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.
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