The Lion

The cricket season is coming

Judo claim medals 'My hobby is my job, in Sheffield it's brilliant!'

Joel Lamy meets cricket club captain Dan Murphy

Joseph Audley reports on a successful event

p9

p10

James Phillips meets the man in charge of Birmingham's hockey champions

p4

THE LION

REDBRICK SPORT

PER ARDUA AD ALTA

Issue 4 | March 2011

Double Champions!

Hockey girls claim BUCS gold once again Full report, p3

Birmingham prove their worth in the BUCS Championships Men's fencers battle to Men's squash team land gold medal on home trophy success in territory, p5 Sheffield, p12

Swimmers snatch trophy in Loughborough, p8

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THE LION

Editorial Information Executive Editor Samuel Lear Editors in Chief James Phillips Simon Hall Sam Price Deputy Editor Joseph Audley Art Directors Thomas Walters Beth Richardson

Photography Editors

March 2011

WELCOME TO THE LION

Millie Guy Freddie Herzog Editorial Assistant Victoria Bull Copy Editor Sam Langtree Front Page Photographs Tom Flathers Rita Toth

Published by Redbrick in association with and part funded by UBsport Designed and typeset by Thomas Walters.

Copyright (C) Redbrick 2011 Redbrick strives to uphold the NUJ Code of Conduct. The views expressed in Redbrick do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, the Guild or the publishers. If you find an error of fact in our pages, please write to the Editor. Our policy is to correct mistakes promptly in print and to apologise where appropriate. We reserve the right to edit any article, letter or email submitted for publication.

To contact us: Redbrick Guild of Students Edgbaston Park Road Birmingham B15 2TU

VPS Julz (far right) and his soon-to-be-successor Tim Smith alongside the Birmingham Lion Tom Flathers

0121 251 2462 editor@redbrickonline.co.uk sports@redbrickonline.co.uk www.redbrickpaper.co.uk Redbrick is printed through www.quotemeprint.com: 08451 300667.

Advertising: Contact Aimee Fitzpatrick in Guild Marketing on 0121 251 2524 or a.fitzpatrick@guild.bham.ac.uk

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Hello everybody, Welcome to this fourth edition of The Lion and what is certainly the best one yet. This is the first time we have expanded to 12 pages and been able to bring you the whole issue in colour. Once again it has been a fantastic year for sport at the University of Birmingham, with the women's hockey team providing the crowning glory by retaining their BUCS title. There was also a magnificent victory for the men's squash team as well as trophy success for both the swimmers and fencers. All of this is covered extensively in this issue but that is not all we have to offer. The badminton and volleyball teams did very well to reach the finals in Sheffield and the Judo team were also on top form, they are also featured on these pages. We also have exclusive interviews with first team hockey coach Phil Gooderham, Alex Scotcher, a member of the BUCS hierarchy and our cricket club captain Dan Murphy, ahead of his season. We should also take this opportunity to thank all the other University teams who didn't make the BUCS finals but have provided us with plenty to write about all year long. We hope you have enjoyed our coverage throughout this year, and we feel we really have taken the section forward. For now enjoy the issue, and look forward to another year of university sport!

James Phillips Simon Hall Sam Price @redbricksports

A warm welcome to the fourth edition of THE LION, a BUCS Championship special. I am ecstatic to announce that this edition marks an historical precedent for sports coverage at our University, as it is the first ever full colour edition for your enjoyment. What's more is that we have also extended the number of pages to this supplement, making it a third longer than ever before! This allows us to better share and acknowledge the achievements of our many sportsmen and sportswomen who take pride in representing us all, a tenancy objective I am proud to have delivered on.

I can go no further without congratulating all those who have competed in BUCS (British University and College Sport) competitions this past year. It is your dedicated efforts that continue to benefit all past and present students of our University. Our continued sporting success this year has served to enhance the reputation and prestige of our University, not only as a top three ranked institution amongst the 157 competing member institutions, but also on a global level; ensuring that the degrees that University of Birmingham students depart with will only rise in value and worth as the years

go by. It is testament to our unrivalled rank as the leading Russell Group University for sport that our students leave with a distinctive, high quality experience; an experience that sport has never more been such an important part of.

Reflecting on another successful championships for UBSport, there were many stand-out performances which deserve to be highlighted. However, it is the performance of our swimming club and their dedicated coaching staff that I wish to grant special mention, for they have embodied what the ethos of UBSport is all about. Through graft, solidarity and teamwork

THE LION

they have been able to overcome the unignorable facility constraints imposed on them comparative to rival universities, going on to capture first team silver and second team gold at this year's championships. This represented their highest ever finish and they ran close a world-renowned Loughborough team, whose individuals only a few months ago collected an impressive 20 medals from the Commonwealth Games.

However, it must be noted that there was perhaps nothing more satisfying than watching from the sidelines as our womens first XI hockey team ruthlessly disassembled with ease, from start to finish, a proven Loughborough team to retain their BUCS Championship title for a second consecutive year, a fantastic achievement.

I must, of course, sincerely thank the Redbrick Sport team, as well as the other Burn FM members of the newly founded Sports Media Group, for their tireless work over the last 30 weeks in providing you with first class, captivating coverage of sports news and contributing to a much wider interest in sport through our University. It is only through these selfless individuals that I have been able to make such notable advances on my headline pledges of 'awareness' and 'appreciation.' It has been a pleasure to work with Redbrick during my tenancy and the 12 pages of this publication demonstrate their talent and commitment to their craft aptly. I look forward to further celebrating the achievements of our students in person at this year's Sports Ball, ahead of handing over to the capable hands of your next VPS, Tim Smith.

Julz Adeniran

VP Sport vps@guild.bham.ac.uk

In This Issue

Swimming

Squash p5

p8

Fencing p12

THE LION

March 2011

The BUCS 'Invincibles'

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(l-r) Alice Sharp, Sarah Page, Elin Thomas and Jenna Woolven celebrate at the final whistle while goal scoring hero Sophie Bray embraces Hanah Richardson (no.19) Women's Hockey

Birmingham 1sts

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Loughborough 1sts

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Phil Shepka Sport Reporter

'Over the moon' was how coach Phil Gooderham described his emotions after he saw his women's hockey team take the BUCS Championship gold for the second year in a row, after a fine display against Midlands rivals Loughborough.

The win at the Abbeydale Sports Club in Sheffield ensures that Birmingham have maintained their unbeaten record for a second year, whilst demonstrating their dominance in the sport.

After knocking out Bath in the semi-finals two weeks earlier, there was a quiet confidence within the Birmingham squad before the match, but captain Sarah Page called for her team to 'stay calm and composed' in order for her side to reclaim the title. Birmingham, with eight junior internation-

als in their squad, looked to have the experience they needed to edge out their opponents.

For the Loughborough squad, this fixture came in a week where their league season would also be decided, with two huge matches either side of this final. Coach Jerome Goudie however, was in buoyant mood before the game, stating that 'the way we attack and defend as a team has seen us through so far in the competition' and that we should expect more of the same from his side as they sought to take the title.

The game opened in a tentative fashion, with both teams showing signs of early nerves in one of the biggest games of their season. As the game progressed, Loughborough's ill-discipline began to show as they conceded a number of penalty corners. However the holders were unable to take advantage of these opportunities, with keeper Helen Fagg pulling off a string of fine saves and defender Josie Inverdale blocking the ball on the line.

Loughborough were finding

it difficult to get out of their own half to create chances, leaving Birmingham goalkeeper Jennifer Mashford without a single save to make throughout the opening period. Loughborough's defence finally gave in with just a minute left in the first half. The goal came from a well-worked penalty corner taken

by Emily Atkinson. She played the ball into the centre to find Page, who faked a shot and passed it back to Atkinson to smash the ball in from a tight angle.

After the break, Loughborough came out fighting and began on the front foot. However they were unable to find a route through a strong Birmingham defence. Kate Maxey was then yellow carded for the East Midlands outfit, giving Brum an extra player advantage for a period. Shortly after this however, Loughborough had their best chance of the game when Sarah Jones was played through and crossed it in to a team-mate, but Katy Newton did well to block any attempt at the ball.

This came against the run of play, and Birmingham finally

Birmingham Team

made their pressure pay, after a defensive error led to Holly Payne picking up a stray pass and laying it on to Page. She was then fouled but took a quick free hit to find top goal scorer Sophie Bray, who with the goalkeeper bearing down on her, showed composure to slot the ball in.

After the goal, the Birmingham side looked in control of the game, spreading the play well to stay on the front foot. Loughborough's only shot on target throughout the match came from Maxey, which was blocked by the feet of Mashford. As the opposition pressed forward Birmingham secured the win on the break as Jenna Woolven played the ball across goal to Bray, who with a defender behind her and her back to goal, somehow managed to get a shot away through the legs of the keeper with only 90 seconds remaining.

When the final whistle sounded, the loud Birmingham following were sent into jubilation and the substitutes sprinted onto the pitch to celebrate with their team-mates at being crowned champions.

Loughborough Team

Starting XI: 1. Jennifer Mashford 2. Sarah Page (c) 7. Sarah Haycroft 11. Kirsty Dawson 12. Rebecca Condie 14. Elin Thomas 17. Sophie Bray 19. Hanah Richardson 25. Jenna Woolven 27. Alice Sharp 32. Emily Atkinson

Starting XI: 1.Helen Fagg 2.Rachel Arnold 5.Laura Bridge (c) 8. Sarah Jones 12. Giselle Ansley 14. Kate Maxey 16. Josie Inverdale 26. Holly Brown 28. Gill Boddy 34. Finnola Busbridge 37. Laura Evans

Subs:

Subs:

20. Holly Payne 24. Ann Griffiths 28. Abby Webb 35. Patricia Mccormick 37. Katy Newton Coach: Phil Gooderham

4.Sian Evans 9. Katie Hewitt 10. Hetti Murray 11. Rachel Malcolm Coach: Jerome Goudie

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Tom Flathers

After guiding his side to victory, a delighted Gooderham said after the match that 'this means everything to the girls' and went on to say that he 'couldn't describe how it feels to be unbeaten for two years,' a mean feat by anyone's standards. After working hard for the girl's side for six years now, he is finally beginning to see the rewards.

Before lifting the trophy, second year Geography student Page, who was also named player of the final, expressed her gratitude to those who had travelled up from Birmingham to watch the game, saying 'the support was fantastic and it really lifted the teams spirits.'

After taking her tally for the season to 18 goals, Bray summed up her team's day after saying it was an 'unbelievable feeling' to have claimed the gold and went on to say 'to have won it twice in a row makes it all the more special'.

Her side have now capped a great season off after winning the league title as well, creating a memorable year for the girls.

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March 2011

The Phil Good factor

THE LION

After leading the girls' hockey team to back-to-back BUCS titles, Phil Gooderham spoke to Sport editor James Phillips

Phil Gooderham Factfile Position: Ladies Head Coach at University of Birmingham.

Age: 51 Hometown: Wolverhampton Coaching history: 15 years with Cannock juniors.

Various county and divisional sides. Currently Wales U21 men's head coach and Wales senior women's indoor coach alongside Birmingham duties.

Tell me about your personal history in hockey‌ I played national league hockey when at Cannock, as well as at county and regional level. I was a forward. I loved it, it's what I love doing. It's what you do. It's my passion for sport. My hobby is my job, it's brilliant!

How does the men's game compare to the women's?

What are the main differences?

You can't really compare them.

The men's game is more physical as men are physically stronger and faster. You have to be very relative when looking at the two games.

The women's game is arguably more skilful. You have to teach the girls more intricate skills at times.

Is there any truth in the rumour that you might be leaving to focus on the Wales job?

No, my position with Wales is just in the summer so it runs alongside my work at the University of Birmingham. The England international coach is full time but Wales is a smaller country so it is not always paid with the under-21s. Only

the head coach of the senior squad is always paid. I wouldn't consider leaving Birmingham, I love it too much! We have a good group of girls, they're very dedicated.

What are the best things about coaching at the University of Birmingham?

To start with, it's my hobby and I'm getting paid for it! That's just amazing, it's brilliant! The girls in the squad are so dedicated and committed. They are a nice bunch to work with. The University treats me well too so I can't complain. It's a nice job, I'm very fortunate.

How big an achievement has it been to retain the BUCS Championship this year?

It's a massive achievement to win it again after last year. Everyone talks about second year syndrome.

But we've not just won it, we're unbeaten in BUCS for two years, that's 28 games, and we won it quite comfortably. It's absolutely tremendous.

Who are your most influential players and why?

Sophie [Bray] is influential due to the amount of goals she's scored (Bray was the BUCS top scorer with 18 goals). But that's an obvious thing to say because goals are noticeable. There are so many others, I could name the whole squad, they all do their bit. If we didn't all do what we did then we wouldn't win. It would be unfair to pick more individuals out. Sarah [Page] is a very good captain, but she's supported by the whole team.

What are your preferred tactics in hockey and why?

Formations are very similar to football. You can have 4-3-3, 4-4-2 or the old style 2-3-5. You can do anything really. The basics are similar

Phil talks tactics with the girls to football. We always play 2-3-5.

My outlook is attacking, the girls like it even if sometimes it means we concede. I like to be entertained and I want the girls and the crowd to enjoy the hockey. We always aim to get out there and get in the opponent's face.

What are the most important things you work on in training?

We work a lot on creating goalscoring opportunities because if you don't score goals you don't win games. We work on playing the ball from the back into the midfield and also from full-back to the forwards.

Whatever we need to sharpen up on really!

Do you expect Birmingham to

Tom Flathers

be able to dominate the BUCS Championship for a few more years?

I would like to think we will, looking at the players we still have and some that may be coming in. When you're successful it becomes harder because teams all want to beat you. Sometimes players don't want to come here because they think they won't get in the side! It's taken us six years to get here, and other universities could do the same. But we need to make sure we're always one step ahead!

When you first arrived, Birmingham had not won the BUCS Championship for over 30 years. How did you manage to instill a winning

mentality?

It doesn't happen overnight, it's over a period of time. I've had to get as much experience for the girls as possible and develop a culture in the club so whenever new players come in they are taught by the others. It takes a long time. There is no kind of magic beans. It's working hard, encouraging them and it's also down to their commitment.

They are governed by an attitude which is very professional.

Is it difficult to manage the team in the midweek BUCS matches and with slightly different personnel in the weekend league?

It's not difficult, for the same reasons I've mentioned already – they are such a good group! They all work hard and support each other.

The second team girls play at a high level too in the weekend league and it helps them develop further.

Finally, what has been your favourite moment as hockey coach at the University of Birmingham?

That's a very difficult one. Winning our first BUCS Championship last year or winning the play-offs to gain promotion to the Saturday premier league in March 2009. We scored 109 goals and only conceded nine that [Saturday league] season and didn't lose a game. It was a brilliant year but we lost to Leeds Met in the BUCS final. The past three years have been fantastic for us. In the Saturday league there are world class players at some of the clubs, not all just students. The standard is amazing. I wouldn't like to split those two, as they're both special.

If you said I had to choose one or you'd kill me then I'm afraid you'd have to kill me!

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Squash men crowned champions Phil Shepka and Matthew Sharpe were at the Munrow New Squash Courts on 12th/13th March for the BUCS finals

5

Captain's Corner Name: Alex Turner Captain of: Korfball

Who was your sporting hero growing up and why?

Nwankwo Kanu – I once met his brother (who incidentally played for the Nigerian volleyball team) and ever since I've loved him.

He is a true professional and a legend of the game.

What is your favourite film and why?

It has to be The Departed. I've always had a slight man-crush on Leo and the frenetic pace of this film is fantastic. Mark Wahlberg also has one of the best lines I've ever heard: 'Maybe, maybe not, maybe f*** yourself.'

The victorious team from left to right: Olly Dixon, Dan McGinn, Ali Mutch, Richard Shellam and Nick Hornby Birmingham's men secured gold at the BUCS Squash championships on home turf in remarkable fashion following a dramatic last game victory over Nottingham. The Sunday afternoon had begun with the men's second team beating Cardiff in the final of the knock-out trophy to add to the bronze medal won by the women's side the previous day.

The weekend of competition began with the women's semi-finals as Birmingham took on Leeds Metropolitan Carnegie. The two sides contested last year's final, with Leeds Met edging out Brum by a single point. This year then, the home side were out for revenge and began their task in bright fashion with Hannah Vaughan defeating Rachel Crowe comfortably by three games to nil. They soon found themselves in a commanding position after Georgia Jennings who, despite a stuttering start, regained her rhythm to take the next three games and open up a two-match lead.

Leeds Met then began to show their class as they initiated a stunning fightback lead by former world number one Vanessa Atkinson. Atkinson beat Jenny Tambyln in straight sets to go with a victory for team-mate Kirsty McPhee. This two-all scoreline meant that the match officials were forced to con-

sider points scored throughout the tie, and unfortunately for our girls Leeds Met had accumulated merely one more point, mimicking last year's heartbreak.

Nevertheless, the women picked themselves up to win a bronze medal, defeating another team of Leodensians in the form of Leeds University in the third placed play off.

Following the women's defeat, the men had the opportunity to make amends later that same afternoon in their semi-final clash against Manchester. Captain Richard Shellam got proceedings underway in a frantic game against Alex Lemon but ultimately was made to pay for too many unforced errors and subsequently lost the tie by three games to one. On court two meanwhile, Nick Hornby defeated Chris Sanders in three straight games. It was then over to Ali Mutch and Oliver Dixon to play twins Morgan and Kyle Hibbard respectively. In two marathon matches, both going to five sets, the Birmingham pair showed nerves of steel to see off their opponents and open up a 3-1 lead. The pressure was therefore off for Dan McGinn in the final game, but he nevertheless rounded off a fine day for the men by disposing of Anil Ram. Birmingham headed into the

final then full of confidence on the back of their victory. What was to follow was a match that could only be described as a classic. A pre match reminition of 'eye of the tiger' seemed to focus the home side and in particular Hornby, who continued where he had left off on the Saturday by overcoming a frustrated Jon Maloney in straight sets to put Brum 1-0 ahead. A rather interesting sub-plot saw Dixon on the opposing side to brother Tim, but they were not to face each other as Shellam entered his encounter with Nottingham's Dixon.

Despite a strong start culminating in some fabulous winners and high quality stroke-play, Shellam was unable to get the better of his opponent and Dixon fought back to eventually win by three games to one to level the final at one apiece.

A heated contest then ensued between Brum's Mutch and Andrew Widdeson on court one, both players getting increasingly frustrated with the match officials over the awarding of several points. An enthralling match saw Mutch edge out Widdeson to seal a 3-1 win, and after Nottingham's Simon Culver overcame Dixon in a marathon encounter, it was all down to the last game to decide the fate of the gold medal.

With the scores level at 2-2 in

Millie Guy

sets and 2-2 in games, the weight of responsibility lay with first year student McGinn, up against Oliver Wilding. It was again a match that you couldn't take your eyes off.

Hopes were high when McGinn won the first game 11-4, but shortly afterwards he found himself two games to one down and staring a silver medal in the face. However, relentless support from both spectators and team-mates seemed to give McGinn that extra ounce of energy he needed to finish the job.

An eventful last game saw him pull off some remarkable shots, showing fabulous agility and speed to reach several balls. Even a bang to the head via the racquet of Wilding was not enough to faze McGinn, and he went on to secure an 11-7 victory to spark scenes of delirium in the Munrow Centre and cap off a fantastic all round weekend for Brum.

He claimed afterwards it was 'the best experience I've had at university. The coach is so proud of us and I'm glad we've managed to continue the proud tradition that the University has at squash'. Teammate Hornby echoed the thoughts of match winner McGinn; 'It was so close but I'm proud of Dan, he did brilliantly, particularly considering he's a first year and these are his first championships'.

What is your ultimate guilty pleasure?

The fizzy cherries from Haribo Tangfastics. I see they now do them in bags all on their own?

When you are not playing or training for your sport, how do you like to spend your spare time?

I've taken Solihull Moors FC from the Blue Square South to League One in Football Manager, the aim is to win the Champions League before the end of university.

If you had £1,000,000 how would you spend it?

I'd set aside £100k for the Korfball club, its not always easy being a minority sport and we've got a lot of committed people that pay out of their own pocket to travel the country and play.

I'd use the rest to buy a ranch in Texas, and spend the rest of my life rustling cattle, fishing and brewing moonshine.

If you could go for a drink with any two celebrities/ sportsmen, living or dead, who would you pick and why?

I can never think of good answers for these questions...

Ewan McGregor – I watched The Long Way Round and it has inspired me to travel to all sorts of places I wouldn't have otherwise.

He seems a very genuine guy.

Sir Alan Sugar – I'm going to be graduating soon and I reckon it would take a few drinks to persuade him of my employability.

Where is your favourite place to spend a night out in Birmingham and why?

Snobs. It's an institution and I'm ashamed to say I've only been once this year.

Who is your favourite member of Girls Aloud and why?

Is it a good thing or a bad thing that I had to google them to see who they were? I'm going for the blonde one.

Stretching to make a shot (left) and the second team with their trophy (right)

Millie Guy

Joshua Reynolds

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March 2011

THE LION

Best shots of the BUCS Championships All photos by Tom Flathers except top left (Millie Guy) and bottom right (Rita Toth)

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March 2011

7

Badminton fall short in semis Men's Badminton

Birmingham 1sts

0

Loughborough 1sts

8

Women's Badminton

Birmingham 1sts

0

Leeds Met 1sts

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Joel Lamy

Sport Reporter

The University of Birmingham's badminton teams had a disappointing end to the season, with both falling at the semi-final hurdle at the BUCS Championships in Sheffield. The draw had been unkind to Brum, with the men having to face Loughborough, who had finished top of their league.

The women's team faced the unenviable task of fronting up to a Leeds Metropolitan Carnegie side who had won all eight matches in their league (including two whitewashes against the West Midlands outfit) and were twice-defending champions and heavy favourites to make it a third consecutive BUCS triumph.

As was to be expected, optimism was in short supply amongst the girls who were fully aware of their status as massive underdogs, but the men were slightly more confident. Second seed Mark Cappleman believed the team 'had quite a good chance' despite the calibre of Loughborough's players and coach Lorraine Cole (who also manages the women's team) added, 'they will all have to play at their best if they are to have a chance.'

The girls' team were up against a number of Malaysian internationals and struggled to deal with the variety of shots which they possessed. Leeds Met's top seed, Anita Raj Kaur was able to kill the shuttlecock dead with a number of incredible drop shots from all over the court, leaving her opponents in both matches with no answer. The

The Birmingham badminton team tried their best but it was to no avail difference between the single players from both sides was clear as in the four matches played, the most points Birmingham secured in any game was 14.

In the doubles, though, the West Midlanders were able to put more pressure on their opponents. Top seeds Alyssa Lim and Catherine Grant were 16-16 in the second game against Leeds Met's second seeds, but eventually succumbed 21-18 and Brum will be disappointed to have not won one of the four matches they played.

For the men it was a slightly

different story, as they were more evenly matched against their opponents and believed their best would almost certainly be good enough to secure a place in the final. On a couple of occasions they ran their opposition players close.

In the second singles match, top seed Richard Collier, despite a number of unforced errors, levelled his match against Loughborough's second seed Adam Ricenbach after two tight games, but lost form in the third and was beaten 21-5. It was this lack of consistency by the Birmingham team which fatally dam-

Total Points Won (Women's)

Total Points Won (Men's)

Birmingham 1sts

187

Birmingham 1sts

229

Leeds Met 1sts

336

Loughborough 1sts

351

aged their chances of progressing to the final as they were unable to mount a serious challenge against a strong Loughborough side.

Plenty of effort and determination was shown by the team, with players showing anguish at mistakes and Collier pulling off a number of spectacular dives which were not all in vain. A look at the scores in each match, in particular the doubles, showed that often they were close affairs but in the end Brum were just outclassed by the better team.

Overall, it was a disappointing day for the two Badminton teams, with neither side being able to win a match. For Cole there wasn't much left to say at the end, apart from to praise the efforts of the players. Birmingham, however, should

Rita Toth

be proud that both teams made the semi-finals, especially as they are unable to call on international players like other universities.

In the finals, Leeds Met asserted their authority by defeating Bath 8-0 in the women's event and Loughborough 6-2 in the men's to win both trophies. Birmingham, meanwhile, were left to ponder what might have been.

Did you know...

Leeds Met have won both the men's and women's events for the past three years

Pussycats' performance gives cause for cheer Luke Durston Sport Reporter

Many around campus will be familiar with the exploits of the Birmingham Lions American football team, but perhaps they owe some of their success to the Birmingham Pussycats cheerleading squad, who cheer every throw and every tackle with acrobatic, enthusiastic and unwavering support. Last weekend however, saw a dizzying reversal of roles as the girls themselves were thrust into the limelight at the annual British Open Cheer and Dance Championships, with the American footballers in the audience cheering them on.

Taking place at the NIA, this event would shatter any illusions people might have of ditsy cheerleading in American films; there was serious talent and athleticism on display as teams bid to outperform each other with spectacular flying stunts and complex dance routines. The Pussycats were placed in a challenging category containing both university squads and outside clubs, and according to captain Kaz Melvin, 'everyone was motivated to

prove themselves with the likes of Southampton and Loughborough looking the best they ever have.'

And that they did, banishing the nerves with a sharp and energetic first display which was only tarnished by a fall in the pyramid, an ambitious stunt involving the entire squad. Turning their attention to their second and final performance Birmingham were hoping to gain a high average score across the two displays and earn a top four prize.

Their chances looked good after a second performance described by Melvin as 'the best we have ever done', which proved fitting as it was the last performance of the year and for the third year girls it would sadly be their swan song for the Pussycats. However, despite 6.30am starts and ten hours of training each week culminating in two strong displays, the squad just missed out on a prize. Nonetheless, the girls should hold their heads high and will expect a good influx of freshers, so they can look foward to challenging the very best teams again in next year's championships.

The Pussycats show off their stuff in preparation for the competition

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THE LION

March 2011

Swimmers splash out on medals

Elsewhere at BUCS Matthew Brookland

UniSportOnline Correspondent

It was a triumphant day for the swimmers at Loughborough, coming second in the championship and winning the trophy Sam Price Sport Editor

Birmingham's first and second swimming teams put in memorable performances at the BUCS team championships in Loughborough on Saturday, finishing second and first in their respective divisions, which were their highest achievements to date and best ever finishing positions. The team came sixth overall in the competition last year, and long-serving coach Gary Humpage was hoping for better this time around. 'We've done very well this season. We have broken a few records and worked very hard in training, and preparation for this competition has been excellent', he said.

His confidence was not misplaced as Birmingham, from the outset, set a standard that would not be dropped as the competition progressed. There were fine performances all round in the medley discipline, especially from the women, who came second in both divisions' relay. Second team

swimmers Gina Deave and Jimmy Shen both put in stellar performances to finish second in the individual medley trophy finals, while first team medley swimmer Jennifer Jackson came back from a slow start to bomb home and secure second place in her race. As was to be expected, Loughborough were setting the benchmark in the first division, but Brum set about accumulating as many points as possible with a great show of consistency.

It was second team swimmer Sarraounia Samuels who first tasted victory for Birmingham after putting her rivals to the sword in the women's 100m freestyle, which was swiftly followed up by a flawless performance from Alessandro Lazdins in the men's equivalent to win by a mere hundredth of a second. Competition was hot in the first division, but the likes of Sian Evans in the backstroke, and Helen Cutler in the butterfly kept the points ticking over with impressive second placed finishes in both the 100m and 50m variations of their

respective disciplines.

The men tasted success in the 50m fly; Joe Marsh played his part in a titanic first division clash, finishing third, while in the trophy final Shen gained a deserved victory, a late burst just enabling him to touch in first. Phil Hodgson also managed to set a personal best, swimming 1 minute 52 seconds with a wonderful effort in the 100m fly. The final events were the 4x50m freestyle relays, and these races really exemplified the team spirit and consistency which were etched in Birmingham's display on the day. Both women's relay teams came second, while both men's teams finished third: providing vi-

Magic Number the girls' races 17 Incombined, Brum

finished second of eight in 17 out of 24 races!

Tom Flathers

tal points towards Birmingham's positions in the final standings.

Before the competition began, Humpage said he 'hoped for a medal', but the team exceeded expectations, performing as well as could be imagined. The second team tasted unprecedented gold, finishing ahead of Leeds and London, while the firsts saw off a high class chasing pack to finish second in the Championship, beaten only by the hosts Loughborough, who seem to be in a league of their own.

Club captain Christine Tooke said 'I'm ecstatic. We train for hours together and are all so close; this is definitely the best team we've ever had.' The team spirit and support did seem to be a key factor in the fantastic performance, which augurs well for the future of the club.

It is perhaps fitting to give Humpage the final word given his commitment to the team's progression: 'the emphasis has been on having fun, which takes the pressure off everyone. Today we were spot on from beginning to end

Matthews' men muster bronze medal Rob Padden

Water Polo Correspondent

The University of Birmingham water polo men's first team travelled to Walsall for the BUCS finals, bringing with them several vocal supporters. Having only been promoted to the top tier four years ago, this weekend was a culmination of many years of hard work.

The first game on the Saturday was against Bristol. Having already faced them in the first round, the team was confident that they could make amends for the previous loss. The match was incredibly tight with both teams looking for a good opening to edge ahead. The score remained even throughout the match with the goalkeepers at either end keeping their teams in the running with some spectacular saves.

It wasn't until the fourth and final quarter, with a bit of fatigue

A 12-10 victory over Cambridge secured bronze for Brum starting to set in, that Bristol managed to convert several extra-man situations and pushed into the lead by three goals. After a couple of excellent defensive displays Birmingham managed to mount an effective counter attack and got to

Rita Toth

within one goal of a draw. Several opportunities to level the game came in the dying seconds, however the Bristol goalkeeper again pulled out a string of saves and the game finished 9-8.

The second match was recog-

nised as being the hardest of the weekend, as Manchester were a solid side. This proved to be the case very early on as they stamped their authority on the first half, going up 6-1. There was real belief that after going down 10-7 to Manchester in the previous round that Birmingham could turn it around for a win.

Unable to capitalise on having an extra player for four minutes, Birmingham lost the game 17-9.

The final game against Cambridge on the Sunday would decide the Bronze medal position. The team were fresh from the previous day and were able to dominate the first quarter, going up 5-1. After many heart-stopping moments for the crowd, Cambridge managed to claw their way back to an 8-8 draw.

However the boys maintained their composure and in the last couple of minutes found the net several times to win the game 12-10 and claim the Bronze medal.

Sheffield was the venue for a week of entertainment as universities from across the UK competed in 19 sports for the chance to win an illustrious gold medal. In a brilliant start for the hosts, Sheffield won the men's futsal championship with the women's equivalent going to Leeds Met, after three days of fabulous competition at the England Institute of Sport (EIS).

In a scintillating men's football trophy final at the Don Valley stadium Portsmouth crushed Lincoln 7-3 with the women's title going to UWIC, thus setting the wheels in motion for the remainder of the week's action-packed sport.

Imperial College London proved too hot to handle in the fencing as they completed the double by claiming the men's and women's championships.

The table tennis provided an exhilarating couple of finals, which saw Nottingham destroy King's College London 9-3 in the men's whilst in the women's final Nottingham Trent saw off the attentions of Kent 3-1. Leeds Met reigned supreme in the badminton finals, winning all four of the gold medals. Sporting giants and hot favourites to win this year's BUCS Championships, Loughborough were also successful during the week: they eased to victory in the netball championship match at Ponds Forge defeating Leeds Met 68-37, and won the men's hockey championship, beating a spirited Durham side 2-1.

The lacrosse finals were heavily supported as surprise package Durham claimed an unlikely double to the delight of their travelling fans. Two games took place in the rugby league with the trophy and Championship games held at West Park RFU in Leeds.

Leeds Met 2nds edged past Sheffield Hallam in a close encounter that finished 36-30 and Leeds Met 1sts completed the set as they won the Championship final, battering Loughborough 38-18 in a physical game.

As the last day of the championships loomed, the competition became even more intense as the tennis finals reached their conclusions; a dominant performance by Loughborough saw them triumph in both trophy finals. A highly entertaining week was completed when Worcester secured a slender victory in the men's basketball final.

Matthew Brookland is based in Exeter and part of the team at UniSportOnline, a new website which uses student newspaper material from across the country to cover the world of university sport. Redbrick provide weekly articles to the site which you can check out at: www.unisportonline.co.uk.

THE LION

redbrickpaper.co.uk

March 2011

9

Cricket captain Murphy eyes promotion Joel Lamy talks to the cricket club captain Dan Murphy and finds out how the team is gearing up for the outdoor season...

Cricket has been in the spotlight recently thanks to the exciting, big-hitting and tight matches of the World Cup, which is well into the quarter-final stage. For Dan Murphy, club captain of the Birmingham cricket club, watching England lose a number of tight matches is a familiar feeling.

A couple of weekends ago, Birmingham's indoor cricket team suffered last over heartbreak in their BUCS final at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff. Despite being just one wicket away from inflicting defeat on Coventry and winning the trophy, they slipped to defeat with the penultimate ball.

For Murphy, it was a bitter pill to swallow after falling at the same hurdle the previous year. However, the third year, who is studying Sports Science, refused to be downbeat, admitting that 'although we were devastated, once we'd settled down we were massively proud.' The captain, despite having high confidence in his team, stated that, 'before the tournament we would have taken getting to the final' and the silver medals the team received are a worthy consolation prize. For Birmingham, to reach the final of the six-man tournament is another step in the right direction and for Murphy it was a personal triumph as he made 138 runs without losing his wicket over the three games.

The indoor game, though, is just a precursor to the outdoor season which starts next month. The cricket team has been training for the start of the season since the winter, even though they were still involved in the indoor tournament, in order to 'hit the ground hard.' They have spent the winter training at Edgbaston Cricket Club under the guidance of members of the Warwickshire coaching staff to make sure they are put through their paces.

Murphy appeared satisfied with

Brum's indoor team with captain Murphy, centre left the team's preparations but admitted that, despite having a strong middleorder (which he himself is part of), the side lacked a certain balance thanks to the loss of four players from last year in key positions, such as opening batsman, spinner and wicket-keeper. He said, 'the opener's spot is wide open for somebody to take' and that a number of first years have come into the squad who will push for places in the starting XI. When pressed, Murphy named Gareth Jones, a 'small, quick, skiddy bowler' who is a member of the Essex under-19 squad, as the one to look out for this season.

For Birmingham, who will be

led by James Shackleton in the summer, it is a big season as they look to bounce back from relegation to the third tier of the BUCS cricket league. In Murphy's opinion, it is clearly a false position for the West Midlanders and he stressed that 'we are definitely capable of playing at the level above.' The aim, I am repeatedly told, is promotion; nothing else would be acceptable. In his final year, it is obvious that Murphy is determined to end on a high after the disappointments of the last couple of years and leave the team in the Premier North B division where he feels they belong.

The cricket league is unique as

Hemish Ilangaratne it clashes with exams and often fielding full-strength teams is a problem for the University. Despite the first team being a match for most others, most of the time it is a struggle to find enough available players to take the field, even though the club has 70 members, one of the largest at the university.

According to Murphy, in the last game against Loughborough firsts last season, Birmingham had to field players from the fourth team just to get enough players to take on the opposition. This is an issue which clearly rankles with Murphy as the resources of other universities supercede his own, although he recognises

there is nothing he can do. Loughborough, for example, have their second and third teams in the same league as Brum's first this season and the top BUCS league consists of academy universities such as Durham and Oxford who have use of soon-to-be county professionals.

On the topic of Loughborough, Murphy replied with a straight bat when asked whether the rivalry with them would make their matches extra special. He acknowledged that 'obviously there's a rivalry,' but went on to insist that the team 'see each game as massive' as there are only five to decide who goes up. On his personal ambitions for his final season, Murphy replied that 'I want to score as many runs as possible' and followed that up by saying he would like to score a BUCS hundred as nobody managed to do it last year.

With not long left until his time as club captain is to be over, Murphy reflected on his period as part of the cricket team. It is clear he will take many fond memories with him into the future, but in particular 'the social aspect is definitely something which I've enjoyed the most' as members of all four teams meet up every week for activities such as pub golf and paintballing. This ties in to the relaxed nature of the sport, where members of both teams often meet up after the match to have a drink.

Murphy maintains that his involvement with cricket will not end any time soon. He is insistent that he 'will continue in the sport either as a player for the local club or in a coaching role as a sports scientist.'

Hopefully the team can fulfil the potential which Murphy sees in it with promotion and for the club captain, it would be made even sweeter if he were to end his time at university with a well-deserved century under his belt.

10 redbrickpaper.co.uk

THE LION

March 2011

Judo wrestle medals from Sheffield Joseph Audley Sport Reporter

Over 150 individuals attended the BUCS judo finals in Sheffield to compete for a medal in what proved to be a very successful day for Birmingham. Caroline Cross took the gold, Diego Scardone walked away with silver and Paul Koenig earned the bronze in their respective categories. The word 'judo' translates to 'gentle way,' but the competition was far from gentle at the English Institute of Sport as every fighter was keen to get their hands on a medal.

The martial art is split up into two categories, Dan and Kyu. Those that have obtained a brown or black belt fight in the Dan category and Kyu is fought at an intermediate level. A competitor wins by slamming his or her opponent to the ground or grappling them for 25 seconds. As brutal as it sounds, the sport remains very traditional.

Competitors must first bow upon entry to the mat, bow outside the square and then again inside it.

There are three judges that watch over each contest and a further two that keep score, so the sport remains very professional. Winners are deemed purely through the judges' opinion, meaning that respect must be maintained throughout, as shown by another series of bows when the competitors leave the square. With hundreds of fights in many different categories taking place throughout the day, judo is as much a test of endurance as it is of strength. Indi-

Diego Scardone (left) engaged in combat on his way to silver as Brum get physical viduals also have to look presentable whilst fighting, as the judges will bring a halt to the fight even if a fighter loses their belt.

The day started well for Birmingham as Caroline Cross won both her contests in the Kyu category to take home the gold. She performed a takedown, also known as 'ippon', on her opponent in both fights, which is an automatic win in judo. Cross was pleased with how much the judo team has grown in the past year but believed they have been affected by factors out of their control. 'We had no girls'

team last year and we don't have much of a boys' team this year', said the Brum fighter. 'We played in the Warwick competition recently though and won quite a few medals, so we're strong. Unfortunately injuries and finances have got in the way of success.'

Fia Barnes agreed and continued to explain that it's not always down to how well you fight, 'We don't have our coach here today because of financial reasons and that's a massive disadvantage.

Your coach can always see what you're doing wrong and help you

Rita Toth

focus on fixing it, so today we are having to look out for each other.

It's a really friendly sport though, and most people tend to help out where they can.' This became obvious when competitors from different universities were supporting each other and cheering on their friends that they had met in other competitions. Although judo focuses on highly technical combat, there remains a fantastic spirit within the sport.

Diego Scardone has performed judo for 17 years and felt confident at the beginning of the day. 'I'm

feeling good; we are improving in quality and strength. Our judo club is getting stronger every year. I really want a medal, but I'm not in an easy weight', the Brazilian said.

Scardone was dominant in his fights, two steps ahead of his opponent and winning with ippons in every fight. He marked his fourth appearance in a BUCS judo final with a silver medal which he thoroughly deserved.

Koenig took the bronze in his category, just missing out on the final through a decision that could have been avoided if the Birmingham coach had been present. Although the decision was controversial, the small team of seven were pleased to come away with three medals. Considering that other universities contained much larger teams, this is a great achievement for the team and hopefully provides a strong base from which the club can develop next year.

Brum's Medal Winners Caroline Cross Diego Scardone Paul Koenig

THE LION

redbrickpaper.co.uk

March 2011

Volleyball men struggle in last eight Stefano Goosey was in Sheffield to follow the men's volleyball team as they competed for a place in the semis It was a disappointing weekend for Birmingham's men's volleyball team who failed to reach the semifinals and finished seventh overall in the standings. Birmingham had reached the last eight of the competition and faced Sheffield Hallam University and Bournemouth University on Saturday with the outcome determining whether they would be in line for the semi-finals and a chance to win on Sunday.

The day kicked off with an early start for Brum as they lined up against a Sheffield Hallam team who were expected to be tough opponents, but a win was very much the target. Despite Birmingham winning the first point, Hallam raced away and won four points in a row, eventually leading to a time out called by coach Graham Fowler who was understandably unhappy with how his team had started.

Despite the team talk Birmingham didn't seem to improve as they fell further behind their opponents, losing most of their points due to unforced errors. Sheffield were excellent defensively as they blocked many shots made at the net leading them to increase their points total.

A short regain of points wasn't enough for Brum who ended up losing the first game 25-18.

Fowler decided to keep the same team for the second game but Hallam again started well with a 3-0 lead following some great serving by Matt Mills who was proving to be very difficult to defend against. However performances did improve for the Midlands team who looked more alive and reduced their errors. There was hardly anything between the two sides at 19-19 and Birmingham took a short lead after this for the first time in the match but Hallam were resolute and eventually won the game 25-22, confirming a 2-0 defeat for Birmingham.

It wasn't all over though, as another game was in the pipeline against Bournemouth who had won their first game against Loughborough. Andrew Isabirge and Peter Murray were impressive as they worked hard to defend shots from

11

Brilliant bronze for korfball in nationals Andy Davies

Korfball Correspondent

Jump-start: Despite Brum's best efforts the team left Sheffield with no silverware Bournemouth and overturn the passage of play to snatch points.

Bournemouth were making many mistakes but managed to stay just a few points behind before eventually losing the game 25-21, giving Brum a chance to win the match in the next game.

The southern side performed much better in the second game as they led early on, both teams showed their quality and skill but it was Bournemouth who were in charge as they lead 18-11 and seemed to have the game under wraps very quickly. Confidence had dropped for Birmingham and they finally lost the game 25-15, meaning it would go to a deciding game played up to 15 points.

The final game was exciting as there was very little between the two universities with Fowler's choice of substitutions giving the team some fresh ideas. Captain Carl Butcher was playing on top form and for a short while invigorated the rest of the team. Unfortunately, Birmingham failed to improve as Bournemouth took hold of the game and won 15-13 to clinch the match 2-1.

The weekend wasn't over for Brum as they still had their playoff game against Queen's University Belfast to play, which would determine seventh and eighth place in the final standings. Some of the benchwarmers were given an opportunity to play but nonetheless it

Rita Toth

was a game that the team wanted to win. It didn't take them long to put a foot in the game as they were in control in the first game and ended up winning 25-23. The second game was even closer as Queens pushed harder but in the end it was Brum who took the initiative to win 27-25 and take the tie 2-0 confirming seventh place.

Birmingham were clearly gutted by their early exit from the tournament and coach Fowler was disappointed: 'We expected to go through to the last four but in the end we didn't perform to our potential and you could see our confidence had fallen after the Sheffield Hallam match but we look forward to improving next season'.

Birmingham's korfballers headed to Nottingham on the 5th March as the number one seeded team and were eager to put last year's disappointing 5th place finish behind them.

First up was Lancaster who proved no match for a Brum side whose strong running game was equally matched with accurate shooting. The final score of 16-2 reflected Birmingham's dominance.

The other group games resulted in wins. Firstly against Edinburgh where the defence worked tirelessly to prevent good attacking positions. Birmingham booked their quarter-final place with an 8-5 victory over Leeds. Birmingham dispatched UEA 12-4 with a fine shooting display to book a place in Sunday morning's semi-final.

Standing in the way was Sheffield, a team which contained two England internationals. Birmingham kept them to one goal from open play but conceded 6 penalties. A final score of 8-3 was a hammer blow but there was little time reflect as a bronze medal match against St Andrews awaited.

With renewed belief, Birmingham dominated the game but only led by one with 15 seconds to go. St Andrews scored with virtually the last throw and sent the game into golden goal. Neither team could find the elusive goal and the game would be decided by the lottery that is sudden death penalties.

Matt Warren, Alex Turner and Jess Beale all held their nerve and converted for Birmingham. The third St Andrews penalty clipped the rim and rolled agonisingly wide bringing with it ecstasy for Birmingham and a BUCS bronze medal.

Karting club gaining momentum with solid championship showing Jack Nicholls

Karting Correspondent

A strong performance from Birmingham in rounds five and six of the British University Karting Championship saw them move up to 22nd in the overall standings.

The Llandow circuit in South Wales was the scene for a very successful days racing, as the team attempted to keep up the momentum gained last time out at Buckmore Park.

On a dry, sunny day, Graham Kirkby got the sprint races underway for the A team, driving a clean race to finish in 22nd position. Jin Shang was next out, and despite reaching a position of 25th early on, he ultimately finished the 25-minute race in 31st place. The next race would see Birmingham pick up their best result of the season, thanks to Dan James. He managed to turn a sixth place starting position into a second place finish, holding off the attention of the Southampton and Loughborough teams. The final race of the morning brought disappointment

for Jack Kilkenny, as he lost the back end of the kart coming into the tight sequence of corners before the end of the lap, while under pressure from Loughborough for eighth position. As a result he dropped down to 32nd place, but a spirited fight back saw him climb up to 19th position at the chequered flag, giving Birmingham a 25th place finish overall in round five. The highlight of the morning for the Birmingham B team was a very respectable 15th place finish for Dipesh Chudasama, which helped him and his team-mates Andrew Davidson, Alex Thornton and Matt Ratcliffe to a 45th place finish overall.

Round six took the form of two separate hour-long endurance races, requiring a mandatory driver change. Shang and Kirkby teamed up for race one, and their consistency led them to a 25th place finish. As at Buckmore, Kilkenny and James drove an excellent race to finish in fourth position at the end of their one hour race, which meant that Birmingham A were

Dan James holds off the pack on the way to 2nd place classified with a 19th place finish for round six. Birmingham B took a 34th place courtesy of Thornton and Ratcliffe in race one, and when Chudasama and Davidson were behind the wheel they finished 33rd in race two, narrowly ahead of rivals Aston University.

Birmingham A finished 19th at the end of the 2010 season, and

with strong performances like this it's more than possible they can match and even eclipse that result come the end of the season. The next races will take place at Jenson Button's home track of Clay Pigeon on 30 March, and promises to be another exciting day's karting with Brum looking to continue their improvement.

Alex Thornton

Did you know...

The karts are the fastest available to the public and get to 60mph in 4.5 seconds, the same as an Aston Martin DB9!

12 redbrickpaper.co.uk

THE LION

March 2011

Fencers go Potty after trophy victory Men's Fencing

Birmingham 1sts

130

Kent 1sts

115

Dave Rudge Sport Reporter

After a torrid last season in which they lost all their matches and were relegated from the BUCS Northern Premier, the men's first fencing team finally have something to cheer about. Birmingham skipper Tom 'Potty' Potterton led from the front as his side won first the sabre round, then the épée, before sweeping to a 130-115 overall victory over Kent's firsts to clinch the BUCS Trophy.

Before a blow was even struck, Birmingham's Luke Frostick was yellow-carded for not bringing functional equipment to the piste.

But this did not prove to be a bad omen as he overcame an aggressive display by Kent's Christian Thorley in the opening sabre bout.

Laurence Reid then scored some neat cuts to the mid-section of Kent captain Aaron Kwan to increase their lead to 10-4.

Up stepped the bullish Potterton. He struck five consecutive blows to dismiss Ian Pinnock in a flash. Frostick laboured somewhat in his bout with Kwan, but eventually came out on top to make the overall score 20-8. And although Potterton could only tie 5-5 against Thorley, Birmingham maintained their early lead and looked good value for it.

Reid used his speed advantage to get the better of Pinnock. And Potterton silenced the increasingly vocal Kent support with a superb display against his opposite

2

Magic Number Brum recorded two perfect bouts on their way to victory

number, Kwan. Pinnock did well against Frostick but could do little to stem Brum's lead which stood at 40-25 heading into the final sabre bout.

In this gruelling encounter, Reid struggled against a defiant Thorley, missing with several strokes and incurring a plethora of ripostes. Thorley brought the arrears to within nine points, but Reid held firm to preserve Brum's double-digit lead heading into the épée round. When the buzzer went, a relieved Reid sank to his knees.

After the interval, Birmingham's Tom Parkin showed technical supremacy to out-fence Pinnock 5-3. Then Greg Carty registered Birmingham's second perfect bout of the afternoon, employing his long reach to devastating effect against Kwan. Thorley managed to inflict seven blows against Potterton to keep his team in with a shout at 60-45. But in the next round Parkin had Kwan back-peddling in confusion, picking him off at range to restore Brum's ascendency.

After Potterton conceded six straight points to Pinnock, he cried to his team-mates, 'for God's sake, shout at me!' They responded in kind and the rot was stopped at 67-53 before the timer came to Brum's rescue. Frustration got the better of Carty as he went down 7-4 to Thorley and a contest which the Midlanders had seemed to be bossing now looked wide open at 70-61.

But Potterton stepped up to the mark again, striking back against Kwan. Parkin kept up his 100 per cent record, finishing Thorley with a precision blow to the chest. And Carty overcame his earlier wobble, abruptly ending a confrontation with Pinnock to take the overall score to 90-70.

Birmingham needed just 25 points to be assured of victory, and they made a perfect start to the foil round with Mike Baillie's 4-2 win over Kwan. Potterton maintained Brum's momentum, landing three rapid blows to Quadri Edoardo, leaving the Kent bench flat and dispirited. Thorley continued his

Potterton shows passion for the cause as Brum's consistency wins out on the day one-man resistance against Matthew Fitzsimons, but he was fighting a losing battle.

Fittingly, it was Potterton who scored the winning point (against the stand-out Thorley). In a celebration reminiscent of Maradona '94, the Birmingham captain lived up to his moniker, running to-

wards his players, screaming like a man possessed. Kent went on to take the foil round 45-40, but it was small consolation, and Birmingham's win, in the end, was comfortable.

A triumphant Potterton described the trophy as 'the icing on the cake' to a wonderful season.

Tom Flathers

Sadly, the Brum skipper revealed this was his last game for Birmingham, but he has total confidence in the 'core' of players he leaves behind and backs them to reclaim their place in the top-tier of university fencing at the next time of asking.

BUCS Champs go from strength to strength

Matthew Sharpe put the questions to Alex Scotcher to find out more about British University & Colleges Sport Alex Scotcher

BUCS Head of Communications, Commercial and Marketing How was BUCS formed?

Initial ideas were discussed in 2006 in terms of how BUSA (British University Sports Association) and UCS (University College Sport) could combine their expertise in order to create a better organisation. It was eventually formed in June 2008 and has gone on to be quite successful.

How did you get your job?

I came across it after I had been a student. Having been a student (at Loughborough) and been very involved with sport, I was very aware

of BUCS and felt that joining them would be a great opportunity.

Are you enjoying your job?

Yes, working for BUCS is a great opportunity to work together to improve the student experience through sport. It can be busy at times but also very rewarding when you know that you are helping out thousands of students.

What have BUCS been up to this year?

We've had a very busy year, as ever catering for thousands of students.

The recent championships saw 19 sports played over seven days of competition as well as the rugby finals being held at Twickenham.

We've also been recognised this year in the fact that the BUCS athletics championships are being used as a test event for the Olympic Games, which is again a very exciting prospect for everyone involved.

To have the students knowing that they will be running on the same track as great athletes like Usain Bolt is something which will hopefully inspire them.

Have BUCS got anything exciting planned for the future?

Not specifically, but to continue to successfully cater for university students through various BUCS events and help provide a great experience for them. We want to try and stick to our aims of improving the quality of sporting experience for students and staff, create a sustainable future for sport at university and try and help deliver worldclass athletes and infrastructures.

58 per cent of the Beijing Olympic GB team came through higher education and it's great to know that universities can contribute such a large amount towards success.

What is your particular role in the team?

As head of communications, commercial and marketing, my role is looking at things from a commercial perspective, working with sponsors and selling rights. Any money generated by BUCS is invested into student sport, as BUCS is a charitable organisation. We communicate with 158 universities letting them know where and how the money is being spent.

Is there anything else interesting you can tell us about BUCS? As well as the fact that the BUCS Championships are being used as the Olympic test event, BUCS has a new sports development team which feeds into BUCS' broader mission. It does this by improving the number of students who can get involved in sport, for example we are working on a disability programme with Disability Sports Officer Dave Padgen to try and get a championship for people with dis-

abilities.

What advice would you give to up and coming athletes?

Use BUCS as much as you possibly can, take advantage of any of the competition and development opportunities they offer. The sports village set up offered is very important and helped me a lot when I competed at the World University Games.

How do you think your sporting experiences have helped with your job?

Having good experience in sports makes you very employable. I think there are a number of key qualities such as discipline, good time management and a strong work ethic which can all be picked up from sport. It has also helped me learn how to reach my potential and the rewards of doing so.