Students and staff from both Northumbria and Newcastle universities have been celebrating the success of its return, the amazing sports, and camaraderie that was on display over those few days. Remarkable performances on the courts and pitches were witnessed by lively supporters with the energy on and around campus, ‘truly buzzing!’
A University ‘varsity’ competition hasn’t been contested since the Stan Calvert Cup in February 2018. ‘Stan Calvert’ took place between Northumbria and Newcastle University for 25 years from 1994.
The 2022 reprise saw spirited performances from both universities and although Newcastle took the overall bragging rights on the day, the close score line (50.25 – 60.75) demonstrated just how tight the contest was!
A combination of hard work from Northumbria’ s VP Sport Emma Collier and Newcastle University's Athletic Union Officer Fergus Mainland ensured that the day was as memorable as possible for everyone involved. The dedication seen from the students and how happy they were to take part regardless of the score lines demonstrated the immense amount of pride they have when representing the university.
Emma is extremely proud of what herself and Fergus achieved whilst working together over the past year;
“Working with Fergus was so easy, and we formed a really strong professional working relationship. It was easy to see eye to eye on situations and it was so fun that both of us knew how much it meant to students. I’m so glad we managed to pull it off.”
With a whole range of fixtures taking place in the competition from Men’s Football at Cochrane Park to Netball at Sport Central there was no doubt that the day would be filled with plenty of action.
Emma reflected on her highlights from the fixtures and picked out her favourite moment of the day.
“I couldn’t pinpoint one moment but some small highlights include the Hockey, Netball and Elliot Watson our new VP Sport for next year, scoring the 5th goal for our Men’s Football first team in the final fixture of the day”
This varsity competition brought a sense of togetherness back to campus and it was great to see the campus covered in red and black bunting and branding in support of the teams. This year saw the introduction of a FanZone in the Quad and a closely link with Students Union to expand the interest in the fixtures taking place. Emma was so proud to bring a bit of a buzz to the campus and see all their planning come to life.
Already looking toward next year, the aim is to help the competition grow to get more students involved, both playing and supporting. Having this competition demonstrated the real importance of making the most of your university sport experience. Emma sees this as a highlight of her role as VP sport and is so glad she was able to help make it happen;
“I am so proud to have been their [the Sport clubs] VP this year and manage to bring it all back for them. From seeing students post pictures with their little Varsity flags or foam hands, to just feeling the buzz on campus, it really was so rewarding for me and the university as a whole.”
Missed all the action?
You can view our photo album here or check out our 2022 Highlights video
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