Union Bash
The omens weren't good. Emblazoned on the front of the programme for the annual town versus gown rumpus was the lurid image of a grim-faced boxer and the chilling promise of 'carnage'. Hell, I thought the temptation to relive the atavistic savagery of a bloody historical rivalry might prove too much, even for the fine specimens of educated refinement that sat on the ringside seats in the debating chamber of the Oxford Union....
Sport: Oxford Gutsy in Defeat
Oxford Women's Rugby team showed great strength of character against an impressive UWIC side, as they battled against a gusty wind to a 1-point defeat.
Sport: Aussie Victory Over Tabs
The University Parks were given a taste of Down Under this Saturday as the annual Aussie Rules Varsity match was played with a skill and intensity that belied the difficult conditions. An amalgam of rugby and football, Aussie Rules involves 18 men a side on a huge playing area with the object being to score goals (worth six points) through two goal posts or 'behinds' (one point), which occur when the ball misses the goalposts but goes between two other posts to either side of the goal. The ball is carried up the field by a mixture of running and kicking, with the catching, or marking, of a kick being a crucial element to the play as it brings a free kick towards the opposition's goal. ...
Sport: Crew Diary
In most sports, your competitor(s) are visible - you score more tries than the other rugby team, run faster than the other sprinters, hit harder than the other boxer. In rowing, with side-by-side racing, this is often the case. But rowers have to train, and often race, against the clock.
Sport: No Revenge for Brave Blues
Having been defeated in a high-scoring encounter at the start of the season, the Blues were out for revenge. This well attended match swung many ways before finally denying them that goal.
Sport: Time for Old Boys to Step A-Side
The Blues came into this friendly fixture looking, in the words of captain Arran Yentob, "to get into the habit of winning". This was achieved with room to spare, although they will be disappointed not to go on from a good first half display that saw them score twice and create numerous chances. Nevertheless, the most important thing was to build on Wednesday's performance, with Monday's crucial BUSA clash in Nottingham to come. But credit should go to the Old Boys, as they were highly competitive in the second half despite being considerably less fit, and should consider themselves unlucky not to come away without at least a goal to show for their efforts....
Sport: Crew Diary
With only seven weeks to go before the 150th boat race, the atmosphere at OUBC training is getting exciting.
Sport: Can England do it again?
Thirty-seven years it may well have been between England's two major international successes on the sporting stage, but surely there is only so much celebration that can be feasibly be done? London was brought to a standstill as three-quarters of a million lined the streets to catch a glimpse of Johnson, Wilkinson and co, the royal corgis ensured that their place would go down in history alongside Old Bill at Buckingham Palace and a tour of all Zurich rugby grounds concluded the celebrations. However, the champagne glasses and photo calls are a thing of the past as the Six Nations bandwagon rolls into town....
