Check out the list of sports and societies currently available at the bottom of the page. If you want to start a society, you can!??
Hi and welcome to St Aidan???s.
I???m Tom Cox, a third year Maths student and this year???s Sports and Societies Officer. My role, helped by my committee, is to oversee the huge array of sports and societies that Aidan???s has to offer, as well as being in charge of the college gym.
Due to the collegiate system at Durham, there is a two-tier system for sport: university and college level. The university level combines the best talents from throughout the university to compete at a high standard of competition, typically BUCS fixtures against other university sides. Not only does the university level offer the highest level of sport available at Durham, the also offer some more niche sports such as American football, fencing and water polo, which are organised at a college level.??
However, sport at Durham is far more than just university sides, with around 90% of Durham students participate in some form of college sport throughout their time here. At Aidan???s alone there are over 45 sides who compete in around 20 sports at a variety of different levels. Many of our A teams, including cricket, football, netball and rugby, offer a highly competitive level and have been successful in recent years with both the men???s and women???s rugby sides having won the floodlit cup within the last two years.??
College sports also cater for a more casual level, with many trying out new sports such as mixed lacrosse and ultimate frisbee for the first time. Aidan???s also puts out multiple sides in sports such as cricket, netball and football. This means that no matter your level or previous experience, there is something to get involved in. All sides play in a league against other college sides and have a great team spirit both on and off the pitch. Get involved and help our college maintain its high standard of sporting achievement!
The Sports and Societies Committee helps me organise and run the great sporting events at Aidan???s. The Committee consists of a Sports Journalist, Sports and Societies Treasurer, a Gym Officer and an Events Officer. Some of these positions come up for grabs early in first term and are a great way to get involved with both the JCR and college sport, while not being overly time consuming, so keep your eyes peeled for an email with details closer to the time.??
My job also involves planning and events throughout the year, with the help of my committee. These events include the Varsity Day against our fierce rivals Van Mildert, and other smaller sports tournaments throughout the year. The biggest sporting event on the social calendar is the Sports and Societies Formal in third term. Open to all members of Aidan???s, this is a chance to really celebrate the sporting achievements of the year with your team and friends. It is also the night that the sought-after college colours are awarded. It is always an evening to look forward to, so watch this space for more information!
I am also responsible for the running and maintenance of the college gym. For a membership fee of just ??35,you can keep fit and active throughout the year. The gym is regularly updated with new equipment and is open between the hours of 7am and 12am. You will have the opportunity to sign up for the gym in Induction Week.??
If you have any questions about anything sports related, no matter if college or university level, feel free to get in contact and ask
Enjoy the rest of your summer and I look forward to meeting you in October.
