It's not over 'til it's over - Cherwell, 8/06/12

It’s been a trying Trinity term for the sports fans among us. The weather has been a real bugbear, jeopardising a great deal of sporting fun this summer. There was, of course, the marvellous fifth week sun - which must have watched over about fifty swiftly rescheduled cricket games, but apart from that time for sport has been scarce and hard to come by. Rugby 7s aside, there are few sports in summer that are rain-happy. Cricketers and tennis players have been particularly aggrieved, but the poor conditions have affected everyone. This Sunday, for example, mixed netball Cuppers were rained off, disappointing everyone involved. So it is with some pleasure (infused, of course, with a hefty dollop of optimism) that we reassure you that there is plenty of sport left this summer. Cherwell may be over for the term, but there is a lot of sport to come; this is a guide to what’s left.

One of the most keenly-awaited events to come is the croquet Cuppers final. It’s often noted that it’s the competition with the most entrants in Oxford, and the final should bring a hopefully dry) highlight to term for four lucky people. Croquet is often unfairly pilloried, and few would describe it as a spectator sport, but the University Lawns are in a glorious setting in Parks. The up-shift in quality of grass between them and your average college quad is extraordinary, so going down to watch some top-level croquet (my pick would be the Teddy Hall 1st IV) wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The Dark Blues may have been successful in the Varsity Twenty20, but there are contests left to come for OUCC. After the sun-bathed victory on Friday of 5th week the next big date in the calendar is the 16th June (the last day of term), which sees both the men and women of Oxford cricket club taking to Lord’s for their respective fifty-over Varsity games. After a respectable break the 4 day Varsity, the pinnacle of the OUCC calendar, is set to take place from the 24th - 27th June, back in Parks. I can’t think of many more idyllic ways to spend a few boozey post-exam, essayless hours than in front of the cricket with (God willing) the sun out.

Tomorrow, on Saturday 9th June, sees the Polo Varsity match. If anyone has the means to get themselves to Windsor in time then there’s a real spectacle at hand. Sponsored, of course, by Jack Wills, the day has much more to offer than just the Oxford-Cambridge game. Two Old Boy games in the morning are followed by the Eton-Harrow match and then the other side of the Varsity game as Harrow play Yale, so there’s more polo than anyone could reasonably want on offer.

Also available for a summer’s day out supporting the Dark Blues are the tennis Varsity matches. Near Richmond in Roehampton the games happen in early July, between the 3rd and 5th of that month. While it may not be the most prestigious or best attended south London tennis tournament in early July, the players would certainly appreciate some support.

Oxford may already have won enough Varsity matches to secure overall dominance over Cambridge this year but there are crucial fixtures ahead. Turning away from the University scene, there is still hopefully a huge amount of college sport left to be played. Sticking to college cricket alone, most teams could probably fill the next two weeks purely with rescheduled games. Any sunny day currently sees a rush of excitement and activity, followed by inevitable disappointment when it’s remembered that rain the previous days has meant that the pitches are far too waterlogged. So with a few dry days there’ll be non-stop shoddy cricket to watch. Presumably mixed netball Cuppers will be rescheduled too, and that should be a real sight to see, with ill at ease men attempting to keep their heads above water in a riot of competitiveness.

That’s about it then, apart from the spontaneous games of football and cricket that pop up in any good summer. Everyone should try to catch a bit of this organised sport when it’s on - our athletes have been training for months, and just because their Varsity games occur outside of term time there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be supported.