The War Of the Roses

football-womens1
Womens football 1sts at this year’s Roses

If you join a sports society this year, get ready for the 2nd and 3rd years to not only educate you in the biggest sport event of the year for the university, but probably never stop educating you about it, and why you have to get involved.

It’s kind of a big deal.

The most important sporting weekend of the year, the weekend where all the sport societies unite together as a force to take on arch rivals Lancaster university in an epic clash, the modern version of that classic battle (but even more fierce); the war of the roses.

At Roses, every sport society at the university faces up against their Lancaster counterpart; with all the matches worth a certain amount of points for each university’s overall score, with teams competing for the famous Carter James trophy and the bragging rights for the year. Last year, Lancaster won the competition with a total of 183.5 to York’s 142.5, this year, it’s York’s for the taking.

This time around Roses will be held in York, which is even more of a reason to be excited, not just because it means that during the weekend you can sleep in your own bed and not have to camp out on a lecture floor, but it means York will be overwhelming favorites to claim back the title, and it will all be happening on our campus!

Having the competition in York also means that the support will be phenomenal, and when you’re playing against Lancaster, who make no mistake always give strong performances across the board, a rousing support of a home crowd can really help spur the competitors on.

For those simply attending as a spectator, Roses mirrors a music festival, a weekend of celebration and festivities, students spoilt for choice with the amount of sports to watch, the variety meaning they’ll always be something you’ve never seen before, last year the water polo was a particularly big hit, York emerging victorious with a 6-4 win. Also on the bill are volleyball, tennis, athletics, basketball, archery, ball room dancing, you name it, it happens at roses!

But for those competing, the sense of competition is not taken lightly. York’s 1sts rugby are unbeaten at Roses for the past 6 years, their battle against the reds of Lancaster is always a highlight of the weekend. The definite clash that is not to be missed is the opening ceremony, with the men’s 1st football team last year grabbing a last minute equaliser in the first clash of the weekend, their emphatic celebration showing the importance of the points at stake. Having been named roses team of the for 2013, the women’s football team were disappointed to lose 4-1 in their clash last year, but on home soil they will be desperate for revenge this time around. The women’s Lacrosse team hammered Lancaster 13-1 and will be hoping to repeat this success in the summer term of 2015.

Roses is something you will always remember from your time at York, whether you are competing or cheering on the side lines, it is unique in that it brings the whole community together through sport, and above everything, celebrates the ridiculous talent we can boast of at the university.

If anything persuades you to join a sport society this year, Roses will.