David Childs
On a fantastic day for all those involved with Glasgow University sport, GUSA teams shrugged off competition from Glasgow Caledonian University and Strathclyde University to win the multi-discipline Brewin Dolphin City of Glasgow Cup at Scotstoun Leisure Centre.
The competition was remarkably close, with the margin of victory between Glasgow and second place Strathclyde, a mere single point.
On a day that was fuelled by an absurdly high amount of free energy drinks provided by the cup’s partner Red Bull, there was an enthusiastic atmosphere with eleven sports taking place overall, most of them at Scotstoun.
The desire to win by all the teams involved was matched by the good nature of the event. The relatively “warm” weather was a more than welcome addition to the day’s proceedings outdoors, while inside, there was no stopping Glasgow on arenas such as the basketball court. The Men’s Basketball eam continued their excellent season, winning both matches by emphatic margins.
Further success came from the women’s Volleyball team and the Badminton Club. It was a particularly successful day for GUFC’s male and female teams, both coming out on top in their tournaments. One of the day’s biggest successes belongs to the Tennis Club, hammering both rival universities 6-0.
The Women’s Hockey team triumphed in an evenly matched group, winning both of their matches 1-0. Sarah Scholes, the captain of the Women’s Hockey first eleven, was proud of the performance of her team, with goals by Jill Symmington and Nicki Skratsin in the matches and solid defensive play from Nic Lowery, Alex Mercer and Ali Sinclair. Team captain Sarah Scholes said: “With it being my last ever Glasgow Cup, it was an absolute pleasure to lift the winning trophy on behalf of the squad as captain in my last year!”
President of GUSA, Leo Howes, was obviously delighted with the day’s events. He said: “I think that this year’s City of Glasgow Cup was bigger and better than ever before and it was great to see Glasgow win the cup for the first time in four years.”
The success of Glasgow’s teams this year, Howes claims, is due to their professional approach towards the tournament and throughout the season, which he feels “is a credit to the University and really made the difference in winning the competition”. The success of the tournament overall this year provides hope that the City of Glasgow Cup can be bigger and better in 2012, and that Glasgow can defend their trophy.
Photo: Iain Oliphant
