Men’s mainstream sports

So as well as the mainstream sports that are on offer for girls at York University, there are numerous sports for guys can get involved with, from the physically testing rugby and American Football, to summer sports such as cricket. All of the clubs are friendly, welcoming and generally have large and sociable memberships, whilst playing regular matches throughout the year. Sport is something I’d definitely recommend everyone to get involved with at university, whether it be for the social side, competitive desire or for the purpose of maintaining fitness.

AMERICAN FOOTBALL- Whilst this not seem like a major sport in England, it clearly is across the Atlantic, and thanks to the efforts of outgoing York Sport President Sam Asfahani, York has formed its own successful and thriving American Football team. So much so that over the past five years, the team known as the York Centurions, which was first set up in 2006 by American student Cal Al-Qaneh, has established itself as one of the major sports at York.
They play matches in the Northern Conference of the BUCS American Football league, and last year saw them record their maiden Roses victory, a monumental achievement for the side, as they won 15-14. For more information on the York Centurions follow the provided link.

ATHLETICS- Despite not being a notoriously sporting university, York does possess some superb athletes in a number of different disciplines. Indeed the improved facilities on offer next year should help the progression of the club, as the fantastic new facilities on Heslington East will usher in a new era for athletics at the University. Throughout the week a range of different sessions are run, meaning that there’s something for everyone to get involved in.
York’s athletes attend university meetings, and individuals compete locally and regionally. The most prestigious of these meetings is the BUCS Championships in May, where a group of York students compete to the best of their ability. Like all sports at York though, athletics is available for all abilities and is not solely restricted to the exceptionally talented. Harriet Batten is the current president of the club, whilst Tim Raynes is her deputy.

CRICKET- Cricket at York is played throughout the summer term, depending on the weather of course. Another friendly society, spending an afternoon on a cricket pitch is a brilliant way to spend a summer’s day and unwind from the stress of exams. Sadly last year’s cricket turned out to be a bit of a washout, yet when the sides did play they enjoyed some fantastic results, most notably the 1st XI annihilating our local rivals York St John, who were well and truly bowled over.
During the first two terms indoor training sessions are held, and squads are assembled for the three men’s teams which the university runs. In the summer term there are matches played on 22 Acres, with the three men’s teams playing in the BUCS leagues. The highlight of the season is their Roses clash against Lancaster, where this year York’s 1st team suffered an agonizing one wicket defeat in a thrilling encounter. However they avenged the loss, by later overcoming their Red Rose counterparts to win the BUCS Northern Conference Cup. Match reports for both games can be found on the Vision website.

FOOTBALL- Unsurprisingly football is the main and most populated sport at York, with the university running no fewer than four men’s teams. The numerous pitches on 22 Acres host the football throughout the year, but often fall foul to the poor weather conditions, as the fields become boggy. Despite this some excellent football of a high standard is played. Freshers trials are held during the first week for all hopefuls, and after that there are training sessions on Mondays and Fridays.
Last year the 1st XI suffered relegation on the last day of the season as they succumbed to a sucker punch late goal against Varsity rivals Hull, condemning them to 2-3 defeat. The teams also performed poorly in the Roses which was a great disappointment as they didn’t do themselves justice, but will be looking to bounce back this year. As well as at University level, football is strongly contested at College level, giving opportunities for everyone to become involved. You can visit uyafc’s website for further details.

HOCKEY- At York one of the main sports for men is hockey, with the university possessing three men’s teams in addition to the women’s contingent. All three of the teams play on Wednesdays in the BUCS league, and on Saturdays in the Yorkshire Hockey League. The 1st and 2nd teams both narrowly avoided relegation in their respective BUCS divisions, whilst falling just short of promotion in their Saturday Leagues. The 3rd team however enjoyed the jubilation of promotion in the local League.
All of the hockey is played on the JLD Astro, apart from the occasional indoor session in training for Roses. Of course the Roses is one of the highlights of the year for the society, and one of the best sporting moments was the 1st team clinching a draw with a last minute equaliser in the final hockey match of the Roses competition, secured a 1-1 draw. Training is on Monday evenings, with additional sessions put on at key times of the year. Mylo Scurr and Jill Mercer are the current presidents, whilst next year’s captains for the men’s side of the club are as follows:
Men’s 1sts: George Richards
Men’s 2nds: James Hope
Men’s 3rds: Declan Hall
More information can be found on uyhc’s website.

LACROSSE- As lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the UK at the university level, the club has a vastly increasing membership both for the sport and the socials. The men’s game is renowned for its combination of creativity and contact, which is responsible its popularity at York. Currently only fielding one Men’s team, they managed to reach the final of the Northern Conference Cup, and the season culminated in a 12-3 destruction of the Lancaster in the Roses weekend. Fresher’s training session are to be held Monday, Wednesday and Friday of week 2(TBC) in the first term, for newcomers to try their hand at a new and exhilarating sport.

RUGBY UNION- Rugby is another of the main sports at the University of York, despite the North-East traditionally being the home of Rugby League. York runs three men’s teams which all compete in the BUCS league, and have been successful in the past years. Training sessions are held regularly and matches are played on Wednesday afternoons, followed by the weekly socials. Again rugby at York is played on 22 Acres, where there are ample pitches.
Their most resounding success though has been in the Roses in recent years, where they constantly leave Lancaster licking their wounds and grab the points. Their reputation at the Roses has become formidable and two years ago they had the joy of demolishing Lancaster at the Huntington Stadium on a magnificent night in front of a large crowd. For further information on uyrufc, visit their website on the provided link.

So that brings us to an end of the main sports that are played at York, but sport at the university doesn’t finish there. In addition to this there are racquet sports, water sports, martial sports and many more. Some will be familiar to most people, others will be completely new, but all of them are well worth a try if you have chance. Sport at the University is not only great fun and good for fitness, but is also a way to meet new people and make new friends, adding to the social aspect of University life.