The Student Room Group

Tell me about sports at Cambridge.

Well I'm going to be applying and I have to admit the array of sports on offer is one of the big attractions of Cambridge for me. It seems that almost everything is on offer.

But tell me what are the facilities like? Also tell me a bit about the sports you play and what level you're at.

What is the standard like for the varsity teams?

I'm hoping to continue playing American Football if I get into Cambridge and would hope to play in a game against Oxford although I am aware this club only just got recently started up again and I'm not sure if they have a formal varsity game as such?

I'm also keen on Aussie Rules Football and I know the Oxbridge Aussie Rules game is one of the oldest ARF games in the world.

Other sports I'm keen on are Volleyball, Gymnastics/Trampolining. I do practise martial arts but because the style of Karate I do (shukokai) is quite rare I probably wouldn't be able to continue that at Cambridge but I'd be happy to train in that whenever I return to my home town club.

So please tell me more about sports at Cambridge and your experiences. I'm dying to know!
Original post by saey
Hi, I am applying to Cambridge this year and have a little issue with college choice.

I'm not sure if I should base college choice on how 'sporty' a college is?

Will it make a difference if I chose a college where there is a high concentration of 'sporty' people? Or is there not much inter-collegeiate stuff?

Or should I make the choice based more on what sports facilities are on site?

Also, how good do you have to be to make sports teams? what sports are taken most seriously? (for women).


Yes, it does make a difference. There are a huge amount of intercollegiate competitions, and going to a 'sporty' college will give you the best shot at being competitive. Unless you are going to be in a university team (which is very difficult for some sports, not so much for others), collegiate training/fixtures will be the focus of all sport you do at Cambridge. That said, it's very likely that almost all colleges will be able to cater to your sporting needs to some degree. What sports do you do/have an interest in doing?
Original post by saey
Lacrosse certainly, lightweight rowing (if I'm good enough) or gliding.

Speaking of gliding, is there anything you could tell me about gliding at cambridge, so far all I know is that they have a gliding club...


I personally don't know anyone who does gliding, but I'm guessing http://www.cugc.org.uk/cms/ would be a good place to look.

The Cambridge women's lacrosse team are extremely successful on a national level, and it is a full blue sport; certainly worth getting involved with if you can. I think they have about 40 players in the women's squad.
There is also lacrosse on a college level; my college has a mixed lacrosse team which is fairly light hearted in nature.

The women's lightweight rowing squad is part of CUWBC (Cambridge University Women's Boat Club), unlike the men's (CULRC) which is separate from CUBC. If you decide to trial for a place in the lightweight women's boat, you will be training 10 times a week until either you get dropped or the Henley Boat Races against Oxford, which occur between Lent and Easter terms. In Easter (exam) term the norm is to then return and row for your college in the May Bumps.
College rowing is, surprisingly, not all that different (depending on the rowing calibre of the college) in terms of training. It's less serious, but you'll still be training 8-10 times a week with the goal of successes in the Lent and May bumps races at the end of their respective terms, and Uni Fours and Fairbairns in Michaelmas.
As a rower myself (you may have guessed), I can't recommend it highly enough. If you fancy your chances of helping your college to a headship in the bumps, picking a good college is key. Some routinely produce far better crews than others and are positioned such that this is achievable (this is difficult to explain if you don't know the format of bumps races!).
Can anyone tell me about American Fo
otball and Aussie Rules Football at Cambridge? I've never really done rowing before. I'm 6ft tall so not really rower style tall but strong because of American Football. Any chance of being a cox perhaps? How would go about doing that?
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
Can anyone tell me about American Football and Aussie Rules Football at Cambridge? I've never really done rowing before. I'm 6ft tall so not really rower style tall but strong because of American Football. Any chance of being a cox perhaps? How would go about doing that?


I don't know much about american football, but at 6ft, you're way too big to be a cox, they tend to be tiny and very very light!
Reply 5
If you get in, I believe that the first phase of the university sport centre will be completed by your second year.
Reply 6
Original post by Gridiron-Gangster
Can anyone tell me about American Football and Aussie Rules Football at Cambridge? I've never really done rowing before. I'm 6ft tall so not really rower style tall but strong because of American Football. Any chance of being a cox perhaps? How would go about doing that?


If you're 6' and strong you will stand a chance of getting into a decent college boat if you wanted to and worked for it. If you take reasonably well to rowing and like dieting and masochism you could think about trialling for CULRC. CUBC might be a bit much to ask, but that's true for most guys, especially those who have never rowed before. Unless you are stick thin, you are far too big to cox anything but the beer boat.

American/Aussie rules football are pretty niche sports - there is a university team but it's not something many people do. Rowing is absolutely the biggest sport in Cambridge.

saey
Thank you so much! This has been really helpful! Um... I'm guessing its not possible to lacrosse AND gliding then? Certainly not lacrosse AND rowing?

If you wanted to do university level lacrosse and first boat/university level rowing then no, it wouldn't be possible. If you wanted to do either on a more recreational business you probably could. No idea about gliding I'm afraid.

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