Friday sees the start of a Roses weekend for the first time in three years, as an estimated 1000 people from York get ready to be involved in Europe’s largest inter-university varsity competition.
You can follow the action on Roses Live all weekend, with live video coverage from YSTV and Lancaster’s student television station LA1, and live text updates from York Vision and our friends from Lancaster’s student newspaper SCAN.
There’s plenty of action on Friday as Roses gets started – here are our three must watch match picks.
Opening Ceremony – Netball (Live Coverage from 18:00, Match Starts at 19:00)
It’s a repeat of the Roses 2019 Opening Ceremony as York aim to repeat their upset win against Lancaster, which was their first in a netball first team Roses match in over a decade.
On paper, Lancaster will fancy their chances, playing in the tier above York in national university sport, and finishing third in their league this season, as York finished second in the league below.
But in the first Roses competition since 2019, with all the pressure of a capacity crowd and the theatrics of an opening ceremony and 30 minute halftime show, anything can happen, and the 2019 win will give York hope.
Men’s Lacrosse (Kick Off 15:00)
This should be one of the closest-fought matches of the first day of Roses 2022.
York might have played in the tier below Lancaster in BUCS this season, but they have had an incredible season, winning every single game on their way to a league and cup win.
Meanwhile, Lancaster finished fifth of six teams in their Tier 1 league, with four wins and six losses, although they were level on points with the teams in third and fourth.
Lancaster beat York 9-1 in Roses 2019 in York, but the changing fortunes of these two sides since then should make an away win very achievable for this York side.
American Football (Kick Off 14:15)
York competed in the tier above Lancaster this season, but will join them in Tier 2 this Autumn after just missing out on safety, despite finishing level on points with Hull above them.
Lancaster finished fourth in their league, winning four games and losing three, while York won two games and lost five in the league above.
There have been some high-scoring games for Lancaster in their wins, with 30-0, 40-0 and 80-0 wins against Edge Hill, Bradford and Bangor.
The home team has won this fixture at Roses in each of the three last competitions, but York will be hoping to break that pattern on Friday afternoon.