One of the fastest-growing sports across England in recent years, women’s football, has become increasingly popular among students at London universities. Compared to men’s football, however, it is clear that there is still a long way to go before the sport even approaches equal levels of engagement. According to British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS),…
Societies
Baseball: American pastime or international sport?
Matt Waller
Baseball is a sport that has struggled to establish itself within British universities. While there are a number of teams in London that compete within British Baseball Federation (BFF) leagues – notably those of the London Mets and Richmond Baseball & Softball Club – there has never been a sustained, widespread outlet within universities for…
Societies
KCL and UCL prepare to battle it out for Varsity
George Jackson
The London Varsity season is upon us. Boots are being scrubbed, hockey sticks re-varnished and fencing foils sharpened. Students, it’s time to discover your rivalry with those up on Gower Street or down on the Strand. This year there are more opportunities to get behind your university than ever before. Traditionally, the varsity consisted of…
Societies
Anticipation mounting for London Ice Varsity match
George Jackson
Imperial Devils will take on the UCL Yetis in the now annual ice hockey contest. Last year, the Imperial Devils subjected the UCL Yetis to a heavy 7-3 defeat at the Brixton Ice Rink. This time around, at the Streatham Ice Arena in South London, they hope to repeat their victory against a confident UCL…
Societies
American football’s foothold in Britain
Matt Waller
American football has a growing foothold in British culture and one that is rooted in London. As a sport that combines complex strategy with raw physicality it has established a diverse and rapidly expanding UK market for the professional game. The Seattle Seahawks’ recent victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVII marks the…
Societies
Canoe polo - ULU’s less well-known sports club
George Jackson
You might have heard stories about the antics of the ULU rugby team, or perhaps read about ULU football’s recent successes. Maybe you associate ULU only with cheap jacket potatoes and not at all with its sports clubs. In either case, information about ULU’s canoe polo club may well have passed you by. The sport…
Societies
Too big to scrum: will rugby’s new rules affect the game?
Rob Thompson
The International Rugby Board have introduced new scrum laws for the start of the 2013 season. But what exactly has changed in the letter of the law, and how will this affect the game? We’ve moved from the somewhat laborious ‘Crouch, touch, pause, engage’ to a supposedly safer, more consistent ‘Crouch, bind, set’. With packs…
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Profile: UCL surf champion, Íarom Madden
Nicholas Winchester
A surfer from University College London has won the 2013 BUCS Surf Championships held recently at Fistral beach in Cornwall. Íarom Madden, a 2nd-year Theoretical Physics student, beat over 200 competitors in less than perfect conditions to take the 2013 Men’s event. The competition, attracting surfers with a range of abilities, has grown over the…
Societies
London footballers thrash Oxford 3 - 0
Alex Polunin
The University of London Union Football Club – comprising all of the London colleges – enjoyed a comfortable start to the season, thrashing the University of Oxford 3-0 away from home. The match got off to a fiery start, with a few early challenges of considerable venom. The University of London nonetheless enjoyed a healthy…
Societies
ULU Polo - a brief history of horseplay
George Jackson
Paddington Station. Cars pile past and buses pull in from the Edgware Road. Individuals hurry towards the platforms and the tube lines. A group of students gather on the westbound train out of the city. They are going to play polo. From the heart of urban London, they are heading out into the Berkshire countryside…