Roses: by a non-sportsperson

Now, I haven’t been before, and despite the fact I have never taken part in college or uni sports, some of my closest friends have. So, off I went on Sunday to cover the last day.

By 4pm, I was, along with everyone else in the crowd cheering along and on an adrenaline high as Jo lifted the Carter James trophy aloft.

At 10am, it was raining. We were in the lead. I was tired. However, the coverage was going well and we still had coffee running through us. I was quietly content but not swept away. Yet by 4pm, I was, along with everyone else in the crowd, cheering along and on an adrenaline high as Jo lifted the Carter James trophy aloft.

What had changed?

Well, the atmosphere: it was genuinely incredible. The camaraderie between teams. The way that the football boys cheered on the football girls. The lacrosse team supporting hockey, and the way that for a period of 30 or 40 minutes there was a buzz on the archery field as they knew that they could have settled the whole tournament.

The other turning point was that I was stood next to Alex Lacey and Matt Knight, AU President-elect and Tournament Secretary, as it was confirmed to them that we had won. Both were speechless, and the emotion that showed made me realise what it meant to be involved. It wasn’t just the glow of organisers who had seen an event run smoothly; as sportsmen, as York students, they were thrilled.

But what about the downsides? Well there were the usual complaints about certain teams' behaviour. One player claims to have called the police after they wouldn’t be quiet and let them sleep. There were complaints that the mixing of spectators and players together in halls just didn’t work.

If you aren’t in the know, sports teams mix into lecture halls to sleep. It’s not divided by who’s playing, so some players are kept awake by those who have a night off and vice versa. However, this is known beforehand, and can, I guess, be avoided.

But how did the day go? Well, I’ve seen more of the rugby boys than I care to admit (well at least whilst sober). However, I quite liked their antics. It was light-hearted, it was in jest, and they were relatively harmless during the day. Seeing a naughty nurse run onto the pitch to offer his assistance to a Lancaster player who was down injured lifted the tension and raised chuckles on both sides of the Pennines.

What did impress me was the effort given by each and every member of every team. Whatever the arguments raised yesterday by a certain Mr Sneddon, whether or not you’re a football or rugby groupie or you’re a fencer, they all counted.

The matches I watched were full of passion and enthusiasm, and to see Jo Carter and the AU Exec there, feeling every kick, hit and pass for the teams was impressive. It was evident in Jo’s face, not only when she lifted the trophy, but in the moments after she showed what it meant to her, and that was echoed in each player who stood around us caked in mud, sweat and in some cases, blood.

Whilst I expected the day to be hectic because of our coverage it was actually hectic because by the time it had come down to the last matches, I was biting my nails and trying to pass on updates to the Canoe team to keep them in the loop.

York is a pretty diverse campus, akin to the set of 'Mean Girls', you have every social group under the sun, as well as societies, groups etc. Over the weekend, everyone was supporting every one.

If that’s what it can do to me, who can usually keep quite a good distance between my reporting and what I’m watching, then what would it do to the rest of York’s students? York is a pretty diverse campus, akin to the set of Mean Girls, where you have every social group under the sun, as well as societies, groups etc. Over the weekend, everyone was supporting everyone.

And as your future AU President said: “Every sport counted, and that’s how it should be.” The question I asked myself was would I go again? Yes. Would I recommend the experience to even the least sporty of York’s finest? Most definitely.

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