There are less than 2 months to go now and the posters are up!  If you were at the photoshoot look out for your picture when walking around campus.

Tickets are now available online so go to the Union website to reserve your ticket NOW: https://www.imperialcollegeunion.org/union-products-295/category.html

Tickets are FREE for Imperial Students this year but you need to book your ticket online and for staff and Non Imperial Students tickets will be £10.  There is also a ticket for transport for PLAYERS ONLY, this is for those of you playing during the day at Harlington, Ethos or Wilson House, these tickets are limited in number so make sure you tell your teams to purchase their tickets ASAP.

Tickets are on sale until 7th March and once you have purchased/ordered your ticket online you will need to bring either your confirmation email or college swipe card to either myself (Hannah) in SAC or Ethos Reception.  You will be able to collect your tickets from Monday 6th March, you are limited to ONE TICKET PER PERSON so you will not be able to pick up your friends tickets for them!

We will be coming over to the Reynolds for ticket collections on:Wed 29 Feb 11:00-13:00, Wed 7 March 11:00-13:00, Mon 12 March 17:30-19:00

If you do not order/purchase your tickets by 7th March you will have to pay full price on the gate on the night.

It is going to be a fantastic day and one that can’t be missed! So go online and get your tickets today!

Varsity 2012 preparations have moved on well since I last wrote with a few key events taking place.

The Varsity shoot has happened and pictures are fully edited ready to be used on posters all around campus! A big thank-you to all of those representatives from the different sports that turned up and gave up their lunch break in order to look like a bit of a maniac; pretending to celebrate by the side SAF! Those that were there you know what I mean! If you weren’t there take a look at the pics on our FB which give you an idea of what the guys n gals had to do. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.258116590912010.62016.107187516004919&type=3

Special thanks to our own “beanotown” (Iain Reid) for taking the shots.  Check some of them out here.

On the day of my last blog we were heading out to Teddington to watch an IC V ICSM football game. The game itself wasn’t the greatest display of defending from either team with goals flying in. A couple of brilliant individual goals by Miles Jarvis of ISCM 2nds eventually made a difference with the medics winning 5-4!

Since then we have been to Teddington again to watch the Rugby 1^st go head to head in a BUCS knock out game. On paper this is obviously would look like a good indication of what to expect at the JPR Williams Cup. In truth, come the 21^st march the atmosphere at this fixture will be very different. Although there was a small crowd at Teddington (mostly Medics injured players… they have got quite a few out!) and both sets of players were very much up for the game I can’t help but think that it will be taken to another level when the teams meet again and run out in front of what we hope will be our largest Varsity crowd to date at the big event on 21^st march at The Stoop.

A reasonably even game was eventually put to bed by Imperial dispute “not playing as well as they thought they could have” (Charles Esberger- 1^st team cap). The medics were clearly frustrated by the result but they remained positive looking forward to March. With a host of players currently out injured I am sure that come February they will be close to being back to full strength which will make for a great game as they will be out for a bit of revenge and looking to make it 10 out of 10 JPR Williams trophies!

Keep an eye on our FB page and your inbox for initial details on Varsity 2012. We will be confirming that Match tickets for the game at The Stoop will be free for students! So let all of the people in your club, on your course & in the student bars know that it is free this year!

This is likely to be the last time I write before Christmas so Merry Christmas to all and happy New Year.

Anthony Hennelly- Sports Development Officer

We are barely into November and already Varsity preparations for 21 March 2012 are in full swing…

Sport Imperial (and those of us behind the scenes) are bracing themselves for a busy build up and with the news that the headline Varsity rugby match at The Stoop will be absolutely FREE (match ticket)  for students this year we are excited to make this the biggest Varsity yet!

Last year we had a good turn out and the crowd made a lot of noise but this year we want it to be bigger and better than ever before. Those that have been put off because they had to pay for a ticket previously will have no excuse to not support their team this year. We have the use of the entire Etihad stand down at the home of Harlequins Rugby Club and we want to fill that stand and create a buzzing atmosphere for all involved.

Away from the 1^st XV rugby game, we are already planning the playing schedule for the different locations and organising referees and umpires. On the day of writing this post, an email is going out to all clubs to send their first team captains down to the Queen’s Lawn at lunchtime on Thursday the 24^th November for a photo shoot! These photos will then be used in the marketing of Varsity around the campuses and even at The Stoop itself. Hopefully those taking part will be proper campus celebrities by the time the actual day comes around on the 21^st March!

I am sure the rivalry between the two unions has been talked about amongst sports teams already this season, and freshers have been informed about their responsibilities but I wonder how many players and club members are already thinking about the day itself! At Sport imperial we are already thinking about it and we are starting to paint a clearer picture of how the entire day will look.

There are going to be so many great games being played throughout the day with the atmosphere just as tense as that of the showpiece game at The Stoop.  I am keen to ensure this year’s games  greater coverage and we are currently looking at how to achieve this. Don’t be surprised if you have a camera crew (not full on skysports mind) at your game filming some footage and asking you some post match analytical questions!

With that in mind I am looking forward to visiting Teddington and Harlington today to film footage of “mini-varsity”. We have a number of Imperial College V Imperial Medicals fixtures happening today (Wednesday 2^nd November) and so it will hopefully give us a nice prelude to the big day on 21^st March 2012. Keep an eye out for our Sports Partnership blog for a more detailed report on all fixtures.

With BUCS championships happening the week immediately before Varsity, we are set for another manic March but one we are very much looking forward to!

Keep an eye on this blog for updates on all things Varsity in the build up to what we expect to be the best Varsity yet.

- Anthony Hennelly, Sports Development Officer