Trent Pres: ‘I literally hate’ UoN

The Trent Renegades, Nottingham Trent’s American Football team, have started the war of words ahead of Friday’s big game with the Nottingham University Outlaws.

Team President and star cornerback Marcus ‘Patches’ Boswell has issued a warning to the UoN side, saying that he ‘literally hates them’ and that he will take the first chance he gets to ‘smack them in the mouth’.

Friday’s game is the first of this year’s Varsity series and tensions are clearly running high. Tab Sport braved the dark side of Nottingham to discover just how badly Trent want to beat (and hurt) the Outlaws and why they’re so confident they’re going to win.

Mo Wagaafe, a fresher running back, said: “We are confident. We’re the better side. If you look at the BUCS standings you can see that they’re clearly nowhere near us.

“It’s only my first year but I can tell how serious this is. We are ready for this. They better watch out.”

As running back, surely he’s worried about getting some big hits from the Outlaws defence? “They’ll have to catch me first,” he quipped.

Trent sit 5 places above UoN in the BUCS standings and it’s not just Mo who believes that this will be an easy win for the Renegades. They have won the last three games against the Outlaws and defensive captain Tim Davies doesn’t think that this year will be any different: “They’ve got a good offensive line but as far as our defence goes, we’re better. I do feel confident.”

Leo Glasgow, another running back, feels the same: “We’re working really hard for this. We have been training, watching videos and preparing new plays at the last moment just for Varsity. It’s all for Varsity.”

Spotted on campus: Leo Glasgow rates uni girls.

Does Leo reckon this is more than just a football game? Is Varsity emblematic of the long-lasting rivalry between Trent and UoN?

“Yes, definitely. We’re also the very first Varsity event so we’re the ones who start it off and we hand the ball down from there. If we win, it is BIG for Trent.” Although, despite the rivalry, Leo does add that he has been to the UoN campus and that there are ‘some really good looking girls about…’

Tactically, the Renegades say they have no weaknesses, and deny  the Outlaws have the ability to break down their rock-hard defence. The key man in this defence is Marcus ‘Patches’ Boswell, who is feeling the pressure of being Team President:

“I’ve played in this game two years running but this is the first time that I’ll be playing as the leader of the team. There will be a lot of pressure on me and I just have to make sure that I perform and that the team performs.”

Patches (right) “literally hates” us.

Does anything worry him about the Outlaws side? Will UoN ever be able to expose his ‘outstanding’ defence?

“We don’t fear them. They simply haven’t got as good playmakers as we have got. Regarding their quarterback, I know he is very nippy and very mobile but we have something to counter that…” Unfortunately, he refused to elaborate on this gameplan.

When I asked Patches if there is anyone he is personally looking forward to facing, he was quick to point his finger at the Outlaws’ hierarchy, especially former teammate Thomas Roberts: “Their committee members have been hassling me a bit too much in the preparation for this so any chance I get to smack one of them in the mouth I’m going to take it. I can’t wait to smash them.”

As I found out after asking if their bright pink kit is reflective of the way they play, the Trent Renegades are not taking this game lightly. After months of preparation and planning, they are here to win and are feeling very confident that they will do so.

The Nottingham Outlaws vs The Trent Renegades – Friday 1^st February, Harvey Hadden Stadium, 6:30PM