Sport at Magdalene - Alive and Kicking!

News from the MBC

By Will Reis (2013), MBC Captain of Boats

2016/17 is set to be an incredibly exciting year for MBC, with the May Bumps in June providing a very solid platform from which to push off. Last year saw 1 in 5 members of College row for at least one term, and a large proportion of novices continuing to row after Michaelmas resulted in a phenomenal nine crews training and competing in Easter. The Mays campaign finished with each of the six qualifying crews making at least one bump, W1 being awarded blades whilst gaining and cementing their place in the first division (adding to the blades won by M2 in the Lents campaign), and the Club going up twelve places as a whole.

The committee’s plans for this year involve raising MBC to a level on which “everyone knows everyone” in both training and socially. As well as learning to row in their own crews, novices have been out on the water with senior crews throughout Michaelmas learning quickly what it is like to be part of a well-balanced and experienced team. Off the water, we are enjoying the lack of divides between senior and novice, Men’s and Women’s sides, JCR and MCR. By encouraging a Club and College-wide friendly atmosphere, MBC is becoming more and more a central part of College life regardless of age, gender or experience or even whether you row or not!

Magdalene was by far the best represented College on the riverbank in the May Bumps, with over a hundred students, fellows, and alumni enjoying the refreshments at the marquee with Lady Williams. Many students who didn’t row or cox last year were inspired by the May Bumps to get in on the action and novice this autumn. This will hopefully lay the foundations for what will be successful 2017 Lents and Mays campaigns and the future of the Club in years to come.

MBC will also be entering a far greater number of local and off-Cam regattas and Head races over the coming year, with an aim to give members a far broader experience of rowing than staying on the same old stretch of river during their time in Cambridge. Support from alumni at these events will be an excellent way for previous members of Magdalene to don the College colours again and meet and exchange stories with the competing crews – keep checking our website and social media pages for updates on upcoming races and results!

For alumni interested in supporting the Club on a more regular basis, the Friends of Magdalene Boat Club has recently been thoroughly rejuvenated – over 30 MBC alumni returned for the Mays Dinner, including a complete reunion of the 1996 M1 crew. FoMBC will be organising regular gatherings as well as entering alumni crews for races throughout the year for members past and present to enjoy what was, is and hopefully will be for some time an integral part of College life.

For more information on becoming involved with the Friends, please email or write to me at the College address – I very much look forward to hearing from you. Dates for your diary: Lents Dinner 4th March, 2017 and Mays Dinner, 17th June, 2017

It is an honour and a privilege to be captaining the club in a period of such sporting success and am sure we are just taking the first few strokes into an era of Magdalene being a force to be reckoned with on the river.

Email: magdalene.captain@cucbc.org; www.magdaleneboatclub.weebly.com; www.facebook.com/magdaleneboatclub; www.friends.magdaleneboatclub.co.uk

Eton Fives

By Annie Cave (2014), Captain

Perhaps less well known at Magdalene is our Eton Fives court. Tucked behind our Mallory accommodation in the Village, the Eton Fives court is a unique addition to College life, both within Cambridge and the UK.

Invented by a group of schoolboys at Eton in the late 19th century, Fives originated as a game played against the buttress of Eton Chapel, hence the court’s slightly bizarre shape. Imagine squash, played with your hands rather than a racquet, on a court with ledges, steps, and protruding walls, and you essentially have Fives.

Since then, Fives has only continued to increase in popularity; it is no longer exclusive to public schools, but many comprehensive and grammar schools now compete in major tournaments.

As a result, the sport no longer has the air of exclusivity, which may have cloaked it closer to its genesis. The Cambridge University team is testament to this change, with it being a real mix of complete beginners and those who came to University having never heard of the sport.

Whilst originally the Magdalene court was the hub of Fives at Cambridge, the new courts at the sports centre are now the location of our official team coaching. However, the Magdalene courts are still integral to Fives, being used on a weekly basis for more relaxed training, with the more central location a major attraction in the cold and dark winter months.

Being a small sport, Colleges don’t have their own Fives teams. However, Magdalene students have always made up a hefty proportion of the University team, since the court means Fives is ridiculously easy to try out and get involved with. All you need are gloves, balls, and a court; being at Magdalene this is all on our doorstep.

The New Thundercatz – Ultimate Frisbee

By Séan Herron (2015), Captain & Jason Woodruff (2015), Captain

Do you like running? Do you like throwing things? Do you like running while throwing things at people or having things thrown at you? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions then Ultimate Frisbee is for you, and at Magdalene, our team – the New Thundercatz – now have a larger presence than ever before.

Ultimate is a fast-paced, exciting team game played with a flying disc and no referee, depending on the friendly spirit of the game to settle disputes according to the rules. The offensive team attempts to pass their flying disc up a roughly 100-metre pitch, aiming to have a player catch it inside an “end zone”. The defensive team attempts to mark players and block or intercept the disc, resulting in a change of possession in which this team will now attempt to attack the opposing end zone.

With no shortage of scope for strategy and skill alike, Ultimate is a game that is easy to learn but perhaps impossible to master. Many spend years practising that perfect long-range throw, others just enjoy diving on grass for a crucial game-winning catch.

Most people are new to Ultimate, resulting in a low-commitment, welcoming environment that is easily accessible to all. At Magdalene we have training sessions once a week and play a match every weekend in the College league, which has a competitive but friendly atmosphere. We are a multicollege team (currently with a Magdalene and Catz bias) and so are also a good way to meet people outside college. The team also regularly holds pub meets and other social events throughout term. Hope to see you at a training session soon!

www.magd.cam.ac.uk