19 March 2010

University to host national championships during busy sporting month

Photo opportunities:

• 5.45pm on Tuesday, March 23rd at the Ustinov Room, Bonar Hall. Professor Pete Downes, Principal of the University, will present winners at the Blues and Colours Award Ceremony.
• 3pm on Wednesday, March 24th at the Institute for Sport and Exercise, University of Dundee. More than 300 athletes from 13 Scottish universities will compete in the British Universities & Colleges Sport Conference Cup Finals.

The University of Dundee is set to play host to a national sports championship event during a busy month for its sports stars.

The British Universities & Colleges Sport Conference Cup Finals will be held in Dundee on Wednesday, March 24th, when more than 300 athletes from 13 Scottish universities will descend upon the city.

They will compete across eight sports (badminton, basketball, football, hockey, netball, tennis, table tennis and volleyball), with 14 separate finals being held at the University’s Institute of Sport and Exercise (ISE), Riverside playing fields and the tennis courts situated on the main campus.

This is the first time that the event has been hosted by one venue, an honour that emphasises the high quality and wide range of sports facilities at the University of Dundee, according to ISE Assistant Director Paul McPate.

'This demonstrates the outstanding quality and range of facilities that exist at the university, that our students and the local community can access, and that enable us to host prestigious events such as this,' he said.

'this is an exciting time for the development of sport at the university and with so many university teams competing in the top tier in Scotland, the sporting reputation of the University of Dundee continues to grow.'

The University’s Tennis Club will be competing at the Conference Cup, the tournament for Tier 2 university teams from across the UK. Most Dundee sides compete in the top tier, and 80 athletes from seven different sports (athletics, ultimate Frisbee, karate, swimming, climbing, archery, and volleyball) travelled to Sheffield to take part in the BUCS Championships between March 12th and 14th.

The women’s volleyball team won the trophy, while Jenny Tan won silver in the indoor athletics women’s 800 metres event and Steph Kerr and Hoang Le won silver and bronze respectively in karate.

The success of sportsmen and women at the University continued on Wednesday when the Dundee team beat their Abertay rivals 11–3 to retain the Tay Games Varsity Challenge Trophy after a series of matches in several sports.

Graeme Spowart from Volleyball Club, who was yesterday elected as President of the Dundee University Sports Union will be hoping to preside over more success during his year in the hot seat. The current incumbent, Sarah McMichael, will remain in post until July, and she paid tribute to all sports teams associated with the Sports Union.

Sarah said, 'Graeme will be an amazing President next year. He has been a huge asset to the Sports Union Executive this year and I wish him all the best for the year ahead.'

The efforts of the University’s athletes will be recognised at the annual Blues and Colours Award Ceremony on Tuesday, March 23rd. Professor Pete Downes, Principal of the University, will present the Blues, Half-Blues, Colours and Merit awards to deserving student athletes at 5pm in the Ustinov Room, Bonar Hall.

These achievements will be further celebrated at the Blues and Colours Ball on Friday, March 26th. The event, which takes place at the Invercarse Hotel from 7.30pm, will see the Sports Union Club and Team of the Year awards be presented.

The University’s Volleyball Club, one of its most successful sports sides, will this weekend host a reunion weekend with almost 100 current and former members meeting up in Dundee for a mixed tournament, challenge match and Ceilidh. Those attending include members from the past five decades, with some alumni returning to Dundee from overseas especially for the event.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277