As a current college football captain, five a side player and a past table tennis captain, I can say with some experience that there is nothing quite like the feeling of representing your college in the world of sport. This often generates a smirk from my friends in the university sports teams, with wry comments being made about my lack of sporting ability leading me to make such pronouncements in favour of college sport.

This is an arrogant and quite frankly lazy perspective which neglects the many benefits of college sport that are heartily felt by those who do choose to don their college colours. The most important aspect of college sport is how it helps to create a community feel within the college. As we all know, the academic side of Cambridge can be intense and at times isolating, with hours spent in the library leafing through dusty old books. College sport is the antidote to the simultaneous dreariness and intensity of the academic grind, and helps to build new relationships between different year groups and across subjects, all united by the college crest.

“There is undoubtedly a need to disconnect from the rush and busyness of the academic pressure cooker”

There is also a real element of inclusivity to this, with virtually all levels of ability getting a look-in amongst the vast array of sports offered by colleges. This idea of inclusivity and positive cohesion within a college community is in marked contrast to the cut-throat world of university sport.

The stakes of university sport are obviously incomparable to college sport, with the prospect of Blues recognition and national silverware admittedly having quite an appeal, thus creating a much more competitive atmosphere. Some university sports also have ridiculously intensive training regimes with late night training leaving students hard-pressed to find the time to complete degree work and socialise.

“Even for the ultra competitive amongst us, there are still incentives to get involved”

This is where the beauty of college sport lies. Cambridge is intense and competitive enough, and there is undoubtedly a need to disconnect from the rush and business of the academic pressure cooker and decompress through sport – college sport in particular! College sport is often a relaxing endeavour and very low commitment, with a couple of hours being set aside a week for a match and maybe an hour for training (if you can be bothered to get out of bed for it). 

On top of this all is the social element, both off and on the pitch. There are often team brunches before or after games, as well as socials in the evening before a club night. The evening socials are a great source of team building, with inter-team games being played and everyone kicking back after a long day of working.

One also has to consider the pride of being able to win something for your college. Each college seems to have a strong sense of identity, and I would argue that most would feel prouder of their college than of the university as a whole. Perhaps it is a much more scaled down version of being a proud Londoner or Mancunian as opposed to being a proud Englishman. Indeed, whilst we all support the English National Team when tournaments come about, our main focus is on our local clubs that we support every week.

You’d be surprised, therefore, at how much better a Cuppers win might feel compared to the BUCS grind. It is with this message of, in essence, college patriotism that I will finish on, as its ability to enhance the Cambridge experience often goes without recognition.