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ONE DREAM

Coventry University Students’ Union

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One Team, One Dream

Away from the main events, I’m personally looking forward to the Snowsports event. Last year it was a new event to the Varsity fixture list, and this year it is going to be bigger and better, with more freestyle events and crowd entertainment.

Overall Varsity gives students an opportunity to really show the University and its staff what sport means to them and how important it is. It also gives us an opportunity to seriously put Coventry on the map and show our rivals Warwick that they are in the wrong town!! My only mes-sage to Warwick is that they all need to prepare well because I know our teams are and to take this challenge seriously or it will just be a whitewash for Coventry!

Ali BurrVice President Student Activities

This year I am looking forward to Varsity more than ever. As it will be my last ever Varsity at

Coventry University I will be eagerly anticipating the start of the series which kicks off with the Ice Hockey on the 25th February. Last year was agonisingly close as we fell at the last hurdle losing by three matches, but I am confident that this year we have everything in place to cause an upset by beating our rivals Warwick for the first time in its heart-breaking history. Organising an event like this is not an easy task; there are so many different variables you have to consider when planning from student exams and coursework deadlines to facility avail-ability. It also requires a strong team effort and being able to pull the right people together for the right job makes a huge difference. Luckily I have had an amazing team this year who have dedicated so much time and effort into the event. Without them, Varsity simply would not have been possible.

I have great expectations for this year especially for the three main events and agree with the majority of our students that 2013 is our year. The Men’s Rugby Team has been improving week in week out and are due a mas-sive win in this year while Men’s and Women’s football are having another outstanding year and will be a hand-ful once again for Warwick. I don’t see the Ice Hockey match being as one sided as last year when we gave War-wick a master class they won’t forget in hurry. I predict a closer match at the Skydome Arena with Coventry still winning comfortably.

Ali Burr

It’s one of Varsity 2013’s must-see events as our Rugby teams will once again push Warwick to the limits in some of the most aggressive matches of the tournament. Watch this space, they’re going to make headlines!

Jon Foong

RUGBY UNIONSemi Final in 2009 unfortunately losing out on the opportunity to play at Twickenham which our Chairman and Rory Prentice went on to win!

What is the highest level of competition you have competed in?

I have competed in County Champi-onships representing my county Es-sex. From this I was scouted and later became part of the Saracens Youth Academy. I played the Daily Mail Vase

I also received a phone call from the Chinese Exiles U20’s but I was unfortunately unavailable to meet up with them during their summer training camp.

How did you first get into your sport? I first got into the sport when I was in year 5 after a very short unsuccessful spell playing football. From learning at an early age this fuelled my passion for the game, playing through secondary school, representing my first team in year 11 and going on to represent the University 1st XV in my first year.

Age: 23Course: Sport Management

Leah Freeman

VARSITY XIII 4

How are you preparing for Varsity this year?

We started the season poorly by our standards, finding ourselves in a mid-table position; however as a 1st XV we have shown great resilience and fight, putting in the hard work at training and look set to be pushing for promotion for the 3rd year running. Following the loss of influential figures from last year’s squad we’ve recruited extreme-ly well and in my opinion the 1st XV is considerably stronger than last year and if preparations can continue in the manner that they are, we will be quietly confident of that underdog victory.

What happened during the defeat last year?

It was an extremely disappointing result last year. Obviously we didn’t get off to the ideal start conceding an early penalty try in the scrum but as the game went on we put things right and were able to show fantastic patience and maturity. One thing we do have in our favour however is that many of the boys who played in last year’s Varsity are still at the University and will have that memory of defeat and disappointment etched in their minds giving us the mentality to turn things around and re-write history this year.

What do you think of the Warwick team?

I have no doubt that Warwick will be an extremely well-drilled side, who will be very effective at the set piece and will be looking to continue their winning run. Other than knowing that they are in the league above us and rate them-selves very highly we don’t really pay much attention to them. We need to concentrate on our game, work to our strengths and if we can prepare well and remain injury-free we will be very confident of causing an upset come the 9th March.

What does Varsity mean to you and are you going to win?

With Rugby Union deservedly being back as the headline event it makes Varsity that extra bit special this year. The match between ourselves and Warwick is always very com-petitive and despite going into the game as massive underdogs we have every confidence in the teams game plan and that we have the ability to cause a real upset and contribute the points necessary to make Varsity 2013 Coventry’s.

VARSITY XIII 5

Abi Cutts

Age: 20Course: Biological and Forensic Science BSC

What does Varsity mean to you?

Varsity is the biggest game of the year. It’s a game which gives us the opportunity to prove ourselves and gain respect from the University. We are part of something important and the end result goes further than our team alone. Winning Varsity would be a tremendous achievement and gain our team positive recognition across campus.

What are your expectations for both your team and the other sports teams in this year’s varsity?

Last year, Varsity was our best game of the season. We are confident that our team has the ability to improve compared to last year and exceed expectations. We have developed a successful, solid team. We have significantly improved compared to last year’s performance and aim to continue exceeding expectations.

How are you preparing for Varsity this year?

We are preparing for Varsity within our training sessions, focusing on de-veloping our strengths and correcting our weaknesses from previous games. Our focus has been towards develop-ing team unity. Good cohesion within a team is essential to ensure all members feel valued, ultimately making them motivated towards success.

What is the highest level competition you have competed in?

Regional level for East Wales.

How did you first get into your sport?

I first started playing rugby aged 11 after being encouraged by one of my school teachers to join in a session. I have been participating ever since.

WOMEN’S RUGBY UNIONLeah Freeman

VARSITY XIII 6

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EUROPEAN UNIONInvesting in Your FutureEuropean RegionalDevelopment Fund 2007-13

Dylan O’Regan

AMERICAN FOOTBALLLast year the Coventry Jets made

the short trip down the road to take on the Warwick Wolves in

their Varsity Day fixture. The previous two years had been won by Warwick with the previous game tightly scored. Last year was too close for comfort for the Wolves and proved to be third time lucky as the mighty Jets managed to squeeze a well-fought victory with a 15-13 score. So far this year the Jets are on form and are “meeting our current expec-tations” explains team President Josh Hughes. “In the league we have four games remaining; all of which we have a chance to win which could easily se-cure us with a playoff spot.”

After building on the potential league success whilst thriving on last years surprise victory over Warwick, Josh continued describing last year’s vic-tory as an “incredible experience.” He said, “I feel we are in a better posi-tion this time round, so hopefully we can win more convincingly and do our bit for the overall score.”

The Jets always receive a massive boost from the fans on the sidelines, and it‘s not expected to change despite being drawn for an away fixture.

They have had better support than Warwick even though it’s on their ground and Josh asks that supporters come along but keep their cool.

“There is a fine line between confident and cocky but I would say we have a great chance. If we stay focused and don’t let the occasion get to us like we have before, then I don’t see a reason why we can’t go out there and win. There seems to be a higher sense of morale in the locker room this year and the supporters have been excellent all round! Let’s hope we can build on the buzz from last year’s victory to see us through the four quarters.”

The American sport has only recently become popular in the UK, which

VARSITY XIII 8

Belibi Bwele Lobe Ango

Age: 30Course:: MSC Oil and Gas Management, BSC Engineering Business Management at Coventry completed

one to watch as its one of the best in the country. They can’t win if they can’t score!”

Josh also spoke of how the team take on the American culture outside of playing the sport. “We are very keen on heading down to our sponsor on Sunday evening to watch the live NFL, drinking Coors and eating nachos.” He also added, “Every year we also celebrate thanksgiving as a team, usu-ally starting with a meal then heading to Riley’s to watch the live games. It’s all part of the experience!”

makes you wonder how teams like the Jets recruit players. Josh spoke of how he was first introduced to the Atlantic game. “I’d played football, (soccer) for 10 years, when I came to Coventry I wanted to try something new and I’ve followed the sport for years” he says. “When I heard about the team I was very keen to join and haven’t regretted it since.

Considering the growth of such a new sport, there are a number of highly rated players amongst the Coventry ranks such as leading scorer Noah Ben-Haim who recently attended GB Student Trials.

Although scorers grab the headlines Josh is keen to emphasise the impor-tance of a strong back line. “As a Uni-versity team, our defensive line is the

VARSITY XIII 9

VOLLEYBALLLeah Freeman

It’s dynamic, quick, powerful and skilled. The flick of a wrist and a slow response can be a game changer,

and then it’s all over. Volleyball is one of those games you watch where you respect the skill of the players: wince when they dive, roar when the ball is hit so fast the other team doesn’t even see it. They’ve been training hard, drill-ing those spikes and saving digs and keeping that ever important volley go-ings. Ladies and Gents, bring on the next challenge: Varsity!

For team Captain Angel Aksentiev this year’s match results are uncer-tain, “There is nothing certain when it comes to volleyball. I don’t know if we’re going to win or not. What I know is that we will try our best.” But with practice three times a week to keep players skilled and “to improve the technical abilities of all members” of the Volleyball society we’re expecting the match to leave us constantly on edge!

Volleyball is versatile enough to play indoors or outdoors and the rules are pretty easy to follow. But it’s easy to underestimate Volleyball, you can be unaware of how much skill is involved, Angel says: “It is true that the game of volleyball doesn’t include a physical contact between the players but that doesn’t make it any less competitive. For me, personally, volleyball is a game that people play for fun as well as seri-ous sport; and that is the beauty of it.”

Demi AwoponleAge: 23Course: MSC Oil and Gas ManagementHighest CompetitionPUGA (Private University Games)

How I got into Volleyball I remember my first year at secondary school watching the senior team play volleyball. I remember always watch-ing them play after my classes and wanting to jump as high as they did. When I became a senior I made sure I worked hard and tried to inspire other junior students to play volleyball.

VARSITY XIII 10

VOLLEYBALL

MEN’S HOCKEYLaetitia Motema

The Men’s and Women’s Hockey team results weren’t great read-ing at last year’s Varsity. Howev-

er, both teams are encouraged by their improvement this season and will be seasking revenge on their rivals. Peter Crook, the President of the Hockey team spoke of how they are preparing for their Varsity fixtures...

Ross Dixey

Now that Varsity is close, what changes have you made to physical and mental preparation?

We train harder, we play harder. The teams are all looking on improving from last year’s results and we have been mentally preparing the freshers on what it is to play against Warwick and what a Varsity would be like. The fact that anyone is able to play for us means we have a variety of abilities. It’s about having fun, being commit-ted and wanted to represent your University.

How has the team improved since last year’s Varsity Day?

We have become a stronger team mentally and hopefully can find some-thing extra to beat Warwick. With more together teams the boys and girls have enjoyed a good first term with the freshers and seniors gelling well together as a club. How do you get your players fired up for before a game?

We put music on the boom box, have banter in the changing room and a solid warm up.

Age: 19Course: Physiotherapy

VARSITY XIII 12

WOMEN’S FOOTBALL

Age: 22Course: Strength and Condition

What is the highest level you have competed at? Played in the National Premier League for two seasons.

How did you first get into your sport? I first got into football after watching my brother play and then I joined a local boys’ team with a friend.Helen Dermody

Though mainstream media cov-erage is traditionally dominated by male sport, particularly in

football, Coventry University really has something to shout about when it comes to this team!

Led by president Joanna Mei Lin Ah Yow (commonly known as Japo Jo), Coventry University women’s football first team are currently topping the BUCS Midland 1A league fighting off the likes of Oxford and Cambridge in the process. She explained how play-ing at the Ricoh as part of Varsity encouraged us to up our game this season.” She said, “Having the chance to show everyone what we were capa-ble of as a team was a great oppor-tunity and to come away with a win against our biggest rivals made it very special and certainly lifted us for what we knew would be a difficult season.”

CUWFC is currently being coached by Craig Jones who, like Jo is impressed with the ladies league position. He said, “The season is going well; we arein a much tougher league this season, with no easy games and have found ourselves top of the league at the Christmas break.“

He continued to explain how the league position is down to the ‘strong balance of players this season’ since the new intake of ‘more than capable footballers’.

“We have a squad full of vital players because everyone has important individual roles within the team. The player making final tackles is as impor-tant as the players scoring the goals at the other end.”

With an impressive start to a tough campaign, CUWFC are quietly com-fortable of yet another Varsity win over rivals Warwick. “We are doing everything we can to contribute to the overall Coventry University points tally.”

VARSITY XIII 13

Leah Freeman

In the frosty Skydome, Coventry fans are chanting. This is it. With us on one side and Warwick on

the other, the atmosphere is buzzing before the event even starts! Finally, a chance to face Warwick head on with a pint in one hand and that big yellow finger in the other just waiting for the gloves to come off and a fight to start. A player scores and the crowd erupts as Coventry win again by a landslide for the fourth time in possibly the most competitive Varsity game. This is Ice Hockey.

The Sky Dome will be at bursting point with over 3000 Cov and Warwick sup-porters; the pressure is on for our team to win. Captain James Lilley says: “This year is going to be a tough match, we have a lot of firepower but Warwick has more depth, we can definitely win but it could be really tight at the end.” With last year’s brilliant 10-5 win on our home turf, “the lads came through in style” but be ready guys, because this is the game of the season!

After well and truly thrashing Warwick following so many close matches, it must have felt amazing to win by such a margin? James says: “The bragging rights were fantastic and well abused! The previous few games have been re-ally tight; we won with 60 seconds re-maining in 2011, so to assert our domi-nance in last year’s match was a good feeling for everyone. It gives us a lot of confidence heading into this one!”

The dedicated squad have to fit course-work and a social life around training sessions at 11:30pm every Thursday, the only time they can dominate the entire ice rink for practice. James says: “I think we’re all past the point of car-ing about that now! Getting home from away matches at 5.30am begins to immunise your body to late nights.”

Now what about all these fights eh? Are they staged or just aggressive? Well in Varsity history we haven’t had an Ice Hockey fight, yet. But with the tension heating up last year, James reckons it won’t take much: “The same two play-ers are on the ice this time around and there are already tensions surrounding the match. We’re not going to send anyone out just for a fight, but I get the feeling we might not need to, there are two names I could pick out already who won’t need to be asked twice to drop the gloves. If they go at it the

ICE HOCKEY

VARSITY XIII 14

Age: 21Position: ForwardWhat course are you studying? Geography

What is the highest competition you have competed in? English Premier League, Second tier of British Ice Hockey

How did you first get into your sport? My brother had been play-ing for about 5 months so I decided I wanted to give it a go as well. Initially I wanted to be a goalie but my Dad told me that was too expensive! I was 7 at the time and have been playing ever since...

Rich Slater

“This year is going to be a tough match, we have a lot of firepower but Warwick has more depth, we can definitely win but it could be really tight at the end.”

Skydome will explode with noise; it’ll be something special!” So who’s the danger player this year? Who do Cov fans need to watch out for? “Lukas Sz-abo, he’s got a lot of experience, great puck control and can score before you know what’s happened. We need to keep him quiet and not let him settle into the match.”

A heads up to all you Ice Hockey vir gins: the game is split into four 20 minutes periods with a 15 minute break in between. It’s a fast-paced game where players constantly rotate with no more than six players on the ice at one time, smashing into the glass bar-riers and hurling the puck with their sticks across the ice. The aim of the game: Get the puck in the opponents goal.

James says: “Ice hockey is one of the most exciting sports in the world, anyone thinking about trying it needs to come and have a go. You have to try it once.”

So get down to the Sky Dome Arena on 25th February for the opening event of Varsity 2013!

VARSITY XIII 15

While Warwick boast that back in the good old days they once beat our Rugby

Club, we’ve spent the last few years showing them exactly how proper rugby is played. They’re a respectable foe, we acknowledge that, but we have brute strength, skill and the complete confidence of our captain Joshua Bell: expect to win!

Leah Freeman

The lads have trained long and hard for this; they’re a strong team who want to keep their winning record un-touched. Joshua says: “Warwick are a good team and on form can present a tough challenge and should there-fore be respected. However going into this game I expect nothing but a clear win for Coventry as we have prepared well and are capable of a very high standard.”

RUGBY LEAGUE

Coventry beat Warwick 36-20 last year in an outstanding showcase of strength and endurance. But even with such a superb win there’s no slacking off, “we’re taking this game very seri-ously this year as we do every year” Josh says, “We have been focusing on our fitness as well as fine tuning our skills in partnership with the guys from the strength and conditioning depart-ment who are doing a great job with us.” The importance of bulking up and improving their stamina will be clear once you start wincing at the violent tackling rugby league is known for.

VARSITY XIII 16

Age: 21Course: Motorsport EngineeringWhat is the highest level you have competed at? National league 3 With Westcliff RFC And Coventry Bears - Division Three of The National Conference.

How did you first get into your sport? Started playing rugby league at University. Always played union before arriving in Coventry. But the club had a better set up than union, and fancied a new challenge

James Scogings

“Varsity is a very important game to us as it’s a chance for us to showcase our skills to the rest of the university as well as contribute towards winning the whole event. I feel confident going into this game as we have some very talented athletes within our set up.”

Unfortunately Harry Kaufman is out of action and will be a greta loss to the first XV, however, Captain Josh recommends you keep your eyes on James Scoggins and Ola Akawande who bring real talent to the team. He said, “everyone brings something to the game”.

If you think you can handle it, whip out your foam finger and be there!

VARSITY XIII 17

Galya Dimitrova

ATHLETICSEverybody would agree that

athletics is among the sports that require both extreme physical

and psychological preparation. This is hardly surprising – it is a sport that includes in itself multiple disciplines, such as running, jumping, walking and throwing. It raises your adrenaline when you watch it and equally puts your body and mind to the test when competing.

Athletics’ challenging nature is exactly the reason why it is part of the Varsity Programme – the audience likes be-ing a part of the race and feeling the tension and anxiety of the competi-tors. Last year the male athletes from Coventry’s team pleased their fans by winning 2-0 against Warwick. But will they repeat their success this year and how are they preparing for the compe-tition? Athletics President Stuart Baird says both the club and the coach have been changed and “a new challenge has led to a more positive mental attitude and enjoyment” He said, “the most challenging area is self-motiva-tion, which is logical given the nature of the game.”

His athletic inspiration came from the Manchester Commonwealth Games back in 2002, which was the largest multi-sport event ever held in the UK before the 2012 Summer Olympics. The fever of international competition has had a knock on effect on his team-mates as the legacy of London 2012 continues...

“Of course it has had a massive impact on the club. We have a record number of members and a massive increase in female members, which has always been a problem for us. Now it enables Coventry to put out a full team for competitions. As for athletics in gen-eral, it has created a buzz and has seen an increase in all ages wanting to give athletics a go.”

Hopefully, the persistence and hard work of all the athletes in the team will pay off and they will really stand out this year.

VARSITY XIII 14

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VARSITY XIIISPORT

SATURDAY 9TH MARCHAmerican Football

AthleticsAthletics

BadmintonBasketball

CricketCricketCricketCricketFootballFootballFootballFootballFootballFootballNetballNetball

Rugby UnionRugby Union

SwimmingSwimming

SquashSquash

Volleyball

FRIENDLYLacrosse

Rugby LeagueRugby Union

SPORT

MONDAY 25TH FEBRUARYIce Hockey

WEDNESDAY 27TH FEBRUARYSnowsports

SUNDAY 3RD MARCHBadmintonBadminton

HockeyHockeyHockeyHockeyTennisTennisTennisTennis

WEDNESDAY 6TH MARCH Equestrian

Motor SportsLacrosseSnooker

Ultimate Frisbee

FRIDAY 8TH MARCHBasketball

Netball

TEAMS

M

MIX

M1M2M1M2W1W2M1M2M3W1

MXALLMIXM

OP

M1W1

HOST

Planet Ice

TBC

WarwickWarwickCoventryWarwickCoventryWarwick

Virgin ActiveVirgin ActiveVirgin ActiveVirgin Active

NeutralNeutral

WarwickNeutral

Warwick

WarwickWarwick

TIME

8.30

TBC

15.3015.3018.0014.0016.0012.00TBCTBCTBCTBC

14.0014.0014.0014.0014.00

17.2019.30

VARSITY XIII 21

VARSITY XIIISPORT

SATURDAY 9TH MARCHAmerican Football

AthleticsAthletics

BadmintonBasketball

CricketCricketCricketCricketFootballFootballFootballFootballFootballFootballNetballNetball

Rugby UnionRugby Union

SwimmingSwimming

SquashSquash

Volleyball

FRIENDLYLacrosse

Rugby LeagueRugby Union

HOST

CoventryWarwickWarwickCoventryWarwickWarwickWarwickWarwickWarwickCoventryCoventryCoventryCoventryWarwickWarwickWarwickWarwickCoventryCoventryWarwickWarwickWarwickWarwickCoventry

Warwick

Butts ArenaButts Arena

TEAMS

MMWW1W1M1M2M3W1M1M2M3M4W1W2W2W3M2W1LMM1M2M1

MIX

M1M1

TIME

13.0012.0012.0012.0014.1514.0012.3011.009.3014.0013.0013.0011.0014.00130012.3010.3014.0011.0013.0013.0013.0013.0012.00

13.00

17.3019.30

TIME

8.30

TBC

15.3015.3018.0014.0016.0012.00TBCTBCTBCTBC

14.0014.0014.0014.0014.00

17.2019.30

FIXTURES

VARSITY XIII 22

SATURDAY 9TH MARCH THE FINALE AT THE BUTTS ARENA

What is the highest competition you have competed in? National One-Day Championship with Essex.

How did you first get into your sport? I got into my sport at 7, through my local club Upminster.

Everyone remembers bringing a bat and playing quick cricket in the field during the summer

seasons. Well Varsity brings more than a friendly game to this fixture as the ri-valry really heats up between two well established teams.

With experienced players on the Cov-entry team currently working hard for that promotion into the UK’s Universi-ties Premier League they will be look-ing for revenge in the all-important battle against Warwick. We have four teams playing for Coventry, 3 men’s and 1 women’s team, Captain George Chapman says: “This year we have had a good intake of players both who are on a scholarship and also those who aren’t. I think we can win this year especially with the new talent that has joined this year”.

After winning one game and losing two to Warwick last year, George says: “Last year was a little disappointing for

CRICKETLeah Freeman

James Aggio-Brewe

Age: 21Status: 1st team CaptainCourse: Politics

us, but having played against them ear-lier in the year during an indoor fixture we beat them pretty convincingly rais-ing the confidence of the whole side”

So who should we watch out for? Well George reckons its “scholars Akash Shah and Kish Patel along with opening batsman James Middleton and fast bowler James Pearce” who will make it a close but spectacular match to watch! So if you want to see our old rivals meet their match, bring your banners and support the team.

VARSITY XIII 22

How do you expect to do this year? We expect to give it our best shot and see how we get on.

How do you get players pumped before a game, do you have any pre game rituals? As a new club we don’t currently have anything in particular which we do before a game.

How is your season going so far? The season is going well for the club as it is our first year in a league which is giving us all important game time.

What does it mean to you to represent your University? As a club we are very proud to represent the universi-ty. Especially at Varsity which will be highly competitive.

LACROSSEDylan O’Regan

This year Varsity sees a brand new sport enter the competition. Not only is it a brand new sport it is a

personal favourite of the Vice-Chancel-lor Madeleine Atkins herself. Welcome the Coventry University Lacrosse team to the mix!

Considering they have only been a part of the Students’ Union set-up this year, the team have already made a success-ful start to their campaign. Team Presi-dent, Zoe, described the excitement of being the ‘new team’ and explained how the club “only started in Freshers’ Week 2011, whilst officially becoming a club in December that year.”

Could you give us a brief description of the rules? Essentially the sport of Lacrosse is relatively simple, a ball is passed by throwing and catching the ball within the sticks, between play-ers and aimed at the goal. Coventry is currently playing mixed lacrosse which is non-contact.

What got you interested in a sport like Lacrosse? England Lacrosse helped to set up the club last year, and it’s a fast paced game which can become very tactical.

Who are your key players to watch out for? The key players to watch out for are Dan Khurram (Attack) and Lexy Davies (Centre).

VARSITY XIII 23

NETBALLLaetitia Motema

For the Netball team, Varsity is massively important to the club. The girls prepare rigorously for

the event with four hours of training a week; this varies between fitness, skills, game play and sprinting endurance; developing every aspect of the game. Having spoken to Vicki Curzons, Net-ball Team President, they are ready for Varsity 2013.

How are you preparing for your matches?

The first team and various members of the second team have two hours of strength and conditioning sessions each week again to increase perform-ance and lower injury risk.

How has your preparation differed from how you prepared last year?

The 3rd team will have completed their first year playing in BUCS and are also currently performing very well in the league, so we have great hopes for their Varsity performance. Unlike last year, alongside our coach, we also have one of the strength and condition-ing coaches developing our sprinting endurance for an hour each week. This will greatly help our performance and we are extremely grateful for the extra support.

What does Varsity mean for you?

To win all three of our Varsity games as a club would be incredible. Varsity day is all about having pride in representing the University. Together we support all the different sports participating and we all try to watch as many games as possible.

Tell me about your team selection process?

The teams that are selected will not vary tremendously unless in the event of injury. The girls have played together for up to 4 years in the same teams. We believe our squads are all strong.Knowing your team mates inside out will give an advantage to any team which gives us the greatest chance of winning performances.

What are your future plans for the team?

The girls will continue with light post season training, ensuring fitness and performance levels are kept high. Due to a lot of the girls graduating in 2013, we hope to recruit new members to the team. A lot of the girls will have the opportunity to play in the next academic year.

VARSITY XIII 24

EQUESTRIANGalya DimitrovaNETBALLLike all the sports that involve

animals, equestrian is exciting and surprising. It is all about

speed, adrenaline and the relation-ship between rider and horse. At the same time, it keeps in tune with nature because it’s played outside and makes its fans get some fresh air while watch-ing competitors push the boundaries with grace and enthusiasm.

Equestrian is one of the sports in the Varsity programme. 21-year-old Sports Management student Laura Zeidan is amongst the star players for the Coventry University Team. She became passionate for equestrian ever since she took her first riding lessons when she was only five years old. Her persistence and eagerness resulted in her taking part in FEI Eventing and Dengie UK Showjumping Champion-ships, in which she came out 4th.

President of the Equestrian Society, Tayah Chapman-Hurley answered a couple of questions we asked about the sport she likes so much and how confident she is about their performance this year.

Which gender generally prevails amongst the riders male or female? Female for us but professionally it is quite male dominated.

Do you teach people how to ride or do you recruit only people with experience? We offer riding lessons for all levels so anyone can have a go.

Which of the seven Equestrian disciplines do you practice? We mainly focus on dressage and show jumping and compete in these areas. However, we are keen to get involved with doing some cross country and trying out polo.

Which of them is the most exciting one for you and why? I have always been a keen show jumper from a young age, but since competing for the uni-versity I have become more interested in dressage.

How is your preparation going this year? Anything different? We have a great selection of riders this year and they are all training really hard. We have more experience of the type of competition style now and know where we need to improve.

Are you going to win? Yes, of course! We have to.

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SWIMMINGLaetitia Motema

Tom Rooke

Relating to last year’s Varsity results, the Women’s team unfortunately lost to Warwick’s

Swimming team 7-5 but the Men’s swimming team drew 6-6. Ryan Black-man, the President of the team said that although they did make a loss from the Women’s team last year, they will endeavour to get a win this year through hard work and training…

What’s the clubs training schedule like for team?

The University train three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday after-noons. A lot of our guys also train with the City of Coventry Swimming Club. Some of them have 5/6 swimming ses-sions a week, but the top guys are in the pool nine times a week and have a total of 16 sessions including land training.

What are the most technical aspects of the sport?

All of the strokes take years to perfect, but most new guys have a problem with the butterfly. But they’re getting there gradually!

Age: 22Course: Strength and Conditioning MSCIs there anything they eat before or after a competition?

I think it’s down to the individuals’ rou-tine. I know of guys who take sugar gel supplements just before, and people that swear by chocolate croissants on the morning of their races!

What are your goals and predictions for Varsity?

Last year we lost overall with the girls losing and boys drawing. This time we need to make sure we get a win from the girls, and fingers crossed the boys can pull something out of the bag this year.

VARSITY XIII 26

TENNISDylan O’Regan

CUSU Tennis club had a success-ful year at last year’s Varsity, with their first team winning

10-2 however their second team un-fortunately lost by the same score. They had a successful season in the Men’s team with promotion to the Premier Division and the Ladies team finished their debut season undefeat-ed, perhaps they are ready for an even more successful Varsity this year?

We managed to get team President Leanne McCallum to take some time out of her busy training and learning schedule to speak to us about their preparation for this year’s Varsity.

How did you guys get on last year with both varsity and your season?

Last year in Varsity the CUSU Tennis Club results were as follows: first team won 10-2, second team lost 10-2 so overall drawn as a result. Our season was a huge success, two of our three Men’s teams won their divisions and gained promotion, with the highlight being our Men’s first team gaining pro-motion to the premier division for the first time from taking part in the play offs. Our ladies team had an amaz-ing debut season winning their league undefeated and, the Regional Cup too, at the expense of Warwick University 2nd team in both.

Do you feel you have a stronger team this year going into Varsity?

Yes we have a much stronger team for both the Men’s and Ladies as competi-tion for places is very high; squad play-ers are having to work as hard as ever. Our men’s first team have had a great debut season in the premier division, so that experience should do well for the Varsity event. The men’s second and third teams are much stronger this year due to new players coming in adding to the competition and experi-ence of last year’s squad players.

Who are some of your key players to watch this year?

Jamie Taylor who played an impor-tant role in winning Varsity last year and Alan Lee Li Yen-Ti who is a new member of the first team and has had a strong season so far.

VARSITY XIII 27

SNOWSPORTSDylan O’Regan

ski/board in a 2 or 3 run final in which they must hit a certain amount of features in a run, the top three is then chosen from this final round.

Charlie has been snowboarding and skiing his whole life and he absolute-ly loves it. It’s the kind of experience that the team needs to come out with to win at Varsity. Last year there were issues with the scoring so both teams ended up drawing. “This year we have re-done the whole points system mak-ing a draw impossible, so I guess the pressure is on,” says Charlie. He then went on to talk about how they feel about this year’s Varsity; “We are feel-ing really confident this year that we should win, we have the strongest race team we have ever had and our free-style riders have been practicing all year so it should be good.”

The team practice every week across the UK to train at the dry slopes and occasionally at the snow domes. “The only issue is that the snow domes cost two or three times more than the dry slopes.” If you are interested in getting involved with the Snow Sports Charlie says; “We are always promoting and getting new people along, we meet every Thursday 8pm at the SQ Club, anyone can come along to just chill with a few drinks and meet everyone, we also take bookings for the next weeks dry slope trips at which we run open practice sessions and lessons throughout the year all for £15 includ-ing your transport, rental and slope time. Bargain!

Snowsports is always one of the most fun sports to watch and also probably take part in. Cov

Uni Snowsports probably have the most fun when taking part in their Varsity events which consists of skiing and snowboarding.

You’d probably wonder where snow sports would take place around such a dry place like Coventry; “We make do with what we have!” says Cov Uni Snow Sports President Charlie Smith. “We run weekly trips to Swadlincote Dry Slope and we try and get to the Snow Domes across the UK.” Charlie also said that their Varsity Day is held at the Dry Slope which gives them good prices and the outdoors makes it easier to spectate.

Charlie also gave us a detailed chat into how the events are scored and judged; “So there are three parts to our Varsity competition, Slalom Rac-ing, Head to Head Team Racing and freestyle, each of which have a ski and a snowboard category” he continued; “For racing we take the top three times for the males and top three for the fe-males and for the head to head team racing we keep it mixed and take the top three times overall. As for freestyle we have a 1-2 hour ‘freestyle jam’ in which all competitors are riding freely, dropping a run when they want and can hit whatever line they choose. A team of judges made up from Cov/Warwick/External freestyle judges will pick out certain riders from each Uni to

VARSITY XIII 28

BADMINTONGalya Dimitrova

Badminton is the marmite of sport; love it or hate it, every-one has tried it! We see it all too

regularly during the Olympics whilst it is often a featured part of school curriculum.

Here at Coventry University, there are three teams competing in BUCS; one women’s and two men’s. While Cam-bridge are likely candidates to take the league, the men’s first team are enjoy-ing a good season sitting comfortably in the top half of the Midlands 2B table. The women’s team have also enjoyed a good spell in the Midlands 3B league as they push for promotion. President of the Badminton team Joscha Wasser took some time out from his course to talk to us about team spirit, season expectations and Varsity.

Do you think the majority of people see badminton more as a pastime than a serious dedicated sport?

When most people are introduced to badminton they enjoy it as a great lei-sure activity, but when they play more often and their gameplay improves it can become very competitive.

Do you think badminton is a game that has room for showmanship?

World class badminton players of-ten show some special skills and trick shots during warm up or exhibition games but professionals rarely show-boat as they stay focused for the win.

What does representing your University mean to you?

I feel honoured to be allowed to represent Coventry University as the president and player of a big sport-ing team. My work towards the team is interesting and challenging but I believe together with the committee we achieved a good club climate and solid competitive side.

What are your expectations for both your teams and the other sports teams in this year’s Varsity?

Our ladies team will have their first ap-pearance this year in Varsity playing a friendly with the newly formed BUCS team, but certainly putting up a good fight. Our two Men’s teams trained hard to prepare themselves and im-prove last year’s result, when we were closely beaten in a deciding 3rd set 25-27. Overall expect big things from the Badminton team!

VARSITY XIII 29

Dylan O’Regan

Football is always a massive event across the globe and it is no different in Coventry when

Varsity rolls around. Last year, the Ricoh Arena hosted the main event featuring the Men’s and Women’s first teams. While the lads succumbed to a 1-0 tight defeat, the ladies were more successful at the 32,000 capacity stadium with a 2-0 victory. The foot-ball teams generally had a success at Varsity last year, winning three games, drawing one and losing one.

We spoke to president of the Men’s football teams Matthew Stone as they prepare for another epic battle against an old enemy. Matt expressed his thoughts on playing Varsity last year which was clearly a massive event for all teams. He said “it was a great expe-rience that a lot of the boys will never experience again and it was incredible to have an insight into what it must be like to play football for a living.”

Despite dominating most of the 90 minute battle, Matt explained how conceeding the only goal of the game was a devasting blow.

“We had worked extremely hard last year and rose to the occasion of play-ing at the Ricoh Arena, but it wasn’t meant to be. However, we are confi-dent that we are a much stronger team now with hope of promotion. The new additions to the team have really made a difference and the fresher’s from last year have really stepped up their game

MEN’S FOOTBALLand as a club we feel physically fitter and stronger.”

Neither the Men’s nor the Women’s team have seen Warwick play this year, but Matt agrees that they must focus on what for most is the biggest game of the season.

“All the old boys will tell you how important Varsity is, and we com-mu-nicate this with the fresher’s. There is so much passion and will to win when it comes to Varsity; I have never felt anything like it”.

Varsity is clearly an important event for the teams; It’s an event when they can represent every single student and member of staff in the university com-munity. Both teams so far are having a

VARSITY XIII 30

Age: 22Position: Right BackCourse: Sport & Exercise Science

What is the highest level you have competed at?

Represented England Universities at the Home Nations last year.

How did you first get involved in football? I watched a lot of football when I was growing up, and I try to emulate my all-time footballing hero Matt Long. His flair and heading ability inspired me, as well as his great hair.

MATT BANNISTER

brilliant season. “The Men’s first team are currently top of their league with the second team pushing for pro-motion in third. The third and fourth teams are exceeding expectations as they both hold respectable positions in their tables, so a mixed bag so far” says Matt.

Be sure to keep an eye out for some of Coventry’s key players on the men’s teams, Demetrius Smirckle and Matt Long who have graced the team with some fast paced trickery out wide as well as some chipping in and making some important goals. Another to watch is Matt Sanders in midfield, a one touch playmaker.

Matt Bannister and Jordan Toomey both represented England during the summer last year for the Universi-ties Home Nations tournament, so they pose an obvious threat to the opposition.

We are all looking forward to Varsity football this year after last year’s spec-tacular finales. Unfortunately there is no Ricoh Arena game this year, but there is always going to be fireworks and excitement when these two teams clash.

VARSITY XIII 31

BASKETBALLLaetitia Motema

Varsity 2012 was the biggest Varsity so far for the Basketball team. The Women’s team came

away with a 52-32 win and the Men’s team with a 72-68 win. On January 15th this year, Basketball fans were in for a treat when Coventry met War-wick in a league game at Coventry’s Sports Centre, just a few weeks before the two teams were supposed to go head-to-head on Varsity Day.

The first quarter was strong from both teams with it finishing up with a score of 22-20. As the second quarter got underway, Coventry just couldn’t contain Warwick’s number 10 who throughout the game was scoring endless three pointers, but Coventry just kept hitting back with more. The half time score was 40-36 to the home team.

The third quarter proved to be even closer with basket after basket, War-wick scored right on the buzzer so the starting score for the fourth and final quarter was 58-58. Coventry finally took control and started raking in the points, finishing on the buzzer with a sweet three pointer. Final score 77-67 to the home team. Warwick will be looking for revenge come Varsity, it is sure to be a game that will deliver. Make sure you come and watch if you want a buzzing atmosphere and even a better competition when the game tips off. Kc Onwuka, The President of the Men’s Basketball team told us more…

How do you get your players pumped up before a game?

Everyone has their own individual way of getting pumped up, so the most we can do is give them a good warm up, stretch out those muscles. I have to say team talks are paramount so we give them a quick pep talk and get everybody focused and ready. And if possible, some good music!

What was your best moment playing?

The great all round team performance and chemistry, the massive support from the crowd was really encouraging and the final buzzer, sealing the win. We can say that playing basketball at Coventry with some of the girls here, has been fantastic.

VARSITY XIII 32

What are your predictions for the team for this year’s Varsity day?

We’re going to win of course! Varsity 2013 for the basketball team is an expected win especially with our new first year recruits; we’re a stronger team this year.

What qualities do you look for in a basketball player?

We look for determination, com-mitment and a positive attitude and mind-set.

Have any players really stood out this year and why?

On the Men’s team there have been quite a few players that have stood out this season, purely because of the sheer determination and dedication they have displayed. But to be honest, I’m quite proud of both the teams, as it is very difficult to balance getting a degree and playing competitive bas-ketball. On the Women’s team there have been a lot of standout players also. In general, players on the team this year who play major parts in the success of the team include Uyio-sa Abifade, Billy Paronia, Kostaik-iss Prokopidis, Caleb A. Nelson and Jamie Burton to name a few. How-ever the player to look out for, I’m pretty sure most will agree is Stephen Danso. The team’s (and probably the league’s) top scorer. So far this season he averages 35 points per game! With a high percentage three point shot, Danso causes problems for opposing teams and should be a big problem for Warwick.

Age: 22Course: Mathematical StudiesWhat is the highest level you have competed at? Interna-tional Tournament in Spain 2009, against one pro team, one Spanish Academy team and an American University team. He was playing on an under 23’s team with some of the UK’s best players.

How did you first get into your sport? I first got into bas-ketball by following my older brother to the park. He was going to play basketball with his friends and that summer I was just in the house most of the time playing computer games, so I followed him. The first two shots I took, I made, and the rest is history...

Stephen Danso

VARSITY XIII 33

COVENTRY UNIVERSITY KARTING CLUBLast year the Coventry Motor-

sports team dominated Warwick University winning 4/6-2/6. Jon-

ny Culkin the President of the team has spoken of the dominance they had over Warwick last year and how they hope to continue their successful run this year in the Go-Karting races. After meeting Warwick once already this season and beating them by seven places, confidence is incredibly high.

Where do you practice? Regular CUKC meetings every 3 weeks at various tracks in the West Midlands.

How did you get involved in the motorsport society? First came across Coventry University Karting Club at the Freshers Fair in 2010. Became a mem-ber of the committee in my second year and I was elected President for this academic year.

How is this year’s Varsity preparation going and will you dominate again this year? The society overall is running well and our new members are strong. The only time we’ve come up against Warwick this year was in the Brit-ish University Karting Championships Northern Qualifier, where we finished 3rd and they placed much lower. The signs look good and our team has only got stronger through our new recruits and the continued improvement of es-tablished members.

Dylan O’Regan

Matt Sanders

Age: 21Course: Motorsport EngineeringWhat is the highest competition you have competed in? European Karting Championships (Finished 12th).

How did you get into Karting? My best friend at school, Chris was Turkish Karting Champion at the age of 12 and he introduced me, from then I was hooked.

VARSITY XIII 34

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So the Squash team are all set and ready to compete for this year’s Varsity. Preparations are going

well, training is of high quality and they are set to peak at the time of the Var-sity match. They have already faced Warwick twice this season and have taken the win each time, and with their star player Sam Gear who has fantastic movement, pace and power, it leaves us with no doubt that they will take the win again this year. The match will be played at the Virgin Active – War-wickshire Health and Racquets Club. I spoke to Jamie, the president of the Squash team to see how they’re get-ting on...

So how are your preparations going so far? Preparations and training are going well. Having faced Warwick twice this season and taken the win each time; we’re ready. What are your predication for this year’s Squash Varsity matches? I think this year’s Varsity match will be very tight, there are different pressures to the usual BUCS fixtures and both teams will be pumped for the fixture. Coventry to take it 3-2.

Who is your star player and why? Sam Gear, he has fantastic movement, pace and power. His anticipation to react to his opponents shot is second to none.

Laetitia Motema

SQUASH

Sam Gear

Age: 20Course: Sport and Exercise Science

Highest competition you have competed in: County Standard.

How did you first get into your sport: My dad first got him into the sport at the age of 13 at my local club.

VARSITY XIII 36

Highest break: 83

What is the highest competition you have competed in?Won the Individual Midlands Cup beating previous British University Champion Tom Foley in the process.

Persistence. Punctuality. Style. Complete concentration. Just a few of the qualities that define

the perfect snooker player. While pool may seems like a pastime game, it requires professional dedication if one wants to play it.

SNOOKER & POOLGalya Dimitrova

With snooker and pool being part of Coventry University’s Varsity Pro-gramme this year, it’s a huge leap for the teams who are hoping to build up their experience ready for the dis-trict leagues and the Midlands Cup. President of Snooker and Pool Society Jamie Bridden says: “Hours are being spent down at the practice tables, so hopefully we’ll do well!”

As one of the ultimate games of strategy, knowing when to play it safe and when to attack is one of the key skills, Jamie says: “By playing safe we mean leaving the cue ball in a place where your opponent cannot pot. Two players can have long safety battles, both trying to make sure they make no mistake and leave their opponent a chance to start potting.”

The Snooker team is playing on March 2nd at 2.00pm at Riley’s, Hertford Place. They are playing Pool the next day at the same time and venue.

Thomas Read

Age: 22Course: Computer Science

VARSITY XIII 37

Varsity is always a high point of the year. It celebrates a high standard of performance sport

between two great Universities, and it showcases the incredible variety of talented athletes whom we have. It is also wonderful to see the support the teams receive from students who come to watch and cheer them on.

I have been impressed with the efforts of everyone involved in our sports teams through the year. They represent their friends, colleagues and university every week and commit to training sessions as well. We have climbed up the BUCS Table and are now in the top 50 – a position we are all proud of but determined to improve still further.

So let’s make history and win Varsity this year!

My best wishes to everyone competing and supporting.

Professor Madeleine Atkins

Professor Madeleine Atkins

Vice-Chancellor Madeleine Atkins

VARSITY XIII 38

Vice-Chancellor Madeleine Atkins

VARSITY XIII 39

Editors

Ross McGroartyRyan Beasley

Writers

Dylan O’ReganLeah FreemanLaetitia MotemaGalya Dimitrova

Graphic Design

Coventry University Students’ Union Marketing Department

Many thanks to:

Coventry University Students’ Union Marketing DepartmentCoventry University Students’ Union Sports & Societies DepartmentCoventry University Marketing Department

Additional thanks to:

Matthew StoneVarsity Logo Designer

Varsity XIII Proudly Sponsored by

CSUUsports & societies

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