So as we all know White Rose Varsity has gone, disappeared from our calendar, and been replaced by a new tournament in the shape of a College Varsity against Durham. Of course as College Sport Officer at the University I’m going to suggest that this is a positive development, but I believe that such an assertion is by all means justified.
Sadly last year’s Varsity was a failure, partly due to the organisational deficiencies of Hull, which resulted in a series of serious problems occurring across the course of the day, culminating in the farcical situation which resulted in there being no winner at the end of the original competition. However, it would be wrong to absolve ourselves of all blame, as it would be fair to say that many societies and a large number of people simply weren’t interested in the event, and had other priorities.
As a result the event was always destined to struggle, and it was inevitable that it would be compared to the magnificent, atmospheric weekend that is Roses. Quite simply White Rose Varsity never really stood a chance of developing into a tournament of the same stature and prestige, with Roses always destined to take priority. Now by no means do I expect this new College Varsity to immediately become a colossal event such as Roses which engrosses the whole of campus, but there is undoubtedly the potential for it to become an overwhelming success.
One of the biggest advantages is that unlike White Rose Varsity, this tournament will be completely different to Roses, will appeal to a different sub-section of sportsmen and women, and should see very few if any comparisons drawn between the two. The most striking difference is that it will be college teams participating in the event rather than the University sides who are busy concentrating on their BUCS campaigns and preparation for Roses.
Of course the standard of sport therefore won’t be as high, but there is no reason that an excellent atmosphere and a general buzz can’t be created as at Roses. For a whole tournament to be dedicated to college sport says a lot about the system in place here at York, and with 16 sports, 19 leagues and over 3,000 people engaged in our inter-mural programme there are few institutions that can rival or better us.
The one however that undoubtedly does is Durham, and their model is one that we can learn a lot from to help to push forward our own system. In that respect it is a great privilege to be able to compete against the institution that sets the benchmark for collegiate sport, and reiterates the fact that we are near the very top for college sport.
Hopefully a sense of excitement and anticipation will be generated in the months leading up to the event, and that the University community will embrace the tournament and help it to succeed. Like everything it is reliant on receiving student support, and with the backing of the student population an atmosphere akin to Roses can be created, providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for those representing their University in one of their college sport teams.
Many college sports players will never get the opportunity to be involved in Roses, but now they have the opportunity to focus on working towards appearing in a major event such as this, which should inspire people to want to represent their college. In a way this is a type of end goal, an event that everyone should desire to be involved in, and one which will hopefully serve as a target for all those people who regularly engage with college sport.
In the long term it can only have a positive impact on college sport, helping to improve participation rates, by providing an extra incentive to get involved and raising the profile of the sporting system as a whole. And as a result of that, the standard of college sport should be enhanced as well, with the long term vision of working towards a more professional and engaging inter-mural programme, which still offers the opportunity for everyone to get involved.
Undoubtedly I’m biased, but I thoroughly believe that this is a proactive and positive development, which has seen an old, tired and largely defunct tournament replaced by a new and potentially absorbing event which will engage a different group of people, and provide another exciting angle to sport here at York. In truth though it isn’t my opinion that matters, it’s yours. Nevertheless I hope you embrace the tournament, strive to get involved, and most of all give it a chance.