1,500 Team UOP members travelled to Southampton to compete for the Varsity Cup
Varsity as we know it returned to Southampton for the first time since 2018 over the weekend and saw a fantastic response from students, staff, alumni and families. Following the success of Varsity 2022 we took over 1,500 students to compete in our annual competition against the University of Southampton for the Varsity Cup. The last Varsity due to be held in Southampton in 2020 was sadly cancelled before the COVID pandemic struck, and we took a small number of teams over to Southampton in 2021 for a limited fixture-based Varsity, but what is Varsity without spectators?
Varsity, last won by the University of Portsmouth back in 2013, was held at the University of Southampton outdoor and indoor facilities as well as 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 on the day.
With several fixtures played in advance of the main day, the score heading into Sunday was 16-8 in Southampton's favour.
Over 1,500 students, staff and families came together to celebrate sport against a great opponent in the University of Southampton. After many narrowly fought fixtures, we unfortunately missed out by 48 points with the Varsity Cup staying in Southampton. The final score was 138-90.
Outside of the main Varsity Cup, our development teams competed for the Intra-Mural Varsity Cup. These scores don't count towards the main Cup, but are a great way for some of our development and IM teams to compete against other University teams.
The Intra-Mural Varsity Cup finished 22-10 to Southampton, with the IM Cup leaving Portsmouth for the first time.
Over 60 fixtures took place over the day with 4 points awarded for a win, 2 points awarded for a draw and 0 points awarded for a loss. Due to our locations we rarely play against Southampton, as we sit in different BUCS regions, so it’s great competition. We’ve seen progress so far as we attempt to climb the BUCS league rankings and hope to finish this season better off than in 2022. This loss means we still have a bit more work to do to win Varsity, but we’re so pleased with our performances so far this year in the BUCS tables and competitions.
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 collaborative nature of the two universities. I’m delighted that this event could take place, and to see so many students engaged, having fun and enjoying themselves is great to see.
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 the victory. We’ll have to wait another year to bring that trophy back to Portsmouth
Congratulations to all of our teams and players that took part in Varsity 2023. Full lists of results can be found here.
Have you been inspired by Team UOP to get more active? At Ravelin Sports Centre we have 16 weekly PLAY sessions included for free in all student memberships.