It is a shame that while the university continues to go from strength-to-strength in BUCS competition, college sport participation does not seem to have been boosted. Amongst the mainstream college sports, only football sees all colleges consistently put out full squads. Some colleges even have unofficial 4ths and 5ths teams. The same can’t be said for other sports.
College netball sees Alcuin, James and Halifax dominate, though this year Derwent have also risen as a legitimate challenger. Perhaps, then, it is understandable that other colleges, which struggle to put out a team, prefer to play 2nds matches and concede 1sts ones, giving themselves more of a chance of victory.
College rugby, a new college sport for this year, is dominated by Derwent, though James gave them a tough game earlier this term. Yet Derwent are often forced to donate players to their opposition just to make a 15 a-side game possible, and even the merged forces of Goodricke and Langwith have found a full team hard to muster.
While it is not ideal when matches are conceded, it is surely preferable to no games at all. By all accounts, college rugby ran more smoothly when it was unofficial, but in the long term it, and other college sports, are sure to benefit and overcome the initial teething problems. Certain colleges, not known as sporting powers, must work to improve their publicity of college sports; working with York Sport, in time these problems are sure to dissipate.