A great weekend of sport at Varsity
Varsity returned to Portsmouth for the first time since 2019 over the weekend and saw a fantastic response from students, staff, alumni and families. Varsity was sadly one of the first events to be cancelled before the COVID pandemic struck in 2020 which meant we couldn’t head to Southampton to compete. A small fixture based Varsity was held last year but spectators were unable to get involved, so the return of Varsity this year is fantastic for players and spectators alike.
Varsity, last won by the University of Portsmouth back in 2013 was held at HMS Temeraire, St. Paul’s Gym and a number of other venues across the city. A number of fixtures took place last week in more specialist facilities and those that we could not accommodate.
We’re so pleased to be able to bring this event back to Portsmouth after a long wait, it’s fantastic to see so many people back enjoying the event. A win would’ve made it extra special, but it was so much fun regardless of the result.
Varsity is a fantastic event that really celebrates the inclusivity of all our sports clubs and sport in all forms. To compete against a very worthy adversary in the University of Southampton is fantastic and a testament to the healthy competition but also strong collaboration between our two universities. I’m delighted that this event could take place, and it is great to see so many students engaged, having fun and enjoying themselves. I’m delighted that our performance on the pitches, courts, and on the water gave a strong representation of us as a student body, but of course, I’d like to congratulate the University of Southampton for their hard-fought victory. We’ll have to now wait another year to bring the trophy back to Portsmouth. It’s fantastic though to see we retained the Intramural cup, which just goes to show the enthusiasm, skill and enjoyment of our students that regularly stay active.
I’m so happy to be at the first Varsity without any restrictions since 2019, an excellent achievement for the University. Varsity is a wonderful opportunity for students who love to compete in their sport or those who like to come together with friends to get out and about to watch sports fixtures. It’s been excellent to see the pride in students representing their sport and Portsmouth this weekend. Varsity allows for both competitors and spectators to have an escape from the stresses of their day to day lives, in some cases, out in the fresh air. This weekend positively impacts student well-being and allows all to be active in a fantastic positive event.
I am so pleased that we could bring Varsity to home turf and deliver a wonderful event on such a big scale. We know how important it is to celebrate all that our Team UOP sports clubs can offer to our students, and Varsity is a prime example of celebrating the positive impact that sport can have on the student experience. Thank you to all of our staff who have worked tirelessly to plan and deliver the event, and thank you to our Team UOP student community for competing, celebrating together and for being Proud to be Portsmouth. Student experience is at the forefront of what we do in Sport and Recreation; after 2 years of our events being on hold, it's so exciting to be back and planning future events for Team UOP.
Were you a spectator at Varsity and want to get involved in sports club activity? We have Play sessions that are free for members throughout the week.
