ROSES 2016: The centuries old conflict that makes warriors of York athletes

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Every year, hundreds of thousands of faces huddle together along the banks of the Thames to see which group of spandex-clad Oxbridge students sinks first.

While the boat race may be the most recognisable staple of British student sport, by the standards of Roses, it has barely even caught on.

The Ouse was the venue for a similar race between York and Lancaster in 1965. That affair, organised by the York vice-chancellor, was just the beginning of what has now become the largest inter-university sports tournament in the whole of Europe.

The story of Roses really begins in the dynastic 15th century Wars of the Roses, where blood-feuding royals settled a sizable family matter. York will doubtless be hoping for a better outcome than Richard III.

Book and show fans alike will be keen to note the conflict that inspired Roses is also behind Game of Thrones, and across the weekend YSTV will be broadcasting similar gut-wrenching, merciless and possibly bloody struggles from across Lancaster’s grounds.

Roses is a massive event, less a tournament and more a festival. Organisers promise to “bring the entire campus to life” with music across nine different stages.

But sport is the reason everyone will be there. Teams will play in nearly 130 fixtures across three days.

The opening ceremony on Friday night will celebrate women in sport as the York Women’s Football 1sts head off the Lancaster team. “I’m definitely looking forward to the game and the atmosphere,” explains captain Alisha Miallr. “There will be a lot of people there – all the support is going to be incredible!”

The imperative for York this year will be to avoid being intimidated by playing 70 miles away in Lancaster. That the majority of fans will cheer on the opposition will be as challenging as sleeping on lecture theatre floors.

Ultimately the competition will come down to the mindset of York teams, who are cautiously confident in the face of their opponents.

“By creating a high standard of practice the Centurions will be organised and well drilled and ready to lay down some pain,” the American football team say. But it will be “an inevitably physical and hard hitting game.”

A home advantage has always been very important at Roses, but York have won away four times in the past. In 1976, keen to prove it could be done, York claimed an extraordinary victory in Lancaster to bring the trophy home after losing six years in a row. We won there again most recently in 2008.

It is daunting that the Roses represents the next fight in a conflict that started 560 years ago. But when it comes to sport, York won the first Roses and York won the last Roses – not to mention York have won more than Lancaster in between.

Regardless of the victor: from the fields of Bosworth to the pitches of Lancaster this is a massive, testing event with a history that makes warriors out of mere athletes. The London boat thing pales in comparison.