The Tab goes out with… Swimming and Water Polo

The Tab tests out another team’s AU night


Another AU night means another night out with a sports team for The Tab – it’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it.

Standard pre-drink cocktails

We were getting two teams for the price of one as we went to the water polo and swimming joint pre-lash. They were pulling out all the stops as we arrived to see water polo social sec Alex Francey making free cocktails for The Tab (everyone else had pitched in for the booze – there’s got to be some perks of the job!).

They had a themed menu and everything

So armed with about 5 cuba libres (I wasn’t really intent on testing Francey’s bar tending skills to be honest) the Tab got to know the super heroes (Water Polo) and super villains (Swimming) – we don’t know why Water Polo got to be the good guys either.

The Riddler was a popular choice

It turns out the two teams used to be part of the same club before a split a few years back. But the two speedo wearing teams are bezzie mates now and regularly join together for socials, which in the eloquent words of one drunken reveller always involve ‘Bare alcohol, bare ladies, and er… bare alcohol’.

Who likes short shorts?

Water Polo certainly had a lot to celebrate as the women’s team had just won their league and the men’s were going steady following promotion last year.

Casual bicep flex

Swimming President Matt Griffiths, dressed as Moriarty which was a great excuse to suit up, is also a big fan of joint socials ‘It’s more fun when swimming and water polo mix. Means more people and rowdier pre-drinks’.

Swimming social secs Emily Illingworth and Lucy Urbas were keen to talk up swimming socials, Lucy said ‘swimming socials are friendly and fun with plenty of crazy drinking games’ while Emily thought socials were very important to the team ‘swimming is a sport which is very inclusive but often just experienced on an individual’s terms; the team relies on social events to bring us all together and find our team spirit. Whenever it’s time for a swimmer’s social, everyone is always up for a laugh and a mingle’

Water Polo President Sam Anderson was also in agreement ‘We always like to make an event out of anything, getting as many people down to them as we can. Just look at any social and you can see that they are unique, fun and a little bit crazy… not to mention ridiculous’

The Feds pitching up #FTM

I didn’t have to take Matt’s words on the pre-drinks being rowdy. As midnight approached a police car pulled up outside and gave the impression it might be good idea to head into town sooner rather than later.

Best dressed award goes to…

With that we took off to Vodka Revs, making a re-appearance after letting Aura have a go for a few months. The night then descended into a mess of topless sportsmen, pantomime horses and excessive amounts of vodka.

I think this was one end of a pantomime horse

The Speedo sportsmen and women were a really nice bunch and threw one of the best socials that The Tab have had the privilege of attending – we’re easy to buy to be honest, give us some free booze and we’re yours. The fact that there were two teams meant there were loads of people and a great social mix creating a great atmosphere for pre drinks.