One of the biggest sporting events in the South West, Varsity 2017-18, is back, with students from the University of the West of England (UWE) and Bristol University coming together to compete in a series of sporting challenges.
The Series, which is organised by both universities, The Students’ Union at UWE and Bristol Students’ Union, takes place at a number of sporting venues across the city.
Kicking off at the beginning of October with a Colour Run, Varsity is now gearing up for its next set of exciting events.
On the 9 November, UWE and Bristol University will go head to head in the Varsity Darts at Walkabout Bar. The event, which was a sell out last year, is the perfect chance for students to enjoy some fun and friendly competition.
Erin Mills, VP Sport and Health of The Students’ Union at UWE, commented: “Varsity is our biggest sporting event of the year, covering everything from rowing to a giant inflatable sports festival. There really is something for everyone, whether you want to take part, volunteer or come along to enjoy the atmosphere.
“It is also a great way of showcasing our sporting abilities and facilities to the City of Bristol, as well as building our relationship with Bristol University and raising money for charity. The chosen charity this year will be Off The Record, which provides mental health and wellbeing support to young people in Bristol.”
John House, Sport and Student Development Officer at the University of Bristol Students’ Union, commented: “This year’s Varsity is going to be bigger and more exciting than ever before, with new events and more students than ever involved.
“I’m so proud to work with such a vast number of students who are really committed to their sports both at Bristol and UWE and I can’t wait to show the city exactly what our students are capable of, with athletes at the top of their game competing across all the events.
“I’m delighted this year to also be able to offer so many participation events, from our colour runs to Varsity Day. With all of this on offer, the Bristol Varsity Series 2017-18 is definitely going to be another one to remember!”
Over the past six years, Varsity in Bristol has raised over £70,000 for local charities and both universities’ students’ unions, and grown to see almost 3,000 students compete in the sporting activities each year.
The next few months will see some of the most popular events taking place, including the Water Polo on 2 December.
Highlights for the New Year include the March Colour Run, which will be open to the wider community and local schools, as well as Varsity Day, which sees almost 2,000 athletes compete in 27 sports in the South West’s biggest one-day multi-sport event. Other highlights include the Boat Race and the 10K, which are both sponsored by Ashfords LLP. The competition is sure to heat up as both universities compete for this year’s trophy.
Sport and physical activity is known to have a positive impact on mental wellbeing. With the Varsity Series being run differently this year, spread across seven months, the hope is that it will allow more students to find the time to get involved. Previous years have seen all events take place in March, conflicting with approaching dissertation deadlines and NSS Surveys or boycotts, which restricted those who could take part.
This year the Varsity Series is working in collaboration again with Sugar Smart Bristol. The events are a great way of encouraging students to get involved in different sports and activities and to represent their university in one of the biggest sporting events in the South West. With the tagline changing to ‘Two Universities, One City’, the idea of embracing the team spirit of the sporting events is more prevalent than ever.
Event
Date
Location
Darts
9 November
Walkabout Bar, Bristol
Water Polo
2 December
Hengrove Pool
Friday Night Lights
2 February
Coombe Dingle
Netball
11 February
SGS WISE
Poetry Slam
14 February
TBC
Colour Run
3 March
Basketball
18 March
Varsity Day
21 March
Various locations
Giant Inflatable Sports Festival
25 April
Varsity Boat Race
28 April
Harbourside
Varsity 10K
29 April
If you would like further information on the above Varsity events, including timings, please visit varsityseries.com/fixtures