Sport is in the genetic make-up of all humans. Since our prehistoric origins where speed and strength were paramount, there has been a drive for self-development to both self-satisfy and also to inspire and impress others. Even at university, a hive of high-level intellectual and academic activity, there is still a yearning in us for the gladiatorial combats of yesteryear to subconsciously relive the community sense of tribalism.
Perhaps more pertinently, the most salient goal of many of our peers at the University of Nottingham is to beat Trent. Our Varsity Series provides annual one-off matches that matter above all others in the BUCS leagues and provide a more intense satisfaction in victory. It is obvious why most universities have adopted the varsity model since its original use in the classic and globally-famous clash between Oxford and Cambridge.
The word ‘varsity’ stems from an alteration of the latter three syllables of the institution known as the ‘university’
The word ‘varsity’ stems from an alteration of the latter three syllables of the institution known as the ‘university’. The evolution of such series may have bred from the envy towards our American peers with their populous stadiums and blanket media coverage of such events. The first recorded match was an Oxbridge cricket event in 1827, followed shortly by the Boat Race. This particular series has continued ever since with the only breaks occurring during the World Wars and now encompasses over thirty sports at almost every university in the country. This cumulative event spawned many pretenders in the forms of: the London Varsity (UCL vs KCL), the Roses (Lancaster vs York), the Christie Cup (Manchester vs Liverpool vs Leeds) and dozens of others including our own battle for the city of Nottingham.
The importance of each varsity faction to its constituents is further highlighted by the willingness of many student unions to invest more into hiring more prestigious venues for certain events than those used for week-to-week inter-university matches. The London Varsity rugby plays out at Twickenham Stoop (the home of Premiership rugby team Harlequins), the Leicester Varsity at Welford Road (Leicester Tigers) and the Stan Calvert Cup between Newcastle and Northumbria University at the 12,000 capacity Gateshead International Stadium. This phenomenon is no different in football where the Oxbridge Varsity is often at Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage and used to be played at Wembley.
Each sport is of equal importance, from ultimate frisbee to taekwondo, as opposed to the old stalwarts of rowing, rugby and cricket
An interesting disparity between the different series is the length of time and the number of events that make up a ‘Varsity Series’. One of the most exciting models and one which never fails to capture the imagination of the majority of spectators is that of the Lancs-Yorks ‘Roses’ competition in which all 43 sports compete from the Friday to the Sunday of a given weekend and the trophy is presented on the Sunday evening. Alternatively the Bristol varsity (Bristol University vs UWE) takes place over a six-month period which slowly builds tension over time but momentum from sport to sport is difficult to maintain. Whereas individual events used to decide annual bragging rights, the general trend is towards a cumulative tally of all sports, no matter how few (e.g. there are only 13 points on offer in total for the London Varsity). The benefits are such that each sport is of equal importance, from ultimate frisbee to taekwondo, as opposed to the old stalwarts of rowing, rugby and cricket.
There are many logistical problems with staging such all-encompassing series. Where universities are not that close together geographically, often fixture dates are at the whim of the home side, providing a monumental advantage with regards to allocating fixtures so as not to coincide with their exam periods. This also guarantees a very partisan, oppressive, cauldron-like atmosphere for the away side. Combined with this, many universities are merely much larger or have a longer, richer tradition of sporting excellence than other institutions. Edinburgh University has three times as many students as St Andrews and usually goes into each Scottish varsity rugby match as the clear favourite. However, as we know in sport, victory is not always so simply guaranteed. Loughborough and Bath universities were ranked no.1 and 2 respectively for university sport in The Independent’s ‘Complete University Guide’, and their justified reputations as sporting powerhouses mean they travel 150 miles every year to partake in a varsity series that will prove competitive for them. This specific match-up hints that the most compelling rivalries need not require geographical proximity as a prerequisite.
Where universities are not that close together geographically, often fixture dates are at the whim of the home side
Varsity sport is on an upward trajectory in all aspects, whether it is the number of sports, universities competing, attendances and also the calibre of venues hosting these events. It is plain to see that the appetite for such a festival of sport is stronger than it ever has been. With more sports being added to each series every year it is giving greater numbers of students the chance to at least get the sense of the passion of sporting competition at a more professional level. The thirst for these spectacles appears, at present, unquenchable. Long may it continue.
Stephen Kenny
