Ladies Hockey – Lottie Boreham

What makes Ladies Hockey the best team at uni? Every single member brings something to the club and we never take ourselves too seriously – we play hard and we party even harder.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact moment, particularly as the best ones nobody seems to remember, or are inappropriate to share, but one of our players laying on top of a local on tour was pretty funny.

Winning the league definitely; our seniors were really close to promotion the previous year so to be part of the team that actually got there was pretty awesome.

Who is one to look out for in your club?  Bex Forrester; I think she has really come out of her shell both as a player and a person this year.

From the amount she has improved on the pitch you wouldn’t believe she was the same player and she’s a massive part of the social scene too.

You’ll know her next year as our Saturday Captain, or as the girl having a mad one on the stage of LetsDisko with no shoes on.

Are there any players who’ve picked up a nickname whilst in Ladies Hockey?  A definite contender would be WaWa who earned her nickname on tour whilst barking at the women trying to sell hairbraids.

And then there’s Bruce; not simply a nickname, but an alter-ego, Bruce’s interesting dance moves and taste for Mexican delicacies is common knowledge within ULLHC.

Can you sum up ULLHC in 3 words? Live for Wednesdays.

Red Leicester or Letsdisko? Red Leicester, but ULLHC are ready to disko.

 

Mens Rowing – Steven Dumont

What makes Mens Rowing the best team at uni? Mens Rowing is part of ULBC (University of Leicester Boat Club) which is one of the biggest, oldest and best mixed clubs in uni.

But you’d have to join to really find out.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? I think most of the people involved would kill me if I said some of the things that have happened on socials.

However, everyone reaching their finals at York regatta with loads of family and friends watching and cheering on one of the hottest days of the year was a pretty decent memory and certainly a memorable moment.

Who is one to look out for in your club? I don’t want to single anyone out as it’s completely a team sport-you’re only as good as everyone else in the boat.

Do you or anyone on the team have any pre-race rituals? A ridiculous amount of malt loaf and bananas are eaten before races.

Can you sum up ULBC in 3 words? Experience something different.

Red Leicester or Letsdisko? Red Leicester all the way, obviously.

 

Womens Football – Clare Howe

What makes Womens Football the best team at uni? It’s a welcoming team that caters for all abilities and we have weekly socials where friendships are made for life.

Our socials vary from night outs, to laser quest, film nights, and dinners out so it’s not just all about the football.

We have an 11-a-side team and a 5-a-side indoor futsal team, so everybody gets the opportunity to play weekly.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? Christina Halm having a dance off on the bar in tour and getting most of the team up on the bar competing with another university – we won.

Each week at Red Leicester there was a memorable moment, be it Sophie Iliffe sleeping outside the wrong block or Jasmin Coggins turning up to her lecture still in fancy dress.

In terms of memorable moments as a team playing, it was definitely the 7-0 win over Warwick University.

Who is one to look out for in your club? I would have to pick either Sam Bate, our centre back or Emma Aspinall, our centre mid.

Last year, both players showed great commitment, desire to win and belief in the team. No doubt they will be key this year and make brilliant role models for any new players joining.

Do you or anyone on the team have any pre-match rituals? During our away games for futsal Faith Adegoke would always entertain us with a dance on the mini bus.

Maybe not the normal ritual but one that was rather entertaining.

Are there any players who’ve picked up a nickname whilst in Womens Football? We always give every player a nickname, especially when it comes to tour. Let’s just say usually nicknames given for tour are only appropriate for tour.

However there are a few that players picked up throughout the year: Usher – Chris Halm tried to convince someone she was Usher as she can dance like him, Funnel Guzzler – Holly Jackson for exceptional speed as a fresher at funnels, and Poulet – Amy Hunter as she has a love for chicken especially from TJ’s.

Can you sum up ULWRFC in 3 words? Family, Fun, Welcoming

 

Mens Cricket – Jonny Williams

What makes Mens Cricket the best team at uni? We have plenty of VK-induced socials, moderately average cricket and a great display of chinos.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? Stallion’s free fire extinguisher show in Red Leicester earned a few chuckles.

But Sprinter Sacre’s scandalous, some would say boisterous, behaviour on the Birmingham social should probably earn the number one funny spot.

Losing Varsity was definitely memorable but on a positive note turning over Loughborough was a pretty steady achievement.

Who is one to look out for in your club? Gavin Hall, storming into the club in 2013 with success in the men’s and women’s cricket teams – definite game changer for the upcoming year.

Do you or anyone on the team have any pre-match rituals? Pre-match poo is a favourite for a couple of people – lightening the load is a good way to warm up apparently.

Can you sum up ULCC in 3 words? Anyone fancy Casino?

As it’s a Summer sport, what do you do in Winter? High intensity fitness and training followed by body sculpting in the Dock.

 

Swimming And Water Polo – Sarah Browne and Peter Woodridge

What makes Swimming and Water Polo the best team at uni? It’s the best team to join at the university as you get two sports in one.

We have regular swimming sessions (every day if you’re feeling keen) but also the possibility to try water polo – a sport that not many people have tried before coming to university.

It’s one of the university’s newest sports and has already proven itself as being one of the most successful. We have socials every Wednesday with stupid themes and ideas so it truly is the wetter the better.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? The funniest moments make up the life and times of Richard Grimstead.

Mens Waterpolo winning the BUCS cup and both men’s and women’s teams reaching national finals, Loughborough was the only other uni to qualify both of their men’s and women’s team for this.

Making it into the BUCS Team Champs division 3 finals, the atmosphere was electric for the whole day.

Also all being dressed as Oompa Loompas in the middle of December and winning the Best Fancy Dress award at the BUCS SC after party has to also be a highlight for the club. And being completely orange for the next week was also great.

Who is one to look out for in your club? JV Vallée has been on a year abroad in Germany training with international level swimmers, so we’re excited to see what speed he will bring to the Swimming team.

Izzy Trompetas has shown a natural instinct in water polo matches and will continue to excel as she learns more about the game. She’s also a dab hand at giving a cheeky kick without the ref seeing.

Do you or anyone on the team have any prerace/match rituals?

Sarah: I have a really long “behind the blocks” routine –  It involves some bouncing, goggle rearrangement, costume rearrangement. But the last thing I like to do is stand with my hands on my head, looking down the pool, thinking ‘ahh should have probably gone to training!’

Peter: Personally, I find a pre-match dump helps with the nerves but I can’t say that stands for the whole team.

Can you sum up ULSWPC in 3 words? Clothes not required.

Is the uni swimming pool cold?

Sarah: It’s always a shock when you first get in but if you’re training properly, you’ll be glad it’s not any warmer.

Peter: Not if you’re swimming fast enough.

 

Women’s Lacrosse – Emily Bird

What makes Women’s Lacrosse the best team at uni? Women’s Lacrosse is just a part of a bigger mixed Lacrosse club and from the minute you join, you’re instantly involved.

We have the craziest socials, the most fun when playing together and it’s a really great mix of people to get to know.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? Witnessing the unveiling of the ‘laxcest’ web at our AGM was hilarious- everyone knows everyone else’s gossip in this sport.

In terms of most memorable, varsity was probably the highlight-the girls beat DMU 17-2 and the boys dominated with 20-1.

Who is one to look out for in your club? In terms of the girls, I’m very excited by what this years fresher’s are going to bring to the team.

On the men’s side, Gianrico DePasquale is definitely one to watch. He only started playing last year but is already a core defender and I presume he’ll take on leadership of that end of the field next year.

Can you sum up ULLAX in 3 words? Competitive, laxcest, unforgettable

Red Leicester or Letsdisko? Red Leicester, always. Lacrosse owns Wednesday nights!

Does Lacrosse have the most intersting kit? In women’s probably not, but some of our men’s team do carry 6ft long sticks…

 

And those yet to decide their captains…

A few teams haven’t yet chosen who will lead their team through the 2014/15 season, so we talked to their Club Captains for some inside knowledge.

Netball – Ellie Porter

What makes Netball the best team at uni? We are the largest female sports club with four teams and a social team, so there’s a team for everyone. And we have the best socials.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? Weekly wall twerkin’ in netball corner at the O2 and the distinct lack of netball on tour were funny.

Our clean sweep at varsity, at least doubling DMU’s score for every game, was definitely the most memorable.

Why has ULNC not yet picked a captain? Because all the teams move around a lot each year, captains aren’t chosen until after the trials.

Do you or anyone on the team have any pre-match rituals? Emily Hart wears one monkey and one banana sock for match days.

Are there any players who go by nicknames they’ve picked up whilst being in netball? Six toes- freshers be warned.

Can you sum up ULNC in 3 words? Sociable, full-of-nutters, motivated.

Mens Rugby – Tom Jeffries

What makes ULRFC the best team at uni? It’s one of the biggest and best clubs for no other reason than the lads that make it up. On and off the pitch men’s rugby is a strong club.

We have a lot of boys driving to reach the ultimate goal of playing on the first team, yet are still proud to wear the shirt whatever is written under the badge.

We have some amazing socials and while I can’t mention much, I can guarantee that they will be the best that any fresher will come to.

What is the funniest/most memorable moment from last year/tour? One of our members Michael Harris eating 1 litre of Ketchup was pretty funny.

Victory at varsity which is held at the Tiger’s very own Welford Road stadium was a pretty big and memorable moment, it’s always good to win in front of your uni on an occasion like that and winning makes it much sweeter.

Any strong contenders for the captaincy? We pick a captain during preseason and it hasn’t even been discussed yet due to a new coaching team that includes Leicester Tigers’ Anthony Allen and Gonzalo Camacho.

It’s always a hard decision but we are just looking for some members to step up during pre-season and prove a point.

Do you or anyone on the team have any prematch rituals? Aled Evans kills a tiger with his bare hands.

Can you sum up ULRFC in 3 words? Only for Legends.

Red Leicester or Letsdisko? Red Leicester all the way. We’ll be holding a minutes silence to remember RL, but we are eager to give Letsdisko a chance.

 

Women’s Rugby – Alex Bugg

What makes ULWRFC the best team at uni? There’s a reason we got Club of the Year at Sports Awards – we’re one big rugby family.

Our sport is something different and definitely exciting, and we celebrated being undefeated last year with some of the loudest socials Team Leicester throws.

We also raised nearly £900 for a primary school last year during drinking ban, so we’ve got a lot of heart, too.

What is the funniest moment from last year/tour? Any memorable moments from last year/tour? It’s five days of hilarity, but what goes on tour stays on tour.

Last year’s funniest moments were probably Ofure knocking the ref over mid game (laughs were stifled), the drunken interview we did walking to the Union one week with our Trainer of the Week, Lauren.

Starting at 3 in Varsity was special, there’s nothing like playing at Welford Road. Staying undefeated even when we were cut short with injuries.

I don’t remember much of tour, obviously, but the fancy dress looked awesome.

Why has ULWRFC not yet picked a captain? It’s a decision made by the Director of Rugby, the coaches and myself at the start of the year before we return to BUCS competition.

It means there’s a chance for people to show what they’ve got.

Any strong contenders for the captaincy? We’ve got a few strong leaders, yeah, but it’s not time to decide on captain or vice right now. Last years skipper, B Smyth, is a tough act to follow.

Do you or anyone on the team have any prematch rituals? This season, myself and our centre, my housemate Jess ate a student-y bowl of cous cous salad, bacon and sweet chilli sauce before every game.

I think everyone has a pre-match meal.

Can you sum up ULWRFC in 3 words? My second family.