The latest news, wins, and things to get excited about in Team UOP.
Hi!
October has been and gone, and Team UOP has been getting stuck in across the board! Every week, there has been something new to celebrate or dive into, and it’s been awesome to see so many people getting involved.
Right back at the start of the month, we had pre-season up in Surrey, followed by the return of BUCS and Winning Wednesdays! Off the court, our clubs have also been busy supporting some great causes - from Swim4Seals and CoppaFeel!, to a rather rainy Great South Run. A huge well done to everyone who managed to take part in a charity event or campaign this month!
October has also been a reminder of what Team UOP is all about - community, inclusion and celebrating all our achievements. As part of Black History Month, our clubs come together to support Show Racism the Red Card. To finish off the month, we hosted Girls’ Night (one of my favourite events of the year!), which created a welcoming and safe space to try something new.
In this month's edition, you’ll find:
-
Highlights From Club Events
-
A Brand-new Boat for Rowing
-
Great South Run Recap
-
BUCS Season in Full Swing
-
Show Racism the Red Card Campaign
-
Girls' Night
Emma Loe
Team UOP Widening Access Officer
Event highlights
Swim4Seals
Swim and Water Polo hosted their annual Swim4Seals event for Seal Rescue Ireland. Fifteen teams from across our sports clubs and societies took part, raising over £1100! That’s £300 more than last year! Congratulations to the winners - Surfing and their newly adopted seal, Bumblebee Jasper!
CoppaFeel!
October also marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Women’s Rugby led the charge in raising awareness. They teamed up with CoppaFeel! to run a ‘Boobie Bingo’, and with Gymnastics and Trampolining for a themed quiz night - both fantastic events for an important cause! Several of our sports clubs have been wearing pink in training to show their support!
Checking your chest shouldn’t be awkward, it’s about knowing your body and taking care of your health. CoppaFeel! helps raise awareness and educate people so they can spot any changes early. If you’d like to get involved or be part of our supportive community, helping on campus, please reach out!
Abby Haynes
CoppaFeel! Charity Ambassador
Rowing’s New Boat
Sport and Recreation, the UOP Rowing Club and Itchen Imperial Rowing Club (IIRC) have successfully been working together over the past few years to create a partnership which enables student rowing club members the opportunity to row on the water at IIRC several times a week and receive external coaching from Steve Taylor.
As part of this partnership, all three partners have been working extremely hard over the past year to raise funds for a new rowing boat for the club. The club secured £4k through a grant from the Rowing Foundation, and raised over £5k from planning and delivering events such as a 24-hour row, pub quizzes, indoor rowing competitions and other fundraising events, as well as funding support from Sport and Rec.
Over the summer, enough funds were raised to purchase the club a new boat, which was recently launched at IIRC. Their brand-new Kanghua Spirit boat was named Spinnaker Flame! Well done and congratulations on your new club member!
We are so excited to name our new Kanghua spirit, ‘Spinnaker Flame’. Our years of fundraising and hard work have paid off, and we couldn’t have done it without the support of Sport and Rec and the Rowing Foundation. Very excited for what’s to come!
Eve Glitz
UOP Rowing President
Great South Run Recap
UOP hit the streets in full force on 19 October for the Great South Run. Whether you were running, volunteering, or cheering them on, massive well done to everyone who braved the weather and went out and got involved!
Unreal turnout from UOP at The Great South Run! It was a big battle against the wind and the rain, but the support was amazing, so a big thank you to everybody cheering us on!
Kate Robertson
Team UOP Performance Officer
Girls’ Night
To round off the month, Girls’ Night returned to Ravelin - over 200 participants joined in for an evening of fun, friendship, and positivity! The calm, welcoming atmosphere gave everyone the chance to try something new or simply enjoy being active without any pressure. With 15 of our sports clubs running sessions throughout the night, it was fantastic to see so many people getting involved.
Whether you found a new sport or just had a great time, we hope to see you again in January!
Show Racism the Red Card campaign
In recognition of Black History Month, Team UOP proudly took part in the Show Racism the Red Card campaign - the UK’s leading anti-racism education initiative in sport. The campaign is a reminder that sport can unite people, break down barriers and create change.
Members across all our Sports Clubs wore red to training to show their solidarity and commitment to equality, inclusion, and respect - both on and off the pitch.
BUCS season in Full Swing
BUCS season is officially underway, and it’s been great to see our teams back in action! Men’s Football played at home with style, managing four wins, while Badminton, Hockey (Both Men’s and Women’s) and Volleyball have also scored some fantastic early victories.
It’s been amazing to see everyone’s hard work over pre-season and in training paying off. Keep training hard, supporting one another and most importantly, smashing it!
Small wins
-
Women’s rugby had their first friendly game against Petersfield, and they secured the win with loads of new players!
-
Climbing had their first outdoor trip to Portland!
-
Climbing women’s team have had a win in their regional league competition!
-
Badminton Men’s 1’s and Women’s both won matched 8-0 in October against Royal Holloway and St George’s, respectively.
Team of the Week
-
Week 1: Women’s Football 2s winning 5-0
-
Week 2: Badminton Women’s winning 8-0
-
Week 3: Basketball Men’s 2s winning 112-32
-
Week 4: Men's Rugby 2s winning 21-19
Club of the Month
Climbing
It’s been a huge month for our Climbing Club, and their achievements have truly earned them the title of October’s Club of the Month!
They started with an incredible win at a regional competition and celebrated their first-ever outdoor overnight trip, which saw 35 members take on real rock. With over 50 members now fully signed off and more than 75 on the development pathway, the club continues to grow in both skill and community.
They’ve also shown fantastic engagement across the board, from a packed social event with over 100 attendees (a brilliant 75% club engagement!) to podium finishes for the Swim4Seals event and strong participation in the Strength & Conditioning programme.
Well done, team!
What’s next?
November means one thing - Movember! The campaign raises awareness and funds for men’s health issues, both mental and physical. If you can, growing a ‘mo’ is a great way to show your support, but there are also lots of events happening across Team UOP that you can get involved with.
On 25 November, we observe White Ribbon Day, also known as the international day for the Elimination of Violence against women. It starts a 16-day campaign, which ends on International Human Rights Day, where individuals, communities and organisations take a stand against violence against women. To help support you can wear a White Ribbon, attend events and start conversations about the importance of White Ribbon Day.
Armistice Day takes place at 11am on 11 November, marking the moment the guns fell silent at the end of the First World War and honouring all those who have lost their lives in conflict since. In the lead-up to that day, you can visit Ravelin Reception to see The Living Poppy and Leaf Project, a beautiful display created to commemorate remembrance.