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8th Day UK is a sport, adventure and social club for anyone who wants to make the most of their spare time! We organise loads of activities in the evenings during the week, as well as day trips and overnight trips at weekends, and the occasional holiday. Sports range from running and team sports to fencing, firewalking, skiing, diving, walking with wolves and surf weekends. Basically, anything and everything, and the social side is pretty exhausting too! See www.8thdayuk.com for all the info.
Getting Started Orienteering is an exciting outdoor adventure sport which takes place in varying terrain over various distances. The aim is to navigate in sequence between a set of control points marked on a unique orienteering map and decide the best route to complete the course in the quickest time. The standard orienteering distance is known as a ‘classic or long distance’ race however modernisation of the sport has introduced the ‘middle distance’ race and ‘sprint distance’ race. A good way to get started would be to try a local permanent orienteering course. These courses can be located in a forest, local town or country park. To find out where your nearest course is, go to the ‘Permanent Courses’ section of this website. To experience the full excitement of orienteering you will need to attend an orienteering event, which usually take place on a Sunday morning. Here you will find lots of experienced orienteers who will be able to help you get started. Types of Events There are many types of orienteering events, including Local, District, Regional, National and Championship events. There are also Night Events, Relays and Score Events. Young children can also take part in string courses where they have their own map and follow a line of string which takes them around a set of controls marked by fun characters. Clubs also club training, summer evening events, Saturday morning events or come-and-try-it events. These can be a little less frequent than district events depending on how active the club is. All different types of local and district events are ideal for newcomers. Colour Coded Courses The most common type of event put on by clubs is called a district event which offers a range of courses which vary in length and technical difficulty rating. The courses are colour-coded from White, which is for children, including parents with pushchairs, through to Brown, which is for people who can run at speed over long distances, through tough terrain and are able to navigate at the same time. Courses are graded according to their technical difficulty (TD) and length. The TD scale runs from: TD1 = Very easy TD5 = Very difficult White (TD1) White courses are very easy with all controls on paths. They are mainly used by 6-10 year olds and family groups. Length of course 1.0 – 1.5km Yellow (TD2) Yellow courses use simple linear features like paths, walls and streams. They are mainly used by under 12’s and families. Length of course 1.5 – 2.5km Orange (TD3) Orange courses progress to basic use of the compass and route choice. They are ideal for novice Orienteers. Length of course 2.5 – 3.5km Red (TD3) Red courses are technically similar to an orange course. They are used by beginners wanting a longer run. Length of course 3.5 – 7.5km Light Green (TD4) Light green courses are ideal for improvers as the technical difficulty begins to increase and uses simple contours and ‘point’ features. Length of course 2.5 – 3.5km Green (TD5) Green courses are technically difficult and use contour and point features. They are used mostly by experienced under 18’s and adults wanting a short but challenging course. Length of course 3.5 – 5.0km Blue (TD5) Blue courses are technically difficult and are a longer, more physically demanding course in comparison to the green. The distances are also more varied between controls and the course attracts experienced Orienteers. Length of course 5.0 – 7.5km Brown (TD5) Brown courses are physically demanding and technically difficult. They are designed to challenge experienced orienteers. Length of course 7.5 – 10.0km Back to top Going to an Event Once you have found a suitable event on the fixtures list you need to locate the venue. The grid reference for the event car park will be shown as a hyperlink in the fixtures list. Clicking the link will show you the exact location of the car park through www.streetmap.co.uk. Most events featured in the fixtures list will also provide a link to the organising club’s website where further information can be found. The directions to an event will often explain how to get to a certain point on a major road, and then tell you to follow the orienteering signs. These are arrows, usually hung from posts or fences, which point the way to the car park. They may say 'Orienteering', or 'O', or just be marked with the orienteering symbol, which is a square divided into red and white triangles. The car park will often turn out to be a farmer's field, and may well be off the main road and down narrow lanes. Keep following the arrows until you see marshals who will show you where to park. Sunday morning district events normally have start times between 10.30am and 12.30pm, with courses closing at 3.30pm, and event entry from 10am until 12pm. There will normally be an enquiries point so if you have any questions, however trivial they may seem, just ask. Back to top What you will need to orienteer Comfortable clothes for walking or running in, that you don’t mind getting dirty. Competition rules will normally require full leg cover. You can also buy specially designed orienteering clothes, which offer full body covering but remain lightweight and breathable. Trainers or walking shoes, preferably waterproof and with a good grip. There are specially designed orienteering shoes which are studded lightweight running shoes. Prices of these range from £40 - £70. A lightweight waterproof, if the weather forecast is poor. Money for your entry fee A compass is always useful but not strictly necessary if you are orienteering on a White, Yellow or Orange course. You can often buy a compass at the event, if you want one. Starter compasses cost less than £10. A safety whistle is sometimes compulsory, especially in difficult terrain, but you can usually buy that too, if you need to. A red pen to mark your course on your map and a transparent A4 plastic envelope to put your map in if the maps are not pre-printed. At larger events courses will have already been printed onto the maps so you will not require a red pen for these events. Pictured: A compass Specialist Orienteering Shops You will often find mobile shops at events that sell orienteering products. The two main suppliers are: Compass Point: www.compasspoint.co.uk Ultrasport: www.ultrasport.co.uk Back to top Registration The first thing to do is register, i.e. enter the event. This might be somewhere indoors, a car, or a tent, easily identifiable as the centre of activity in the car park and will normally have a ‘registration’ or ‘enquiries’ sign outside of it. Registering is normally a two stage process: payment and getting a start time. To receive your start time you must first decide which course you would like to do. Choosing a Course At registration there will be some sort of sign detailing the length, the height to be climbed and the technical (navigational) difficulty of each course. As this is your first event you will probably enter a colour coded course. Children who have not orienteered before should enter a White or Yellow course, and be accompanied by an adult who can help them with the map. Adult novices might want to start with the Orange course, which is the longest course before the technical difficulty increases. If you complete your first course quickly and successfully it is often possible to try another if there is enough time and available start times. Once you have chosen the course you would like to participate in, you can complete the registration process. Every competitor on each course has their own start time, so you will first be asked what time you would ideally like to start. You should ask how far it is to the start and allow yourself plenty of time to get there. You will be asked your name, your club (not compulsory) and your age class. Although you will be asked your age class at all events, you will only compete in your age class at Regional, National and Championship events. Back to top Age Classes Your age class is determined by your gender and how old you will be on the 31st December of the year of the competition. So even if a person is not aged 40 until December 2007 they will compete in W/M 40 from January 2007. W/M refers to gender. Your Age Your Age Class 10 and Under M/W 10 12 and Under M/W 12 14 and Under M/W 14 16 and Under M/W 16 18 and Under M/W 18 20 and Under M/W 20 *Any Age M/W 21 35 and Over M/W 35 40 and Over M/W 40 45 and Over M/W 45 50 and Over M/W 50 55 and Over M/W 55 60 and Over M/W 60 65 and Over M/W 65 70 and Over M/W 70 * M/W 21 is an open class that anybody can enter Junior Ability Classes At Regional events juniors can also enter in their ability class which is determined by the length of the course. Classes Distance (KM) JM1, JW1 1.30 – 1.70 JM2, JW2 1.70 – 2.30 JM3,JW3 2.20 – 3.00 JM4, JW4 2.60 – 4.00 JM5S, JW5S 3.20 - 4.80 JM5M, JW5L 4.40 - 6.60 JM5L 6.00 - 9.00 National Incentive (Badge) Scheme The National Badge Scheme awards badges on the basis of performance over a series of events. Further information can be found here. Back to top Equipment To complete the orienteering course you need to prove that you visited each control and to do this you need to “punch”. Punching a control registers that you have visited the control and is usually done through an electronic card. At some small events you may still have to use a tradition control card. Electronic Cards An electronic card is used to confirm that you have visited all the controls in the correct order. The card is the size of your finger or palm and attaches to your finger with an elasticated, adjustable band. The card is used as a timing device and also logs the time you visit each control so you are able to view your splits after you have finished. This is useful as you can compare yourself against other competitors. There are two main brands of electronic cards, Emit and Sport Ident. You are able to purchase your own electronic cards, but the cost varies from £18 - £50 so it is probably only worth buying one if you start orienteering regularly as you are able to hire one for a fee of around £1 at each event. If purchasing your own electronic card you would also need to decide which brand to purchase depending on which brand is used at the majority of events you go to. The two main brands are: Emit www.emit.co.uk Sport Ident www.sportident.co.uk Control Cards At smaller events, electronic punching may not be available so in order to record that you have actually visited all the controls on your course you will be given a paper or tyvek control card. You will need to complete your personal details in the top section and on the stub on the right hand side. You can use safety pins to attach the control card to your clothing on your arm/stomach/leg or you could buy a small clip from an orienteering shop which you clip onto the top left corner of the control card and put the attached loop around your wrist. At events where control cards are used, each control will have a control punch. A punch is similar to a stapler and each one has a unique pattern. Punching this pattern onto your card is proof that you have visited the correct control. Control Descriptions To help you navigate to each control you will be provided with a control description sheet. There are two types of control description, written descriptions and pictorial descriptions. Written descriptions are used for novice courses and as you progress you will notice the transition to pictorial descriptions. The description will tell you what feature the control is on, such as a track or a knoll (small hill) and where on the feature the control is located such as track junction or north west side of the knoll. For example: Written - Feature Written - Where Pictorial - Feature Pictorial - Where Knoll North West Side • The large oval in the first column represents a knoll and the smaller dot next to the circle in the second column represents where the control is in relation to the feature. This is a pictorial example of a control description. If the control description had written descriptions it would simply say “Knoll, North West Side.” A full list of IOF Control Descriptions can be found here. Back to top Starting the Course Before the start you will either be given a blank map to mark your own course on at the start, or you will be issued with a pre-printed map on the start line, which will already have your course marked on. If you have been given a blank map to mark your course on yourself, take some time to look at the map and note the paths, streams, buildings, and so on. Any unfamiliar symbols will be explained in the legend. You might also want to note the map scale and the contours, to get some idea of how far things are, and what is up or down hill, and how steep it is. These details can be useful but you don't strictly need them if you are doing one of the simpler courses. You should also check whether there are any 'Map Corrections'. These will show any changes since the map was drawn. They will also show any areas which are out of bounds, e.g. roads or cultivated fields. Copy the corrections on to your own map. If the maps have been pre-marked with the courses, all map corrections and out of bounds area will have been marked on for you. Increasingly, it is possible to copy down a White or Yellow course before the start. This makes it less confusing for children, and gives adults more time to explain to them what they need to do. It also gives novices on longer courses a chance to see what a master map looks like. At the Start The way to the start should be indicated by arrows, tapes hung from trees, or a steady procession of competitors in running clothes. Try to arrive at the start at least 10 minutes before your start time, because you will be called a few minutes in advance. If you are using paper/tyvek control cards the detachable stub will be taken as a record that you have started. This means that even if you abandon your course you must hand the other part of your control card in at the Finish. A stub without a matching card means that a competitor has gone missing, and someone could spend hours looking for you. If you are using electronic punching you may be required to ‘punch’ at the start which involves you placing your electronic card onto a unit which starts the timer. At the end of the race you are required to ‘download’ the information which is on your electronic card. If you do not download the organisers will not know whether you have finished or not. At the start whistle, or a beep from an electronic clock, you either copy your course down onto your blank map from a master map or you pick up a pre-marked map. The triangle on the map marks the start (where you are now) and there with be an orange and white orienteering banner/flag indicating where the start is on the ground. On some occasions you may need to follow red and white tape to the start banner, once you arrive at the banner you are at the triangle on the map. The numbered circles on your map indicate the controls you need to find, in the order you need to find them. The straight lines joining the circles are to indicate which is the next control. The control description sheet tells you what you are looking for, e.g. a path junction, a large boulder, or a ditch end. When you find the control there will be some letters or numbers which should correspond to those on your control description sheet. If they do, you have found the right place. If they don't, it isn't your control! The double circle on the map indicates the finish, where you should hand in your control card even if you retire, or ‘punch’ your electronic card. Back to top Orienteering Maps Orienteering maps are drawn to a large scale, most commonly 1:15000 (1cm=150m) or 1:10000 (1cm=100m) but for orienteering in parks you use a map drawn in a scale of 1:5000. All maps use an internationally agreed set of symbols and these are logical and easy to learn. You will absorb much of the information simply by attending your first few events but a comprehensive booklet of these symbols can be ordered through the National Office. Most orienteering maps will also provide a detailed legend to help you understand the map. Orienteering maps are drawn using magnetic north rather than ‘grid’ or ‘true’ north, and are printed in up to five standard colours. The colours are an integral part of the map symbols: Black is used for most man-made features such as buildings and rock features such as cliffs, crags and boulders Brown is used to show landform, including contour lines, gullies, pits and knolls (small hills). Blue is used for water features such as lakes, ponds, marshes and streams White and Green are used to depict the density of woodland and the extent to which it impedes progress. Open ‘runnable’ woodland is left white with progressively darker shades of green mean increased density, ranging from ‘slow run’ to ‘difficult’ (or walk) through to ‘impenetrable’(or fight). Yellow is used for unwooded areas with a solid yellow for grassy spaces such as playing fields and a paler yellow for rougher terrain (‘rough open’) such as heather. Combinations of yellow and green show other types of terrain which will be explained in the legend. Back to top Route Choice By using the map, legend and control description sheet, imagine you are trying to navigate from control 3 to 4. You will have found control 3 (Knoll, E. side) just before the major road. Just to be sure, check the code (31) matches your control description sheet and use the punch to confirm that you have been to that control. Now it’s your choice how to get to Control 4. You could use any route, but the three most obvious are; Go north up the road until you reach a path on your right. Follow this until it passes through a gap in the fence and then continue along a wide ride. When you reach the vehicle track, turn right (south east) and follow it for 150 metres, bringing you to Control 4, code 77. This time you go to your right (due east) across the rough open land until you reach the fence bend. Follow the short section of fence until a wide ride is reached at the next bend in the fence. Now follow the ride as it curves around to the left. Upon reaching the vehicle track, go left for 250 metres until you come to control 4. The first two ways involved following tracks and rides, but you could follow a more direct route using a compass and go straight across the rough open land and through the open forest until you reach the vehicle track. If you do, it will be best to ‘aim-off’ to the left, so you will know that you need to turn right to Control 4 when you reach the vehicle track. If you aim straight for the control but can’t see it when you reach the track, you won’t know which way to turn. Although slightly longer and a bit slower, aiming-off can save time in the long run. Please remember that whether you visit all the controls or not, you must always report to the finish. This is the golden rule of orienteering, preventing unnecessary searching for ‘missing’ competitors. Your co-operation will be appreciated. Back to top Top Tips for Beginners Below are five basic skills that you need to practice to help you progress with orienteering. 1. Fold your map - Always make sure that you fold your map so that you can easily see the part of the map where you are. 2. Orientate your map - Always make sure that your map is the correct way round or orientated. This means that the features which are in front of you on the ground are in front of you on the map. You can also orientate your map using a compass by making sure that the north lines on the map point the same way as the north or red end of the compass needle. Each time you change direction you should change your grip on the map so the map is still orientated north. 3. Thumb your map - To help you know where you are on the map it helps if you mark your position on the map with your thumb. As you move along the ground you should move your thumb to your new position on the map. It is usual to move your thumb to the new position at a "Check Point" such as a path junction or some other obvious feature where you will stop or slow down and check where you are. 4. Check your control card - Once you have found a control you always need to check that the code on your control description sheet matches the code on the control. You should also check that the control is situated on the correct feature on your map. You will then know for sure that you have reached the correct control. 5. Have fun and enjoy yourself - This is the most important skill to remember. Orienteering should always be fun and enjoyable! Further Information For more tips and advice please visit the “Coaching” sections of the British Orienteering Website. www.britishorienteering.org.uk http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/findaclub.php http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/event/findevent.php
Quite simply the biggest and best student kitesurfing club in the UK. Fact.
This group is to celebrate the mountains of Africa. From the mighty Kilimanjaro and the equatorial snows of Mount Kenya to the Atlas range and mythical Mountains of the Moon. Share your photos and adventures and maybe inspire others to follow in your footsteps.
CLIMBING AND HILL-WALKING IN BRITAIN
With relatively cheap air travel, and companies offering guided trips to climb Mount Everest, it is easy to forget the challenges closer to home on British Mountains. There is possibly more varied high country in a small area in Britain than anywhere else in the world. From the heather clad moors and limestone valleys of the Peak District, to the near arctic conditions on the Cairngorm plateau. From the big mountains of the West Highlands of Scotland to the cloud piercing Cuillin of Skye and glacially scoured magic of Inverpolly and the far north-west. Add to all that the vagaries of British weather and you have a rich tapestry of experiences. This group is for anyone who loves the high places of Britain, weekend walkers, long distance backbackers, scramblers, rock jocks and ice climbers. Share your photos and adventures, inspire others to follow in your footsteps, or just make us go "ooooooooooooooo" at your pretty pictures.
This is a group for lovers of horse back riding to talk about and discuss different experiences within horse riding. I am part of a social equestrian team, who take part in competitions and social events frequently so it would be nice to hear from other teams with similar qualities.
Havant Pumas are based in Portsmouth and are the longest serving volleyball team in the Portsmouth area. We are a mixed-gender volleyball club with an age range of 14 upwards, catering for all levels of ability from beginners to experienced players. We practice on thursday evenings between 8 and 10pm at Admiral Lord Nelson School in Portsmouth. Come along and give it a go - the first session is free! For futher information, check out our website (havantpumas.co.uk).
HIMALAYAN CLIMBING AND TREKKING
This is a group for people who love climbing and trekking in the Himalaya. We hope it will attract walkers, extreme high altitude climbers, and everyone inbetween. Whether you are just interested in exploring hidden valleys, or chasing new routes and first ascents on the big mountains, we hope you will find something for you in this group. Post your photos, share articles on your adventures and hopefully inspire others to follow in your footsteps.
We're here to promote mountain sports, primarily hiking through organising trips to the mountains and other areas of natural beauty.
In many ways orienteering could be one of the most popular sports in the world, with its combination of physical and mental skills, but it suffers from some very dodgy negative stereotypes in the media (certainly in the UK anyway). This group is a place where people who have seen the "orienteering light" can get together occasionally to share photos, blogs and experiences. Maybe we can help to spread the word too, de-bunking the stereotypes and encourage a few more people to try our favourite sport. This group is not affiliated to any particular club or national governing body, although I would encourage people to join their local club to get full benefit from orienteering. At the elite level orienteering is a full-on adventure sport practiced by super fit individuals, but it can also be the perfect sport for families to compete together, all at their own level. This group welcomes people of all levels of ability from World Championship contender to local plodder, bring it on!
Oxford University Handball Club
Season to remember for Blues handball team By PIERRE PURSEIGLE Champions: The Blues celebrate a fantastic season When the fi nal whistle was blown last Sunday at the Handball National Finals, a victorious Oxford side looked stunned for a split second before erupting in deafening cries of joy that will come to defi ne the Blues’ extraordinary season. After their third consecutive victory in the British Universities Championships and an unprecedented third place in the British Cup, Oxford Handball went on to deliver a series of mammoth performances to win the England National League: a historic double that allows the Blues to enter the European League and vie with professional teams on the continental stage Very popular in the rest of Europe, North Africa and Asia, Handball is almost unheard of on these shores. Yet, this Olympic sport is one of the most spectacular indoor games around. Fusing elements of football, basketball and rugby, handball requires an amazing combination of speed, physical strength and skills from fi eld players and goalkeepers alike as they strive to outscore their opponents on a 40mx20m court. A blend of pace, precision, and commitment is exactly what makes the Oxford squad the best handball team in this country. On Saturday, the semi-fi nal that pitted the Blues against the London Great Danes HC undeniably produced the upset of the season and demonstrated that Oxford could beat any team in the land. Cambridge, Glasgow, Southampton, Nottingham and Manchester had previously experienced defeat at the hands of the mighty Blues but it took a gigantic collective effort to topple the Great Danes, the unbeaten and virtually unchallenged club that had imposed its mark on the game in the UK for many years. Too many years, obviously, in the eyes of the Blues who had been beaten by the Londoners in the British Cup semi-fi nal a fortnight before. Unimpressed by a fearsome team that has been the only one so far to represent the UK in European competitions, Oxford proceeded to sap Great Danes’ line-up and reputation in a relentless fi ght that proved the highlight of the weekend. While some fantastic handball was put on display for fans and novices alike by the four teams engaged in the fi nal tussle, Oxford’s semi-fi nal against Great Danes and the fi nal against Manchester University offered connoisseurs with two successive cliff-hangers. Trailing three goals behind at half-time in each match, the Blues clawed the games back to obtain fi nal victory: 24-23 in the semi-fi nal and 25-24 in the fi nal where Manchester managed to drag Oxford into extra-time. When he walked onto the court on Saturday, founding-member and Captain Jo Koops probably did not expect that his club’s fi fth season would reap so much reward but led the victorious charge with characteristic gusto. An inspiring and forceful presence on the sideline and on the pitch, playercoach Tiago Cunha demonstrated impressive leadership and mastery of tactics. Built around Karl Karlsson, its impregnable rock, Oxford’s defence also relied throughout the season on Richard Fisher, arguably the top goalkeeper in Britain They were further aided by the presence of Olivier Rival and Sebastian Engelstaedter in reserve, leaving Oxford’s opponents in despair with their ability to match Fisher’s level of performance. Jiri Kindl and Nuno Fernandes, Oxford’s lethal pair of wingers, terrorised some of the UK’s best defences, while their accuracy and consistency played a critical role in this year’s successes. Following the British Universities Championships where the Blues had demonstrated the cohesion that enabled them to achieve what no other university team had ever done, the retirement of Angolan sniper Hadjamar Oliveira, of veteran pivot and club legend Csaba Kozma as well as the injury of his successor Janosch Ortmann, were then set off by the arrival of four recruits of the highest calibre. Guillem Torrens, Morgan Boar, Sami Kadi, and Peter Franko indeed brought their experience, strength and skills to a team whose fi ghting-spirit, embodied by Torben Tvedebrink’s performance against Cambridge, was to bring yet another trophy to Iffl ey. Completed by the irreplaceable Castellan pair Pepe Gomez and Javi Martinez, our multinational motley crew sang its way back to Oxford, joyfully bringing to a close a 2005-2006 season in which the women’s team also proved a force to be reckoned with. Ecstatic and overwhelmed with pride in what is essentially a fantastic group of athletes and friends, Pierre Purseigle in the heat of victory foolishly vowed to put off his long-overdue sportive retirement to see the Oxford Handball Club competing on the European stage to which it now belongs. For more information about handball go to: http://www.sportfocus.com/webpro/handball/ www.eurohandball.com
Oxford University Korfball Club
Korfball is a mixed, non-contact basket sport in which two teams compete to score goals. Solo-play (running with the ball, dribbling the ball, passing to one's self etc) is forbidden, as this does not promote the kind of teamwork the sport was designed for. Each team must comprise 4 men and 4 women, with 2 of each in attack and the other 2 in defence (the roles swap over every 2 goals, so everyone has to be able to both attack and defend). The other main rule of korfball is that you have to get away from your defender to shoot (even if your defender is too short to actually stop the ball going over their head, the shot will be disallowed if they got close enough to make a good attempt ie an arm's reach), which means lots of fast passing and darting runs. Oxford University is one of 20 UK universities which currently play korfball. Oxford Uni participates in local league and cup competitions run by the Oxfordshire Korfball Association, a Varsity match against Cambridge Uni, and a BUSA national competition, as well as lots of other tournaments, of varying seriousness, throughout the year.
A desperate group of middle aged men hanging onto their youth by playing friendly football matches around West London. But their captain has the ambition and the temerity to enter the team into two Vets Cup Competitions. Progress of all matches plus medical reports will be updated in this section. Below an email to encourage early season training from skipper Ben Gibbes we are having a summer gathering to reflect on a glorious second half of the season and to make some very bold predictions about 2007/08 being the best ever for the vet.s. No need to reply – just turn up if you can make it. 7pm, Wednesday August 1st, George IV pub on Chiswick High Rd, nr. Turnham Green tube. Hope to see you there. ALSO: some of you may remember this - the club does actually run pre-season training. As members we are entitled to attend. I am going to try and make the effort to get along to as many as I can (for the first time in quite a few years) – if a few people could join so that I am not alone at the back of the field that would be great. Don’t worry – they split everyone into two groups so you don’t have to train with the 1st and 2nd teams. Training is every Tuesday and Thursday from July 31st at 7pm on grass on the old rugby pitches across the road from the stadium. September diary reminder: Sun 2nd Sep – Poly 6 a side tournament Sun 9th – friendly fixture Sun 16th friendly fixture Sat 22nd – Cup Game Sat 29th - Cup Game
The Poly FC an amateur football club based in Chiswick, West London. The club has been established since 1875 and is a full member of the Football Association, Amateur Football Alliance and the London and Southern Amateur League. All the teams play on a Saturday afternoon with the exception of the Veterans team who play on Sundays. The Club competes in the Southern Amateur Leagues as well as a variety of AFA cup competions. There are a total of 10 teams in the club catering for a wide range of talent and ages. Links: www.polytechnicfc.co.uk www.southernamateurleague.co.uk
Richmond Lawn Tennis Club - UK
Richmond Lawn Tennis Club is a well-established friendly club with 320 members. The club is set in the attractive grounds of the Royal Deer Park next to Kew Gardens. Richmond has four all weather tarmac courts (resurfaced in 2002) available twelve months a year together with eight grass courts which are open from May to September. Next to the hard courts is a small hut and we share a pavilion with the London Welsh Rugby club during the Winter months and the Richmond cricket club in the summer months. The pavilion has one main bar with two small bars overlooking the grounds. The tennis club has its annual supper and spring lunch in the pavilion with the Summer Ball in a marquee in the grounds. As well as social tennis the club enjoys excellent coaching, a good junior program, social events throughout the year and competitive tennis with mens and ladies teams in the Surrey league. We have 6 mens teams and 3 ladies teams. The Men's First Team are in the Surrey Premiership. For more information contact: info@richmondlawntennisclub.com
Ultimate frisbee is a relatively small and new club here at IT Sligo, however we have enjoyed some success in our short history. Hopefully in time our club will grow and get the credit it deserves but for the time being we will fight on in true Yeates style. So for the year ahead, get as much enjoyment out of it as ya can cause its alot better to regret something ya did do instead of regretting something ya didnt do. Website: www.freewebs.com/sligodisc
Sons of the Thames Rowing Club
Welcome to Sons of the Thames Rowing Club Sons of the Thames rowing club was formed in Hammersmith over 100 years ago with the aim, still enshrined in its constitution, to further the sport of rowing in the borough. Since its first premises near Hammersmith Bridge it has moved westwards; our latest move, in 2000, was to share the fabulous premises of Linden House, on Upper Mall, with London Corinthian Sailing Club. With a 999 year lease on the building we expect this move to have been our last! Sons aims to extend a welcome to anyone who wants to join our club. We were one of the first clubs to really welcome women, and also pride ourselves on the variety of nationalities and occupations we can boat within club crews. We will teach new members who have never sat in a boat before and also seek to draft more experienced members straight into our Henley squads - we have a squad of coaches who will ensure members are fitted in as best suits. Visit us at www.sonsrowing.org.uk
Southampton University Handball Team
As someone from Britain you may not have heard about Handball as it is a sport that is hugely popular in Europe, but much less so than in the UK. An exciting, fast-paced game involving two teams of seven players who pass, throw, catch and dribble a small ball with their hands while trying to score goals. No wonder it is becoming more popular and Universities such as Southampton are setting up clubs in order to practise and compete. Southampton University Handball Club was founded in November 1998 by one enthusiastic postgraduate, Christian Maul, and another over-enthusiastic one, Yann Astier. Being European PhD students and having played the game back at home, Christian and Yann were keen on introducing the relatively unknown sport (in Britain) to the University. Considering the lack of appropriate handball equipment of any sort, e.g. balls, resin, and most importantly goals! It was initially doubted that things would take off easily, but a number of people actually did show interest straight away and thus a club with proper members was born! Furthermore, a similar handball club had formed in Sussex University earlier in the year, and occasional trips to Brighton were organized where there was a better court and proper goals. The Club also affiliated itself to the sport’s governing body, the British Handball Association (BHA, formed of its affiliate members: the England Handball Association (EHA) and Handball Scotland), and started to assume coaching responsibilities for the team. During early '99 the Club competed in the Southern Division of the BHA League, achieving modest results but competing nonetheless. As a result of this the clubs succeed in obtaining Colours status only a few months after it had been put together. Handball was hardly in the University sport spotlight in 98/99, DSR did take am interest in the work done by the founding members and by June an application had been passed to buy new full-sized handball goals (which is no small feat when you’re dealing with a sport unknown in this country!). Training sessions were shifted entirely to the Sports Hall. This is, I am sure, just one success story for Handball as a sport in the UK. However, more exciting is the fact that the 2012 Olympics will. Hopefully, feature a British team! Tall women (at least 5ft 11in) and men (6ft 3in) were invited to put themselves forward to see if they could be turned into Olympic handballers in time for 2012. Thousands responded and so who knows, we could finally have a British team to cheer for in this invigorating sport. As someone who has never really clicked with team sports, other than team medleys in the swimming pool, I was shocked at the enthusiasm of the team and how much I enjoyed getting to grips with this unique sport. I won’t lie, I ached in muscles I never knew I had after the first training, but I am glad I stuck with it. I truly recommend you getting involved in your local team, and if you don’t have one, set up your own! http://www.soton.ac.uk/~handball/ Anjelica Finnegan
As we approach the 2012 Olympics is Britain heading for another golden age in athletics after a few years in the doldrums? Time will tell. But this group is for fans of track and field, maybe even a few serious competitors will join. There are few better family days out than a trip to a major athletics meeting. Post your photos from past and present, or share your thoughts as we get ready for 2012.
Worthing water polo is obviously is in Worthing, on the south coast of England only half an hour away from Brighton. We are linked to Worthing Swimming Club and are quite a big club. We currently have 5 different age groups for people to play in. If you want any more informaton please go on our website. www.worthingwaterpolo.org