Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
Following on from a rivalry that began with the war of the same name, Roses brings out the best in our sporting performances, and some interesting actions in the area of our sports teams’ social conduct.
While most clubs will simply be drinking to a level that rivals most alcoholics, others will be indulging their free-spirited side with a display of nakedness to rival soft-core porn. Whether it is in a club at the end of the night or on the field just before their match, certain outdoor sports teams are bound to bring their fleshy selves to the proceedings. Keep your eyes open across the playing fields this Roses weekend for an almost inevitable demonstration of the REAL male vulnerable side.
It is not an event from which you cannot escape; it is an event to which you are drawn.
Despite the over-enthusiasm that can cause inappropriate behaviour in many of our sportsmen (and women), the whole weekend still attracts people to the proceedings with its excitement and all-encompassing sense of team-spirit. The true joy of Roses though, lies in there being something for everyone. The sports seen during Roses weekend originate from a huge variety of places of training and practice; from the dancehall to the dojo, from the river Ouse to the Rossendale ski centre. Every sport that is done at York, or participated in by people at York, whether it is something as usually unobtrusive as darts or as brash as rugby, is played during Roses. Even those sports that lack an opposing team from Lancaster, such as kendo and karting, are still given their chance to shine. They take the opportunity to present demonstrations that they would otherwise never get to perform, to an audience increased simply by the presence of Lancastrians in our little area of the world.
Roses captivates everybody who is even mildly interested in university spirit, and brings them into a long weekend of cheering for their friends, team-mates and fellow students. It envelops everyone, except those poor souls that need to escape to the library; but the joy of having most sports facilities over one side of campus means that these people CAN avoid the ruckus if they desperately need to do work, although I don’t know why anyone would choose to stay out of the way. It is not an event from which you cannot escape; it is an event to which you are drawn.
Also important is the role that Roses plays for sports team members who have never competed before, or who have learned the sport through the previous year. My first participation as a member of our women’s fencing team occurred at last year's Roses; participation that led to me finding myself a permanent feature of the women’s team for the following season.
Roses gives people who have not been played on teams for BUSA leagues the opportunity to prove themselves. While most clubs do want to win, they still take it for what it is: fun. They thus play their weaker members so they get an opportunity they otherwise may not, or newer members to see what they can really do. All this makes Roses the best initiation a new club or team member can have.
The atmosphere throughout the whole weekend, particularly for those in the midst of it all, is electric. We and our Lancastrian counterparts experience some of the best and closest contests we have been in all year, and then we find ourselves having some of the best nights out for a while. Yes, it is competitive, and we go all out there to win, but the bottom line is that doesn’t matter who you were tackling, overtaking, or parrying that morning, you will be drinking with them later that evening like old friends.
Unlike so many competitions, Roses is, despite its very grounding in a long-standing rivalry, not a hardcore contest. You will seldom find groups resentful of any loss, it is rare that any serious conflict breaks out and you will not find people taking it so seriously as to contemplate anything underhanded. There is no foul play beyond trying to get the opposing team so drunk the night before that they cannot stand up in the morning without blinking, wobbling, and throwing up - and it is so obvious when people are trying to achieve this effect that you could hardly call it devious.
Roses is one of our long-standing traditions here at York, and for all those who have never experienced it before I urge you to get stuck in to the festivities and shout for your fellow York students while it is here. Even those of you who do not think you are interested, it’s worth a glance at what there is to offer. It is one of those events where, even if you have no specific interest in individual events, you can still get swept up in the atmosphere. Enjoy it while you can, we only have it here once every two years.
It may not be a perfectly classy British sporting event like Wimbledon, but it’s ours, and this alone should incite a sense of pride and enthusiasm throughout our student body. So be involved, be supportive, and be loud about it!
But try not to encourage any naked idiots.
Check The Yorker throughout the weekend for live coverage of Roses 2009 – with pictures, interviews and more!
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