Varsity 2018 is looming over Nottingham like a giant balloon full of explosive excitement and vehement sporting action.
To further this anticipation, tickets are now on sale as of midday today, Monday 12 March.
Last year, Nottingham Trent fell to the University of Nottingham in a phenomenal display of sporting talent.
Despite some fierce fighting from the Trent Army, the series score stood at 12-9 to UoN as the action fizzled out for another year.
However, Trent did see an improvement over the previous year in 2016, when the series score finalised at 13-8 to University of Nottingham.
VARSITY 2017 – A BRIEF RECAP
Last year, some of the best sporting displays came from both women’s and men’s football.
To begin, Trent women presented a nail-biting encounter with UoN.
As the clock hit 33 minutes, Trent striker Mallory Illsley managed to slot a 25-yard long-range shot in the back of the net, tickling UoN keeper Sarah Buckley’s fingers as it passed her by.
NTU managed to keep the score locked and UoN rattled – ending the game at 1-0. Meadow Lane was subsequently buzzing with energy, allowing Trent men to go into their game feeling empowered.
The men’s team graced Meadow Lane with a feisty presence, with a swooping cross to Josh Barr-Roston ending with a goal from the main man in the first two minutes of the match.
Before half-time, Trent were up 2-0, and this continued until the very end in what was a fairly routine game for Trent Army. Despite UoN being handed a penalty, they ultimately failed to convert the opportunity, leaving Trent to claim the silverware.
Basketball also presented some glorious action, with some particularly magical on-court defence from the women’s teams in a game that had everyone on the edge of their seats.
Unfortunately, Trent women failed to beat the buzzer and take flight and fell to UoN by a marginal 6 points.
After the women’s game, there was enough energy in the Motorpoint Arena to power Nottingham itself.
The game was a slow burner to begin, with plenty of missed free-throw attempts from UoN, reminiscent of NBA star Dwight Howard’s shaky shooting.
Once Trent’s President, William Parkin, had finished laying into Trent for a poor first quarter, they came back with much more energy for the remaining three quarters.
Such energy from the crowd and players inspired the epic win for Trent, finalising with a score of 80-70 to NTU.
American Football saw Trent Army win by a broad margin, the final score standing at 25-12, and the men’s Rugby team managed to secure a win with a tremendous final score of 34-13 – leaving UoN trailing in the mud.
Trent also managed a knock-out bout in Thai Boxing, making NTU the undefeated Thai Boxing champions for two years running.
The final score stood at 5-3 to Trent, after NTUs Ed Scase managed a 55-second first-round knockout in the Heavyweight clash to end the competition.
However, Trent Army’s efforts simply weren’t enough for the fighting force of UoN, leaving NTU in the lurch as the final series score tallied at 12-9 to the opposition.
Check out the infographic below for a full score roundup of last year’s Varsity series:
CHANGES TO NOTE
This year, however, a few changes have been made to the series.
It has been announced that there will be no season tickets available, as each event will have its very own ticket.
Tickets for all events will be available for advance purchase by following the link at the top of the article.
Super Wednesday events are, as always, free to attend – so there’s all the more reason to support Trent Army in what will no doubt be another battle of two great forces.
Football has undergone some major changes after last year saw crowds invade the football pitch in an impassioned but consequential action.
Spectating at football will now be limited to invited guests and club members only and there will, unfortunately, be no tickets available for general sale.
As with each year, it is recommended tickets are purchased well in advance to avoid disappointment.
LOOKING AHEAD
This year has tremendous potential, as Trent Army has been marching forward and gaining ground on the victors with each consecutive year.
The series will begin on Wednesday 25 April, with the very first ‘Super Wednesday’ of the year.
As with each year, Super Wednesdays consist of a huge array of sports – and this year is no different.
Expect handball, badminton, canoe polo, swimming, water polo, fencing, karate, table tennis, volleyball and golf all in one highly competitive day. These will all be taking place at the David Ross Sports Village.
As the Varsity Oath goes: May the best team win!
By Joe Locker