Charity tournaments are the flavour of the month. Within the space of two weeks Royal Holloway students have organized Basketball, Lacrosse and Netball tournaments, raising hundreds of pounds in aid of RAG.
Sikh society set the precedent by teaming up with Basketball to hold a three-on-three Sunday evening tournament that attracted over 40 students and raised £125 for Save the Children. On 12 March, the following Saturday, RHUL Hellcats Lacrosse team invited students from across campus and as far as Reading to compete in rounders, frisbee and five-a-side lacrosse. The following day, Netball held their annual RAG tournament to complete the philanthropic trio of events.
This spring awaking comes towards the end of the sporting season and in the run-up to the impending Colours Ball. With the coveted title of Club of the Year up for grabs it is little surprise that so many teams are eager to impress.
The Students’ Union when considering which clubs to award, takes into account a series of factors among which is involvement in RAG. Student Activities Committee RAG representative, Hayley Thair, explains: “We like to see clubs that work together off the pitch, court or river and strive to benefit others rather than focus solely on their own achievements.”
Charity tournaments combine the joys of taking part with the fiercest of competition. First year Politics student, Craig Gent, thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Basketball tournament. “Last time I played basketball I was wearing some lost property shorts and a school shirt in year 10 PE, so not surprisingly I lost every game this time round too,” he said.
However, nothing could block Craig’s competitive hunger as he readily boasted of the team’s limited successes. “We even managed to get some point on the board in the last game!”
A week later, the Hellcats provided a truly hilarious, surreal and outright chauvinistic affair. As the women played, the men watched and enforced the forfeit of ‘gin-ing’. One linesman carried two bottles of gin and handed out penalties of single, double, or triple shots every now and then.
As I watched on bemused, one spectator explained the practice: “they just make them do a gin whenever they do something. The players could do something wrong like drop their stick. Or they could score a goal. They’re just being bastards, really.”
The Netball tournament, held on Sunday 13 March, was perhaps a slightly less intoxicated affair although beer-showers were aplenty for some. The slightest cause for celebration and jubilant onlookers readily sprayed beer over their team.
The greatest cause for which such tournaments are advocated, must be the unique opportunity to bring together Holloway’s many clubs and societies. It certainly isn’t everyday that American Football get the chance to thrash Netball at their own sport.
Most importantly, there is something that happens when you bring together different groups that would not otherwise have reason to collaborate. Basketball tournament organiser, Amarbeer Singh, of the RHUL Sikh Society explains: “I think a major factor that led to the success of the event was the number of groups that got involved. We had Sikh Soc, the Basketball Club, RAG and Photography Soc all combining their efforts to produce an amazing tournament.”
The charity tournament certainly has its merits. It is fondly remembered and highly anticipated. But most importantly, it is the determinant of bragging-rights for weeks to come!
