Can York win the Roses?
43 YEARS HAVE passed since Sir Charles Carter, the Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, challenged his York counterpart, Lord James of Rusholme, to a boat race. Who would have known that such a seemingly meaningless event involving a single race would transform into the largest inter-university sporting competition in the UK?
On Friday May 4 2007, these two prestigious institutions will line up against each other for the 43rd time. Over three days they will battle in 100 events across 45 sports in a bid to be crowned the victors of The War of the Roses.
After a frustrating 2006, in which Lancaster were the champions of a closely fought contest, York now go into this year trailing by 20 victories to Lancaster’s 21, with the emphasis on AU President Tom Moore to deliver on his promise of bringing the Roses back to York.
In a recent interview Moore said “I think we have a fantastic chance of taking back the Roses. I know the Lancaster AU President is taking it very seriously and fancies his chances but our performance in Varsity and BUSA have shown we have had a great year and there is no reason we can’t win”.
The successful performances which Moore refers to include the football, hockey, volleyball and basketball teams, all of which have enjoyed recent victories in the cup competitions. However, many lesser-known sports such as indoor hockey and equastrian events can provide interest and many important points which may tip the balance of the weekend.
One of the minority competitors are the Ski Club who are competing for the first time in Sheffield on the same weekend as Roses. Although they receive little publicity, the club are proving successful, having taken 24th place in a recent National Indoor Championships held in Edinburgh. Russ Norton, a member of the club, spoke of his liking for the sport: “My motivation is definitely the lifestyle and atmosphere of the club. It’s active, challenging and fun.”
Elsewhere, members of the Hockey Club will compete in a relatively unknown sport called indoor hockey. The game is a one-off spectacle for York, due to the pitch being too expensive. Hockey Club President Andy Hook said “We have a number of training sessions before Roses to become re-accustomed with the game. Indoor hockey is always well supported and with strong performances in BUSA this year and the local leagues I would expect to win the majority of games at Roses both indoor and outdoor.”
Despite Roses’ focus being on the sporting achievement, it also provides a great spectacle for students of York and Lancaster alike. This year will see three days of sport, entertainment and nightlife with televised highlights provided on the AU website.
Moore concluded, “For the Universities of York and Lancaster, Roses is the sporting highlight of the year. The BUSA season comes and goes, tournaments pass and Varsity is won, but throughout the year, in the back of everyone’s minds, there is only one competition, Roses”.
guest
I’m sorry, but what are “the roses”? I’m pretty sure that evryone just calls it “Roses” - especially since Au President Tom Moore, who is organising the whole event, refers to it as this…
Dario Fo
Oddly enough, the Roses was a war in the fifteenth century before it was a sporting competition. Called the “War of the Roses”. Hence the definite article. If the headline was “Can York win Roses”, it would suggest us to be a bunch of flower-arrangers, or indeed chocolate-fanciers, rather than athletic champions. Surely nobody wants that.
Dan
I think Dario summed the argument up pretty well.
Steve A
Surely any sports editor worth anything would know that it is called Roses and not ‘The roses’. The correct headline should have read “Can York win ‘Roses’?.
Dan- the only excuse is if you are a first year who hasn’t been here before. Can you tell us if you are?
Also how did you get to become sports editor when you clearly know nothing about University or college sport given your recent articles?
Dan
Hi Steve,
I appreciate that you disagree with my headline, but ‘the Roses’ as argued previously could be taken to mean the ‘War of the Roses’, and in context makes perfect sense as it was meant to be a play on words.
On the subject of me knowing nothing of sport I’d like you to please provide any form of reputable evidence to back up this claim, as currently you have no basis for your argument.
Kind Regards,
Daniel Whitehead
Guest
Surely whether its ‘roses’ or ‘the roses’ doesn’t matter…lets just hope we win it.
Dario Fo
Well said that man.
Steve A
Dan,
Your college sport article was atrocious. Hope can you write one when you have neither played college sport nor have any friends who play it.
You stated that James have been unsuccesful because they have fewer students - in 2003 they won the title and in 2002 they came runner up! Also they have more students than all colleges bar Halifax and Alcuin!
You also stated that Alcuin is a new college - it isn’t, it was just redeveloped. Wentworth was also a re-introduction.
You state Halifax have an unfair adavantage because they are bigger-then how do the last 3 winners come from the smallest colleges on campus - Vanbrugh, Goodricke, Langwith.
Your article asks for people to take it more seriously yet also accuse Langwith of taking it too seriously.
Further how does the AU put too much money into it -as far as I am aware they don’t. Also the AU Vice President deals with college sport, who the last time I checked was a non-sabb.
Maybe I was a little bit harsh but considering what I have read from you it seemed fair comment-maybe you can justify how you came to these conclusions.
Steve
Dan
Steve,
Although I admit the college sport article was controversial, the entire thing was simply an opinion which was freely expressed. I realise that some people have alternative viewpoints and I welcome them to send me an argument stating the benefits of college sport.
Dan
Steve A
Dan,
I accept an entitlement to opinion, but would ask you to tell me how you made the factual innaccuracies you made that I highlighted.
1. You stated that James have been unsuccesful because they have fewer students - in 2003 they won the title and in 2002 they came runner up! Also they have more students than all colleges bar Halifax and Alcuin!
2. You also stated that Alcuin is a new college - it isn’t, it was just redeveloped. Wentworth was also a re-introduction.
3. You state Halifax have an unfair adavantage because they are bigger-then how do the last 3 winners come from the smallest colleges on campus - Vanbrugh, Goodricke, Langwith.
4. Further how does the AU put too much money into it -as far as I am aware they don’t. Also the AU Vice President deals with college sport, who the last time I checked was a non-sabb. How much money do they put into it?
You should realise your responsibilities in writing in a student newspaper. Unfortunately people will always read the articles, many of whom will be too ignorant to realise that they aren’t true. I have no problem with opinions being expressed, even if they are very extreme, but they should be substantiated by fact.
Do your job and do some research next time.