Wednesday 06-12-2023 - 15:08

 

 

On the 30th November, the Women’s+ Sport Forum held the first Celebrating Success event to boost the successful history of Women’s+ athletes and clubs at Lancaster. It was a fantastic first event of the year for the Women’s+ Sport Forum, with a more formal conversation happening with key University and Union stakeholders on the 25th January 2024.  

 

The event was held to highlight success, listening to personal stories from Lancaster University students. BUCS and College Sport successes were shared, particularly BUCS Points from the 21/22 and 22/23 seasons, which provide an accurate measure of performance post-Covid.  

The 3 highest performing BUCS teams over the last 2 years were Women’s and Women’s+ teams.  

Special thanks are given to several speakers from the sporting community at Lancaster, including: 

• Lauren McManus (College Netball Committee Chair).
• Ruby Watson, American Football (GB Women’s).
• Talia Treble and Bella O’Geary, Rugby Union (President and Club Captain).
• Vakare Kuodyte, Basketball (President).
• Helen Loftus (Associate Director of Sport, Lancaster University).  

Club highlights include:  

Women’s Rugby Union

• 2019 BUCS Club of The Year: Awarded on work in prioritising inclusion and development in the club. 
• 2019 nomination for Lancashire Club of The Year (finalists).
• First team at Lancaster University to go to a BUCS National Trophy Final in 2022. 
• RFU statistics show Lancaster to be the only University in the country with a larger Women’s membership than Men’s.  

Women’s Fencing

• 1s and 2s Fencing Team: Only sport in Lancaster to have two teams competing in a Tier 1 league or above.
• Inesc Sanchez-Velare: won Gold at the BUCS Regional Women’s Sabre final.

Swimming

• Kathryn Danes: first Lancaster University swimmer to qualify for a BUCS National Short Course A Final, competing against the very best swimmers in her category.  

Women’s Ultimate Frisbee

• Two students selected to play for Team GB Ultimate Frisbee.  

Pool and Snooker

• Best BUCS institution in the country with significant contribution of success delivered by Women’s+ individuals (21/22).  

Roses Varsity

• Multitude of Women’s+ successes.
• First Women’s+ VP Sport was fundamental to the delivery of the first away Roses victory in 38 years.

Open Table Tennis

• In 2022, Open Table Tennis was the deciding event of the weekend, with the deciding fixture won by a Lancaster Women’s player defeating a York Men’s player.  

Next steps  

Town Hall: Women’s+ Sport Forum (4–6pm, Thursday 25th January 2024)  

This early evening event will involve a more formal conversation to explore the issues Women’s+ athletes face at Lancaster. Here, individuals that are comfortable will be free to share their experiences to a panel of senior stakeholders in the University and the Union.  

With these stakeholders in attendance, the aim is to provide further context on current issues, advising on the best route towards progress and inclusivity. Further information surrounding the event will be confirmed closer to the date, so keep an eye out for more information on how you can take part.