at Durham University.

With two BUCS finals and two silver medals in two consecutive years, the 1st team could not have been more determined to secure the Gold this year.

With eight leavers from the previous year, it was always going to take time to cement the team bond and playing style.

The team played some fantastic matches against the likes of Birmingham University and Loughborough University and, with a couple of games before the end of the league, had already secured the Premier League title. By the time we reached the Championship final, everyone was full of confidence and couldn’t wait to play.

Our final was away playing Loughborough University. Fortunately, we were able to put a few goals in the back of the net at the beginning of the game and kept this cushion throughout. After 60 minutes, the final score was 11-8 and we were crowned BUCS Champions and Gold medallists.

The 2nd team returned to pre-season at the beginning of the year on the back of their BUCS Gold medal, raring to go. The girls started the season winning all but one draw against Newcastle University in the first half of the season, including the first

round of BUCS Trophy knockout. The team met Newcastle University at the end of the spring term in a decider to see who would win the league. Both teams had won all their games (apart from drawing to each other in the first round). 5 days later, the Durham 2nd team returned to Newcastle University to play the semi-final of BUCS Trophy knock-out competition. Unfortunately Newcastle University managed to steal the win. It was a disappointing game; however their amazing season should not be forgotten.

The 3rd team had a hugely successful season competing in the Northern 2B League, in which they achieved 2nd position, only losing to the Newcastle University 2nd team. The pinnacle of Durham women’s lacrosse was evidenced in the all Durham final of the BUCS Northern Conference Cup, where the 3rd team faced the Durham 4th team winning 18-3 ending the season on a high. A very tough battle was fought and the 4th team lost out to the Durham 3rd team.

This match demonstrated the strength of Durham women’s lacrosse this season. The strong 4th team were led by their captains Bethan Davies and Hettie Lane.

A new addition to the club this year was the 5th team, which was created after the lacrosse club were very well received at the Fresher’s fair. With Sophie Skipper captaining the team, they were placed in the Northern 2B League; a challenging

Emily Fitzsimons and Serena Tite Durham University Women’s Lacrosse Club Captains league alongside our 3rd and 4th teams.

Nevertheless, they finished the season in an outstanding 8th place.

A massive thank you must go to our coach Anna Sody, who helped to shape and create our season to be one of the best it has ever been.

We would like to thank our sponsors, EY, for their support this year and in particular their fantastic evening held in January that was hugely insightful for the girls.

Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captains – Serena Tite (St Cuthbert’s Society) and Emily Fitzsimons (St Aidan’s College) Treasurers – Helen Sale (Collingwood College) and Claire Fabes (St Aidan’s College) Recruitment – Alice Goodinge (Hatfield College) and Lucy Grant (College of St Hild and St Bede) Sponsorship and Marketing – Annie Philip (College of St Hild and St Bede) Kit Secretaries – Amy Graham (University College) and Anna Featherstone (College of St Hild and St Bede) Social Secretaries – Elizabeth Apthorp (Grey College), Lucy Matchett (Collingwood College) and Katie Sims (College of St Hild and St Bede) Fundraising Officers – Izzie Clifton-Brown (College of St Hild and St Bede) and Isabel McNab (College of St Hild and St Bede)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

30

Netball Club Eloise Andrews Durham University Netball Club Captain Another fantastic year for the development of the Durham University Netball Club. Both our 1st and 2nd teams ended the season in 3rd position in their respective leagues, having suffered some disappointing one goal losses but, more importantly, some outstanding victories. However, pride of place this season must go to our 3rd and 4th teams, both of whom have earned themselves league promotion. This means that the 4th team have secured two promotions in as many seasons; a testament to the leadership and dedication of their captain of both years, Emika Berry.

Our 1st team faced stiff competition throughout this season, but had excellent wins over strong squads such as Liverpool John Moores University, whom Durham beat by 56 goals to 48. They also secured a win from our rivals over the border, Edinburgh University, tidily defeating their 1st team 38-32. This is partially down to the strong presence of Mary Carson, a player who has represented Northern Ireland on a number of occasions, and has been a consistently outstanding member of the 1st team over her three years here at Durham.

The 2014/15 season was one of peaks and troughs for the 2nd team, losing some matches by just one goal, yet thrashing the likes of Northumbria University by 61 goals to 34. After a year of hard training and highly successful team bonding, I

am in no doubt that they will be strong contenders for promotion next year. All the best foundations have been laid, and I am confident in their ability to build on all they have achieved thus far.

As already mentioned, the 3rd and 4th teams both had outstanding seasons, and they came out week after week actively seeking convincing wins and almost always being successful. This year their training has increased to include the luxury of a weights session in the gym. We are all supported by our strength and conditioning coaches who tailor their expertise and sessions to properly prepare our bodies for the somewhat unusual style of impact which we undergo. This has been essential for beginning to cast aside our unfortunate reputation for numerous ACL injuries and consequential surgeries; though I expect we shall be, for a little longer, the club to come to should you ever require a pair of crutches!

As ever, our victories as well as our defeats have been duly accompanied by a wide variety of intermittently raucous socials.

Alongside our attempts at surfing and paintballing, we have maintained the netball tradition of Wednesday fancy dress.

Our outfits have ranged from cave girls to grannies, incredibles to cops and robbers, and we have generally done a good job of keeping Mr Cloth’s business ticking over for another year. Socials play a huge role in maintaining team spirit within the netball club. Though all are initially sceptical, dressing up in binbags and gaffa tape for a night out has been proven year on year to be the best way of encouraging the tight bonds which have been essential to our many successes.

I am sad to be leaving Durham, as I am sure everyone who attends this fantastic university is when their time here comes to an end. However, being part of a sports club makes letting go of your life here an even harder task. The friends you make and the bridges you build are all that much stronger amongst a team, and I have certainly felt during my time here that a sense of overall community between all the athletes is growing, under the banner

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

of ‘Team Durham’. I wish every success to the Netball Club and Katie Boon who will be captaining it next year. We have all worked so well this season and achieved many things, and yet there is so much more still to do! I have every faith that you will continue to expand, improve and #bleedpalatinate.

Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captain – Eloise Andrews (Collingwood College) Vice Club Captain (Stephenson College)

–

Mary

Carson

Secretary – Emma Simber (St Cuthbert’s Society) Treasurer – Sophie Waller (Stephenson College) Social Secretaries – Katie Boon (Collingwood College) and Anna Simmonds (College of St Hild and St Bede) Media Secretary (Collingwood College)

–

Emika

Berry

Fundraising Secretary – Charlotte Ellis (University College) Alumni Secretary – Amelia Wilkinson (Collingwood College) Development and Welfare Secretary – Sophie Bingham (College of St Hild and St Bede) Tour Secretary – (Collingwood College)

India

Wadham

31

Water Polo Club Arthur Lewis Durham University Water Polo Club Captain What an unbelievable year for the Durham University Water Polo Club (DUWP)! This year has, without doubt, been the most successful in the club’s history. With six league and four National Cup titles between four teams, Water Polo at Durham University has yet again reached new heights. Awarded Team Durham’s Club of the Year 2014/15 at the annual Palatinate Dinner, there is no doubt that such a level of talent and potential has seldom been seen in a British university swimming pool.

The men’s 1st team’s Championship winning season all kicked off on a rainy Friday evening down at Freeman’s Quay with a 20-1 thrashing of St. Andrews University and this very much set the tone for the rest of the season. Unbeaten in all competitions, the closest the Palatinates came to losing was a 5-12 win away against Edinburgh University with most winning margins being in double figures.

Highlights included an 18-0 shut-out of Cambridge University in the BUCS semifinals and of course the team’s crowning moment against Bristol University in the final. Snapping Bristol University’s 4 year, 43 game unbeaten run was no mean feat and running out 14-5 winners on the day demonstrated that the Durham University team were simply on another level to all of their competition.

The culture of dominance was seen just as clearly from the women’s 1st team.

Winning every match by at least four goals the perpetual mismatch between them and

their opponents was never more obvious than when they won their BUCS Trophy final by 22 goals. A special mention must go Meghan Lappan for her consistently outstanding performances culminating in a double figure goal tally in the final. For all of their success this year this is very much the beginning for DUWP’s golden girls. Next year they compete in the BUCS Premier League and Championship knock-out competition, and the club’s goal of winning both men and women’s Championships is surely in sight.

sponsor Tia’s Mexican for hosting the two dinners.

The success enjoyed this year did not stop with the 1st teams. The men’s 2nd team have been five years in the making and this year they fulfilled the potential that they have shown in that time. They beat out 1st teams from York University and Leeds Beckett University to win their league and gain promotion to the Northern 1A Division in which they will be the only 2nd team next year.

Team of the Year Nominee – Men’s 1st

Perhaps the most exciting thing to come out of DUWP this year has been the establishment of the women’s 2nd team.

This season saw them competing in BUCS for the first time and they did the club proud with their remarkable improvement throughout the year. 2nd in their league and into the semi-finals of the Conference Cup, Beccy Hodson’s girls exceeded all expectations. Watch this space.

This great year continued outside of the pool with regular full club socials and a brilliant tour to Split, Croatia to play against one of the best clubs in Europe (albeit their under eighteen squad). As ever the flagship social events were our two old-boy’s weekends; old friend’s reunited, new friend’s made - they were four very big and memorable nights. Thank you to our

Durham University Water Polo intends to become, and remain, the number one water polo institution in the country. Many years of hard work have gone into the great success we have enjoyed this year but for us this is just the beginning. Roll on next season!

DUWP Achievements 2014/15 Team Durham Club of the Year BUCS Championship – Men’s 1st Northern Premiership – Men’s 1st uPolo Championship – Men’s 1st BUCS Trophy – Women’s 1st Northern 1A Winners – Women’s 1st Northern 2A Winners – Men’s 2nd uPolo Shield – Men’s 2nd Sportsman of the Year Nominee – Alex Kazmier Sportsman of the Year Nominee – Zachary White Executive Committee 2014/15 President – Arthur Lewis (Collingwood College) Treasurer – Jack Farkas (College of St Hild and St Bede) M1 Captain – Matthew Calvert (Van Mildert College) W1 Captain – Laura Smithson (Van Mildert College) M2 Captain – Matthew Holroyd, (St Mary’s College) W2 Captain – Beccy Hodson (College of St Hild and St Bede) Social Secretary – Leah Clark (Hatfield College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

32

Men’s Football Club

William Legg Durham University Men’s Football Club Captain

Off the back of three consecutive promotions, the 1st XI team has just completed their second season in the BUCS Premier League, finishing 4th and reaching the quarterfinal of the BUCS Championship knockout competition. Unfortunately the 1st XI were beaten in the knockout for the second consecutive season by University of South Wales in Cardiff. This year the game was decided through the lottery of the penalty shootout.

Meanwhile the 2nd XI team finished top of their league to achieve promotion from Northern 4B. They also enjoyed a remarkable run in the BUCS Northern Conference Cup to reach the quarter-finals, beating teams placed in divisions above on two occasions. A free scoring style of play characterised their season, scoring an extraordinary 21 goals in the last four league games to secure the league title in style.

The club is very fortunate to receive high calibre coaching from Chris Moore and Chris Foreman. Chris Moore has managed the 1st XI for two years, whilst Chris Foreman has taken charge of the 2nd XI for the first time this season. The 2nd XI have particularly benefited from a coach’s input, which has allowed them to play to a level above many other sides in their league.

Speaking on behalf of all the players, we really appreciate the enduring hard work that they put into the club.

We have also recently created three futsal teams, which play on Sundays. Our 1st V won the BUCS Trophy in their debut season and this year won promotion into the Premier League, winning every league game. Our 2nd and 3rd teams also achieved respectable mid-table positions – a commendable achievement considering their leagues are mostly populated by university 1st teams.

In terms of individual performances, it is important to note the services of John Priestner and Jonny Giles to the club, in recognition of which both were awarded a

Half Palatinate at the Palatinate Dinner.

John played every minute of every 1st XI game throughout his three years at Durham, this year assuming the role of vice-captain. Similarly Jonny has been a key player and leader in the dressing room. He has been scouted by several professional sides and also invited to an England futsal development camp.

Finally, it is really important to thank our sponsors Wilton and Linklaters LLP for their continued support. Their assistance has permitted us to purchase new playing kit and to take on a new coach, which has been vital to the success of the club.

Exciting times lie ahead for DUAFC, as we try to maintain our unprecedented success of recent years, to underline our establishment as one of the top sports clubs at Durham University.

Follow us on twitter @DUAFC Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captain – William Legg (St Aidan’s College) Treasurer – Michael King (St Aidan’s College) Futsal Captain – Tom Weedon (University College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

33

Women’s Football Club

Lily Crompton and Joanna Gibson Durham University Women’s Football Club Captain

Durham University Women’s Athletic Football Club (DUWAFC) had their best season to date with outstanding performances across all 3 teams. This year, the 1st team had an incredible unbeaten season finishing 1st in the Premier North League, and being crowned BUCS Champions, winning gold after beating Birmingham University in the final at BUCS Big Wednesday.

The first team has broken records for DUWAFC. They were undefeated on the season, and won the Northern Premier League, having played 10 matches; they won 8, drew 2, lost 0 and scored 25 goals.

A particularly memorable and nail-biting fixture for the 1st team was the semi-final match in the BUCS Championship knockout competition, where the team faced a strong defensive Loughborough University.

With the score level, the Durham University team managed to secure their route to the final: the winning goal coming with just 1 minute left on the clock, taking them soaring through to the finals.

Though our name is ‘Durham University Women’s Athletic Football Club,’ many people are unaware that our club participates, not only in football fixtures, but also in futsal.

In the futsal championships, the 1st team narrowly missed out on the gold medal, falling short against an established Northumbria University Futsal Club in the

final. This will undoubtedly be a main aim for the team in the upcoming 2015/16 season, looking to regain the title they won in 2012/13.

scored 11 goals. The 3rd team will look to win this league in 2015/16 and the squad will hopefully feed into the 2nd team for progression of the programme.

The 2nd team this year had another positive season; newly promoted, the team finished 3rd in the Northern 2B League. The team progressed in the BUCS Conference Cup knockout round, reaching the final where they met UCLAN. The Durham team were 5-2 down and their come-back arrived too late, as their efforts were stopped by the final whistle; a narrow defeat, with the score 5-4 to UCLAN, leaving the Durham team ending the season as silver medallists.

A special mention must go to all the coaching staff, strength and conditioning team and volunteers for helping us improve our squads each year. We would also like to thank PwC for kindly supporting us again this year; without this support, we wouldn’t be able to reap the benefits of our coaching staff and strength and conditioning sessions.

Incredibly, in the futsal championships, the 2nd and 3rd teams both made it through to the BUCS Trophy final. In a true Durham battle, the match was played in great competition and spirit, with the 2nd team coming out on top, beating the 3rd team by 12 goals to 2.

A new addition to the women’s football club this year was the 3rd team. This team brought a fresh new influx of members, enthusiasm and commitment to the club.

Competing in the Northern 4B League, the team finished 4th, having played 9 matches; they won 5, drew 2, lost 2 and

Executive Committe 2014/15 Club Captains – Elizabeth Crompton (University College) and Joanna Gibson (Hatfield College) Treasurer – Cleo Mackenzie-Armes (St Chad’s College) 1st Team Captain – Jen King (Trevelyan College) 2nd Team Captain – Rebecca Hunt (St Mary’s College) 3rd Team Captain – Tara Suba (St Mary’s College) Social Secretary – Rhianne Barker (John Snow College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

34

Canoe Club Daniel Sheppard Durham University Canoe Club Captain This year our club has continued to be one of the best university canoe clubs in the country. Our athletes have trained tirelessly throughout the year, taking on an extra set of early morning sessions to supplement the already full programme of events we have on a weekly basis. A special mention must go to our new club coach, Daniel Robson, who has taken the development of the club under his wing and made great progress in a relatively short time alongside competing at the top level at BUCS events.

Our BUCS performance this year has been fantastic. Our first competition, the BUCS River Race, was hampered slightly by several kit issues, with a few of our boats unfortunately breaking in what is an arduous and high-speed event. However, we came 3rd overall in the event, with several good placements and the notable results of 1st in the K1 women’s by Alice Haws and 1st in the Open Team by Daniel Robson, Mark Ledger and Edmund Hawes.

The second competition, BUCS Slalom, is an event that is dominated by top level athletes from rival universities. Despite this we had several good placements including a 4th place by our K1 men’s team, and a good number of athletes gained invaluable competitive experience.

Our final event of the year, BUCS Polo, was our time to shine once more, with the men’s A squad putting in a groundbreaking performance of unbeaten games, winning 15-0, 10-0, 10-0, 4-0, 6-1 and

6-1 in the final, taking the Gold medal. The ladies squad finished 4th overall, but were extremely pleased with their results and progress throughout the competition. The men’s B squad achieved 4 wins, 1 draw and a loss to finish 9th overall despite several players being completely new to the sport.

Several Durham University athletes also represented GB on the international circuit.

In canoe polo, Daniel Robson and Matthew Fletcher retained their position in the GB Canoe Polo Squad and have represented the senior men’s A team repeatedly during the past year. Of particular note was their performance at the World Championships in France, where they finished 12th.

Olivia Hithersay also attended the World Championships last autumn, representing

the women’s U21 A team, which finished 4th. She then aged up and was selected for the senior women’s squad, with whom she trained for the remainder of the academic year. Mark Ledger also made his GB debut competing for the GB men’s B team in France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In Wild Water Racing, Phil Dean retained his position on the GB team. The first race of his international season was the European Championship in Bosnia. The competition featured four events; the classic, classic team, sprint and sprint team. In the first event, Phil suffered a stroke of bad luck, suffering due to the changeable conditions which gave some of the other competitors a noticeable advantage. He therefore finished 31st.

There were however no such problems in the sprint event, where he improved markedly finishing 24th. In the team events, Phil competed alongside Nicky Cresser, a Durham University alumnus and Richard Millar. The trio finished 7th in the classic team and 6th in the classic sprint. Phil will travel to Austria, followed

by Slovenia to compete in the World Cup. We wish him the best of luck.

I would of course like to thank all of our athletes, members, supporters and friends in making the club so successful; and looking forward, I am sure the club will continue to grow and develop exceptional athletes and continue to be something that other university clubs can only envy – the best of the best.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

35

Volleyball Club Alex Hodge Durham University Volleyball Club Captain Durham University Volleyball Club (DUVC) have, once again, had an incredibly strong year. The club’s success this year has been largely anchored in strong league and cup performances by both 1st teams.

As has been the case in recent years, the women’s first team led the way for DUVC. Their 2nd place finish in the inaugural season of the Northern Premier League matches their highest mark reached within the top league in BUCS. The women carried the strength of their regular season performance into the BUCS Championship, culminating in another five-set thriller of a championship final against the women of Northumbria University. Unfortunately, unlike last year, the tide turned in favour of Northumbria University in the fifth and final set. A 2nd place finish in the BUCS Championships and in the Northern Premier League marks another incredible season for the women’s 1st team, and continues the strong rivalry between them and Northumbria University.

Our men’s 1st team have had their most successful season to date, finishing 3rd in the Northern Premier League, and 5th overall in the BUCS Championship.

The men always have a tall order to fill in the north, competing with perennial powerhouses in Northumbria University and Sheffield Hallam University. Finishing 3rd in the North always gives a tough draw in the last 16 round but, this year, the men put in an incredibly professional performance to win 3-0 against Warwick

and qualify for the BUCS Final 8s competition. Whilst the team finished 5th overall, their only losses came against the overall Champions, Sheffield Hallam University, and runners-up Bournemouth University. We are pleased with their success and eager to build upon it during the coming year.

This year’s 2nd teams saw similar results.

Both finished 3rd in their league and both made it easily through the first round of the Conference Cup. Unfortunately however, both teams were knocked out in the second round. The teams have both improved this year and are beginning to benefit from the consistency of returning athletes.

With eyes on the future, the club has many goals. Primary among them is to continue the success they have been achieving at the highest levels. We look to see our women in the national final once again, and hope to see our men break into the semi-finals for the first time. We also aim to continue to develop both 2nd teams, aspiring to see them to push through to the final 8 in the Conference Cup while striving for promotion in their leagues. Greater success from the 2nd teams sets Durham up nicely in the top three clubs nationally.

Breaking into the top two clubs in BUCS will require all four of our teams to achieve new standards, and is a challenge the club looks forward to.

We would like to congratulate several alumni who have converted their days of

playing at Durham into coaching jobs.

Student Cup 2014 MVP Chelsea Overholt has wasted no time joining the coaching staff at Cal State Stanislaus whilst Megan Shifflett has joined the Western Oregon University volleyball programme as an assistant coach. Since leaving Durham in 2012, David Heller has been named the youngest head coach of a Division I men’s volleyball programme in NCAA history (at Mount Olive University). His success has not stopped there, as this year he was selected as assistant coach for Team USA at the World University Games held in South Korea.

Last, but certainly not least, the club would like to give a special congratulations to current scholar Whitney Wilde and her new husband Tom Wilde, a DUVC alumni.

Their transcontinental marriage is a DUVC first and is surely something to celebrate.

Executive Committe 2014/15 Club Captain – Alex Hodge (Ustinov College) Men’s Captain – Mark Ogilvie (Collingwood College) Women’s Captain – Janelle Chow (Ustinov College) Club Secretary – (Collingwood College)

Stephanie

Kilili

Social Secretary – Martin Jakobsen (St John’s College) College Volleyball Officer – Julija Sitnikova (Stephenson College) Recruitment Officers – Sophie Syzszko (Collingwood College) and Luke Clarke (Collingwood College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

36

Fencing Club Joseph Schenkel Durham University Fencing Club Captain The 14/15 season was a very exciting one for the Durham University Fencing Club (DUF).

All teams worked incredibly hard throughout the year to secure a fantastic set of results having made every point count.

The fiery spirit of the men’s 1st team was more fierce than ever before; after finishing joint 1st in the Premier League in the 13/14 season, there were high hopes that the team would be able to secure the number one podium position again. With just the one loss, to Newcastle University, the men’s team were able to secure the Premier League title once again, and a bye to the quarter finals of the BUCS National Championship against Bath. A strong performance from all resulted in a 135-119 victory, and set up a semi-final appearance against Oxford University.

Durham put up a strong fight and lost by a very narrow margin to Oxford 1st team.

A very well fought battle and undoubtedly DUF men’s 1st team will be aiming to go one better in the 2015/16 season.

There were great performances from the women’s 2nd and the men’s 2nd team this season which enabled them all to easily retain their league positions, with no fear of relegation, comfortably through

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

the Northern 2B and Northern 1A leagues respectively. The men’s 3rd team were also able to hold their own, despite a few last-minute team builds for some key away matches in the Northern 2B league finishing in 3rd position. The women’s 1st team performed very well managing to finish in 3rd position in the Premier North fixture. A special mention must go to Sarah Morrison the first team player who managed to fence all three weapons for the women’s’ 1st team at an incredible level.

In a few stand-out matches she achieved incredible indicator scores of above 20!

This is an outstanding achievement.

We had a number of new additions to the Durham fencing scene including Sebastian Charles-Young who was a beast on the strip, consistently scoring doubledigit indicators throughout the season.

Though many people did well in the BUCS individual event, special mention must go to Anthony Avis, the forthcoming captain of the DUF, who performed phenomenally with a top 8 finish.

Overall it was a successful year for DUF, and we hope to build on this year’s successes for next season. The fencing club will always follow Kipling’s most important law

of the jungle: The strength of the Wolf is the Pack. The Strength of the Pack is the Wolf.

DUF would like to take this opportunity to thank our head coach Lazslo for his tremendous support for the team and his attention to detail which has contributed significantly to our success. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank PwC for their continued support of the Fencing team.

37

Golf Club Fraser Christie Durham University Golf Club Captain This season was very much one of consolidation for the Durham University Golf Club following the successful exploits of last season, in which both the 1st and 2nd teams achieved promotion. The 2014/15 season also saw the first ever entry of a 4th team into the BUCS events.

Following a slow start to the Michaelmas term for all teams, we were found languishing short of our pre-season targets, with no clear light at the end of the tunnel.

The Epiphany term, however, saw an incredible change of fortunes and we began to climb our respective tables. The 3rd team ultimately achieved a second place finish in their league, and the 2nd team embarked upon what must be described as a ‘Great Escape’, going unbeaten over the

final 4 fixtures in order to avoid relegation by a single point. Both of these teams – along with the 4th team, who ended midtable – met our expectations with their league performances. The 1st team’s season followed a similar pattern, as a hugely disappointing opening stretch saw us lose touch with the leading contenders – only to then top the 2015 form table for the Northern Premier league. Unfortunately we left ourselves with too much to do at the turn of the year, but there was still plenty of opportunities to create some form of legacy. The victory over perennial league champions UCLAN (3.5-2.5) was described by some within Team Durham as the golf club’s ‘finest ever victory’, and it was from this moment that Durham became truly recognised as having joined

the heavyweights of university golf. A victory over Durham’s fiercest competitor – Loughborough – followed, as the golf team began to emerge from the shadows of more illustrious Team Durham clubs.

The cup season – which promised much – ultimately ended in disappointment, with each of the first 3 teams losing their fixtures 3.5-2.5, and none reaching the semi-final stages. As the final points were counted, Durham came in 8th in the BUCS golf rankings – and achieved our greatest season objective for the first time ever, in beating St Andrews in the overall rankings.

The 2014/15 season displayed enormous potential, but over the piece, results were slightly short of expectations. Nonetheless, we look forward to next season with huge confidence, and excitement for a challenge at the 2016 Championship.

Executive Committe 2014/15 Club Captain – Fraser Christie (Collingwood College) 1st Team Captain (Hatfield College) 2nd Team Captain (Collingwood College)

–

Tom –

Dan

Bloxsome Gordon

3rd Team Captain – Jack Walls (Stephenson College) 4th Team Captain – Dan Van-Helden (Grey College)

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

38

Badminton Club, Squash Club and Table Tennis Club Badminton Club The badminton club have gone from strength to strength during the 2014/2015 season and ended the year on a triumphant high with both the men’s 1st and women’s 1st team securing places in the premiership division.

This year the squad increased somewhat significantly in depth and size, enabling the badminton club to be able to field six teams every Wednesday instead of our usual four.

The club saw four promotions including the men’s 1st team gaining a place in the Premiership next season, as well as the women’s 1st team improving from last year’s position in their Premier League. The women’s 2nd team and men’s 2nd team won their respective Northern 3B leagues and the men’s 3rd team won the Northern 5B league. The women’s 3rd team finished in 3rd place in the Northern 3B league. Across the entire squad there were outstanding performances, in particular Ben Birks, whose result in the men’s 1st playoffs gave us two crucial games for 5-3 wins in both fixtures to secure a place in the Premiership for 15/16. Our fantastic season ended in a best ever BUCS individual’s result, with Mike Roe and Ryan McCarthy reaching the men’s doubles semi-finals, sadly forfeiting on their own match point due to injury. It does not get closer to the final than that!

The squad next year has many goals to achieve, including another four promotions.

To achieve this, the squad will continue to integrate with Durham County Badminton to further our players coaching and playing skills with joint training sessions and match play. The national badminton league (NBL) had its introductory season this year with six teams competing professionally across the country. We hope that within a couple of seasons, Durham University Badminton Club can deliver a team to compete with the likes of Loughborough University and Nottingham University at the professional level of badminton.

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed and supported the club throughout our season, including our sponsor PwC for their continued support.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

Badminton Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captain – Martin Woodhall (St Aidan’s College) Treasurer – Matthew Hall (Grey College) Men’s Captain – Mike Roe (Collingwood College) Women’s Captain – Jennie Dickson (St Cuthbert’s Society) Men’s Vice Captain – (Josephine Butler College)

Bertie

Miles

Women’s Vice Captain – Katie Brown (St Aidan’s College) Social Secretary – Caroline Brown (Hatfield College) Club Secretary – Phillip Pereira (Grey College) Development Co-ordinator – Harry Burgess (Collingwood College)

Squash Club The 2014/15 season brought in many a highlight for the Durham University Squash club. The men’s 1st team had a brilliant season, winning all of their league matches and coming top of the league at the end of the season.

After a very long journey all the way down to Exeter for their decider match to determine which team would move up to the Premier League, the Durham team very narrowly missed out and just lost to a very strong opposing team. With very few 1st team players graduating this year, the men’s 1st team are looking forward to an even stronger season this coming October and are prepared to battle for the title.

Meanwhile, the men’s 2nd team struggled a little this year, with several players injured and unable to play in crucial matches. The men’s 3rd and 4th teams however, became extremely competitive against each other, with both teams competing in the same league, resulting in a final playoff match against each other to decide which team would move up to the higher league. With a very close and exciting match at the end of the season, and the rest of the club watching as supporters, the men’s 3rd team narrowly beat the 4th team, successfully winning the league.

Our three women’s teams put in strong performances throughout the season.

The women’s 1st team placed 3rd in the Northern 1A BUCS League table and had a very strong performance in the BUCS Trophy playoffs, only just losing out on games to the Oxford University team in the Quarter Finals. Durham women’s 2nd team also managed to reach the Quarter Finals of the BUCS Trophy, losing to a very strong team from Birmingham University.

The women’s 3rd team narrowly missed out on winning their BUCS League by 1 point to Leeds University women’s 2nd team, finally finishing in second place at the end of the season.

It has been a pleasure to Captain the DU Squash Club and I am very excited about the new academic year. A massive thank you must go out to PwC for their sponsorship and for all exec members who led the club this season.

Squash Executive Committee 2014/15 Club Captain – Lara Small (St Cuthbert’s Society) Treasurer – Ivor Green (St Cuthbert’s Society) Women’s Captains – Rosie (Collingwood College) and Hodgson (St Chad’s College)

Osborne Catriona

Men’s Captain – Elliott Park (St Cuthbert’s Society) Social Secretary – Oliver Palmer (St John’s College)

39

Martin Woodhall Durham University Badminton Club Captain

Table Tennis Club Durham University Table Tennis Club (DUTTC) have had a challenging yet successful year.

The women’s teams have been particularly strong with three promotions and a Northern Conference Cup victory.

The 1st and 2nd women’s teams won their respective leagues (Northern 1A and 2B), gaining promotion, with the 1st team going on to win the BUCS Conference Cup. The women’s 3rd team finished mid-table whilst the women’s 4th team also won the Northern 3B league. The teams were well coordinated by Kate Brocklesby, who praised Megan and Angharad Phillips, and Danielle Eden for some superb results throughout the year.

The men’s 1st team had a very strong start to the year, but unfortunately slipped to 4th in the Northern 2B league due to a couple of key players being unable to play. The top

Lara Small Durham University Squash Club Captain

Charles Bennett Durham University Table Tennis President

teams within the league are exceptionally strong sides thus the 1st team showed great promise going into next year. In particular, Florian Peter, Tristan Bauchet, and Christopher Yiu should receive particular praise for their consistently great performances and commitment to the team.

a vast improvement to their game. The connections made within the club have created a very strong unity between all club members. Looking forward to next year, there is a strong incoming executive and committee team; which means that for DUTTC they will be able to move forwards from an already successful and well established club. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the executive and general committee members and to those who have contributed to our successes this season. I look forward to next year and to see what exciting things can be achieved.

The men’s 2nd team had a challenging season in the Northern 2B league, finishing in 5th place; however they played several fantastic games, showing excellent commitment and good sportsmanship.

Nick Blake, who has served as the 2nd team captain, took on the responsibility very well, and performed well on the table. Furthermore, Tommaso Bernabo, Marcus Lam, and Drupad Parmar have all performed well for the men’s 2nd team.

Both on and off the table, DUTTC has had a fantastic year. Built on a foundation of great coaching, the players have witnessed

Table Tennis Executive Committee 2014/15 President – Charles Bennett (Collingwood College) Men’s Captain – David Torkington, Mens Captain (St Cuthbert’s Society) Women’s Captain – Kate Brocklesby (St Chad’s College) Treasurer – Dean Lo Seen Chong

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

40

College Sport Tom Newman College Sport Co-ordinator

As the 2014/15 college sport season drew to a close, it gave us the opportunity to reflect on what has been an absolutely outstanding year for sport at Durham University. This year saw the implementation of a brand new and fully online fixture management system for college sport, the training of over 150 volunteer umpires and officials and the second annual College Varsity competition against York, hosted for the first time at Maiden Castle. Our college sport participation figures this year surpass anything that we have managed to record in recent history. We have over 600 registered volunteer captains for our 600 regularly competing teams in sports ranging from Football to Ultimate Frisbee, all of whom contribute thousands of hours collectively towards ensuring that over 6000 students can compete in all levels of sport at Durham.

We are incredibly lucky at Durham in that intercollegiate competition is at the heart of what it means to belong to a college.

The dedication, respect and pride that students take in representing their college is certainly a sight to behold. College sport caters for participants at all levels – be it competing in the Football Premiership for the college A team, or in the friendly league for the K team (yes the K team) – there is something at Durham for everyone. Before

I go on to recount some of the highlights of the season, I would like to thank those who have contributed to this year’s incredible season: firstly, to Sophie Bingham – who has worked tirelessly to help coordinate the college netball season – organising umpires for a staggering 330 netball matches between 38 teams; Emileigh Clifford, who has overseen our college rugby season and has been exceptional; thanks also to Rebecca Rowe for coordinating the college mixed lacrosse league, not only scheduling fixtures and arranging umpires but also for training an umpiring workforce to help sustain the sport; to Rebecca Hillier for coordinating college badminton; Jeremy Raymond for his efforts in managing Ultimate Frisbee and last but by no means least, to James Harris for his management of the squash season. It is thanks to such dedicated volunteers and captains that our program remains stronger than ever and we will be forever grateful for their support.

I have been lucky enough to witness some absolutely brilliant moments in my position managing our world leading program, and it is incredibly difficult to pick just a few to describe in this year’s review. Our men’s football season alone saw the completion of 522 full length matches, spread across

5 divisions and 2 knockout cups. Having dominated the 2014 season, Collingwood College were unable to maintain their college football dominance – with the premiership going to the College of St Hild and St Bede, the Floodlit Cup to Josephine Butler College and the FA Cup style knockout competition to John Snow College for the first time in their history. The Knockout cup always throws up some great stories, none more so than Collingwood College’s E team making the semi-finals – taking out powerhouses St Aidan’s College and Van Mildert College on their way there.

In the women’s football competition, the premiership title went to Josephine Butler College. The prestigious Floodlit cup went to a well deserving Collingwood College side whilst the Knockout Cup was won by Josephine Butler College – completing the season double in what was one of their most successful season’s to date. Thanks must also go to our student referee society who appoint qualified referees to all 700 of our men’s and women’s college football matches throughout the season.

The badminton competition has been as strong as ever, with St Cuthbert’s Society coming out on top of the mixed league, Grey College topping the men’s league and Trevelyan College winning a very close women’s premiership. The men’s basketball competition was won very convincingly by Ustinov College who posted an undefeated season. Similarly, Josephine Butler College remained undefeated as they completed the women’s premiership in the top spot.

Moving onto our hockey competitions, in the men’s premiership, Hatfield College came out victorious after losing just one game in 14 league matches. Hatfield College’s women were equally dominant on the hockey pitch as they also came away with the premiership title. In the knockouts, Hatfield College’s men asserted their dominance and maintained the hockey trophy for the second year in a row.

In the women’s trophy, University College were victorious over a defiant Grey College in the final. This year we managed to train 30 new hockey umpires in association with England Hockey – these umpires will go

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

41 on to support our programme for years to come.

The mixed lacrosse premiership was dominated by St John’s College, who completed an undefeated season to win the title. Thanks must go once again to Rebecca Rowe for transforming the mixed lacrosse competition structure and encouraging a huge increase in participation.

The college netball competition was as hotly contested as it has ever been, with the premiership title decided by goal difference. The winners were the College of St Hild and St Bede, followed by Josephine Butler College who trailed by less than 30 goals. Collingwood College were victorious in the netball knockout competition, defeating University College in the final.

Thanks must again go to Sophie Bingham, not only for coordinating our second largest sport, but also for single-handedly training 40 new umpires in order to sustain the ever growing netball league structure.

One of the biggest stories of the season is the unstoppable Collingwood College rugby team. Undefeated in both the league and the floodlit cup, the Collingwood College boys conceded just 59 points and scored an astounding 439 points to ensure that no one could even come close to taking the title from them. They continued their dominance in the floodlit cup, taking the title from last year’s winners, College of St Hild and St Bede, in spectacular style.

The women’s premiership was decided by points difference and Milbut (a joint Van Mildert College and Josephine Butler College team) came out on top.

In the squash competition, St John’s College dominated the men’s premiership, whilst Collingwood College’s women posted a near perfect season, finishing at the top of the premiership for the second year in a row. The Ultimate Frisbee competition was very tightly fought and last year’s runners up, Grey College, secured an undefeated season to win pride of place at the top of the premiership.

term. Josephine Butler College were another undefeated side in the indoor league – whilst also representing Durham University in the BUCS indoor Northern Premiership – finishing an impressive 3rd. An idea of the strength in depth we have in sport at Durham. In the outdoor competition, St Aidan’s College came out on top, whilst in the tennis it was Collingwood College who came out on top.

The college cricket season has two parts to it, the indoor season which ran from January to March and the outdoor T-20 competition which ran during the summer

Aside from the league and knockout competitions, we host a number of standalone events at college level. In March, it was our turn to host the second annual College Varsity against our local collegiate rivals, York University. York University sent their very best collegiate athletes to Maiden Castle to compete against the cream of the Durham crop. After a brilliant day of competition, Durham managed to retain the College Varsity title, winning 62-30 on the day. The success of the event now cements it in the college sport calendar and we will return to York University in 2016 to defend our title.

The college sport programme also contributed a large amount of money for charity thanks to the annual Hill vs Bailey rugby match – won this year by the Bailey.

We also ran a Hill vs Bailey charity cricket match after the event’s success last season.

Combined, these events raised nearly £10,000 for Sport in Action Zambia; a fantastic achievement for all involved.

The annual College Festival of Sport took place on Tuesday 9 June; a beautiful day which saw almost 2000 participants

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

42 take to the fields at Maiden Castle in 16 different sports. The day was a huge success and could not have taken place without our partnership with sponsors Aldi.

We thank them hugely for their support of the event over the past three years.

Durham’s Purple Radio also provided live music and commentary on some of the major fixtures including the athletics finals which was a fantastic addition. At the end of an incredibly competitive day, Hatfield College came out on top, followed closely

by Collingwood College.

With the season having drawn to a close, the overall points table sees Collingwood College once again ahead of the competition, with over 3600 points and topping the intercollegiate points table for the fourth year running. After a successful College Festival of Sport, Hatfield College took 2nd place whilst Grey College finish an incredibly successful year in 3rd place.

As my time in Durham comes to an end, I take huge pride in reflecting on the past two years of college sport. I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to manage such a large and successful program and I am delighted that the role will continue after the successful appointment of next year’s College Sport

Coordinator, Sophie Bingham. I am confident that the program will continue to develop under Sophie’s leadership.

Finally, I would like to thank all those who have competed, coached, officiated and

volunteered as part of the program over the past two years; your dedication and selfless commitment epitomises what it means to be a Durham Student.

COLLEGE POINTS TABLE 2014-15 College

Points

Points Per Student

Adjusted Rank

Collingwood College

3629

3.070

1

Hatfield College

2605

2.828

3

Grey College

2528

2.781

4

College of St Hild and St Bede

2389

1.917

12

St Cuthbert’s Society

2353

2.101

9

Josephine Butler College

2104

2.520

5

University College

2006

2.349

8

St Aidan’s College

1944

1.994

11

Trevelyan College

1789

2.408

6

Van Mildert College

1690

1.593

13

St Mary’s College

1673

1.999

10

St John’s College

1406

2.992

2

John Snow College

1227

1.282

14

St Chad’s College

1184

2.373

7

Stephenson College

760

0.756

15

Ustinov College

665

0.518

16

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

43

Community Outreach Rhiannon Mehta Sport Development Officer

After the successful application for a ÂŁ207k Sport England bid for inclusive sport, the Community and Outreach team have been working hard to establish an exciting new programme. Working in collaboration with Durham County Council has enabled the project to maximise its impact through a hub site at Spennymoor Leisure Centre in addition to that at Graham Sport Centre.

Delivering sessions both in house and going into schools, community centres and day-care facilities across the county, the team is facilitating sport to support adults in the areas of mental health, learning disabilities and autistic spectrum disorder.

The acquisition of 3 new members of staff to deliver this project has brought with it fresh new ideas and a huge number of exciting sports.

The team have delivered a programme covering all bases with a mixture of open and closed sessions offered to people with sedentary to highly-energetic activity levels through a combination of 6-week taster

blocks to regular continuous classes. The exercise has covered the range with familiar activities: dog-walking, football and multisport as well as the less well known: Barre concept, boccia and New Age Kurling.

the club were keen to push further, entering Durham Small Boats Head and then going on to race across the division of J13 and J14 sculls in local regattas with Hexham, Durham and Talking Tarn.

On the strength of the network developed through this project, the team supported ParalympicsGB in the hosting of the annual national Sports Fest. This hugely successful event saw more than 550 people participate in 17 Paralympic sports, alongside meeting three local Paralympic athletes and discovering opportunities to further their sporting talent.

The stable quads have also been extremely valuable to a number of the adult outreach programmes. A growing number of local women have seen use of the boats, not just as a form of exercise but an opportunity to promote team work, communication, coordination and of course a little bit of friendly competition. After a similar progression, with use of the ergo gallery and indoor rowing tank, the women have had a number of outings in the quads. The confidence gained from these sessions has in fact meant that a number of the women have gone on to row in single sculls and consider taking up rowing and racing as a regular hobby.

As a consequence of thoroughly enjoying the 6-week Sportivate funded learn to row course, the Chorister School are on their way to fully establishing themselves as a boat club. Following on from the learn to row series, the school continued to support the children’s interest by enrolling on further coaching blocks. The University provided optimal facilities to gain plenty of experience and develop their technique with use of the 24-seat ergo gallery and the indoor rowing tank before hitting the water.

Two stable quadruple sculls which were supported by Sport England small grants have hugely benefitted programmes like this, where otherwise merely getting onto the water would have been a tremendous feat. Once they had a taste for the water

Another group which saw invaluable rewards from access to the boats were participants of the Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds programme. Autistic spectrum disorder restricts the awareness and interaction with others required in squad sculling and so these skills had to be developed in unconventional methods over an extended period of time. From an initial lack of confidence in getting on the ergometers, the group came a phenomenal

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

44 way to finally row on the river. To continue to support both social and physical benefits that the rowing offered the group, they have signed up to participate in blocks of new sports.

Local juniors got a taste for a number of lessconventional sports through a succession of 6-week learn to Sportivate funded sessions. The sports, including volleyball, rowing, archery, lacrosse and American football, provided a sporting opportunity to children who did not find the conventional curriculum sports appealing. Alongside introducing the sport, the university team volunteer coaches delivering the afterschool clubs, nurtured the children’s aspiration to progress in the sport. On the back of the interest and enthusiasm of coaches and the participants afterwards, the programme was replicated with a number of children’s groups. In fact it was so successful there seems a sufficient need for an after-school club and talk of a NorthEast league to meet the demand.

The acquisition of a new database to log activity has enabled a better insight into all the volunteer’s fantastic contributions, including giving a value to the number of hours completed.

Team Durham Community Outreach collaborated with the School of Applied Social Sciences to run a new third year module providing an opportunity to put academic studies into practice by working

in a professional sport environment.

Alongside gaining an insight into the administration, management and working structure of sporting establishments, the students have provided valuable support to developing local fitness organisations.

Students assisted with County Durham Sport, local school sports partnerships and in a local special school as well as across many aspects of the Team Durham programme.

A number of the volunteering projects have been so popular that there are more volunteers than demand. The dog-walking project, for example, saw volunteers teaming together to coordinate a Christmas dog show which attracted dogs from far and wide to the attraction of a Crufts judge. The event was a huge success with over 100 dogs participating. A few of the dogs then went on to assist with puppy rooms in colleges across Durham, as part of the ‘Stress…less’ campaigns, with over 600 students talking to and hugging them.

Continuing on its path of development, the holiday camps have been improving and expanding to offer more exciting opportunities for local children. Linking with other components of Experience Durham the camps now include music, theatre and canoeing.

Inspired by the success of the inaugural charity mini-mudder which the team ran in 2014, the local fire service was keen to support it as an annual event. The addition of their water dams and firehoses meant the event could be wetter, muddier and even more exciting than before.

2014/15 - A Sporting Review

Experience Durham

Team Durham wish to acknowledge and thank Official Photographers: Jed Wee (Essence of Light) T: 07968 064 001 E: jed@essence-of-light.com

Contact Details:

Chantelle Cumming Sponsorship, Mentoring and Alumni Development Executive Experience Durham The Graham Sports Centre Durham University DH1 3SE T: +44 (0) 191 334 2192 E: chantelle.cumming@durham.ac.uk

Visit our website: www.durham.ac.uk/teamdurham Durham University and Durham University logo are registered Trade Marks of the University of Durham. Unless otherwise stated, all material in this publication is copyright of the University of Durham. The University makes every effort to ensure that the information contained here is accurate. This publication is intended as a general guide to University of Durham’s facilities and form no part of any contract between you and the University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the University. Please note that the University’s website is the most up to date source of information and we strongly recommend that you always visit the website before making any commitments.

youtube.com/ teamdurhamtv

facebook.com/ teamdurham

twitter.com/ teamdurham