Sports Report 2012

Issue two

ContentsDirector’s Report 3

The Greatest Show on Earth 4

2011/12 Season Round-up 6

Athletic Union President’s Report 7

Building on our success 8

FOCUS ON: University of Exeter Lacrosse Club 10

Sport at the Cornwall Campus 11

EURFC Look to the Future 12

Alumni Golf Day 13

Blast from the past 14

3Sports Report

Director’s Report

Welcome to the second Sports Report of 2012. The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympics have drawn to a close, having been a huge success in just about every respect, and especially so for Team GB and Paralympics GB. In this issue we take a look back at what was also an incredibly successful 2011/12 season for Sport at Exeter and look forward to an extremely promising 2012/13.

We are delighted to announce that we finished in 7th

position of 161 institutions in the 2011/12 BUCS (British

Universities and Colleges Sport) rankings. Our 2438 points

were accumulated throughout the year from our student

teams and individuals competing in leagues and knockout

competitions against other UK Higher Education institutions

across 45 sports. Our 7th place achievement represents

our highest ever finish in BUCS competition and our

congratulations go to everyone involved. We are already

looking forward to next year and many student athletes

returned to Exeter in August to start pre-season

preparations before another term began on 24 September.

In this issue we are also pleased to give an update on the

building works taking place in the Sports Park on Streatham

Campus. £8.1m of development continues at a great pace as

we strive to ensure that our sports facilities rank among the

very best of any UK University. Off-campus facilities are also

developing with the rebuilding of the University’s Boathouse

on the Exeter Canal nearing completion and improvements

at the Topsham playing fields also ongoing.

In July we were pleased to host the BUCS Conference in the

newly-opened Forum building. After winning a competitive

application process we welcomed over 350 professionals

from the sports industry to campus for the conference

which was themed ‘Enhancing the Student Experience

through Sport’.

Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome

the Class of 2012 to the Exeter Sport alumni community.

Many graduating students take with them fond memories of

their involvement in Sport at Exeter, which continues to form

a significant part of the student experience for many. The

support of our alumni is essential in enabling us to provide

such a high quality sporting experience to our students and

as such we would like to sincerely thank all of our supporters

for their ongoing assistance.

Phil Attwell Director of Sport and Student Activity

The London 2012 Olympics was a huge success, both in terms of the logistics of hosting the

largest event in the world and from a performance perspective with Team GB achieving a

fantastic medal haul. Many University of Exeter alumni contributed towards this, across a

diverse range of sectors and we profile a few here.

University of Exeter Helps Host

THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

Ashley Petrons (International

Relations, 2007) Torch Bearer

Ashley was nominated to be one of the 8,000 Olympic torch

bearers. She was selected due to her extensive charity work.

Whilst at Exeter, Ashley ran a project to provide elderly

people with hearing and sight difficulties with regular social

events. She has since gone on to become an ambassador for

Cancer Research. She commented, “I feel really honoured to

have had the opportunity to be part of history.”

Robin Williams (Mathematics, 2010

and current PhD student)

Robin was part of the Paralympics GB 5-a-side Blind Football

Team. He was an integral part of the squad that finished in

7th position. Robin regularly trains with other members of

the squad using facilities at the Streatham Sports Park and

has received support from the High Performance Unit to

enable him to compete at the highest level.

Sarah Thomas (Exercise and Sports Science, 2002) Athlete and Medal Winner – Team GB Hockey

This was Sarah’s second Olympics, having also competed at

Beijing in 2008. She was a pivotal member of the Women’s

Team GB Bronze medal winning hockey side. Sarah played

in every game and scored twice, including during the crucial

Bronze medal play off against New Zealand. The medal is the

first won by the British women’s hockey side since 1992 and

has raised the profile of the sport around the country. During

her time at Exeter, Sarah played Hockey for the University’s

1st team and was a part of the prestigious Sport Scholarship

Scheme, where she received specialist support and coaching.

Mike Vaughan (Civil Engineering, 1994) Landscape Engineer at the Olympic Park

Chartered Civil Engineer Mike led a team charged with

designing wetlands and restoring the banks of the River Lee

which provided the backdrop to the Olympic Park. The project

was the largest wetland planting scheme ever undertaken

in the UK. “Our team has transformed what was a declining

and run-down part of east London into a stunning new

landscape, creating a real legacy for people for many years

to come.”

4 Sports Report

Ben Ainslie (Hon LLD Law, 2005) Athlete and Medal Winner – Team GB Sailing (Finn Class)

Having learned to sail in Cornwall at the age of 8, Ben has

gone on to make history at London 2012 by winning Gold at

a fourth consecutive Olympics. Ben was awarded an honorary

LLD in Law by the University in 2005 in recognition of his

sporting achievements. The first Olympic Torch bearer and

Team GB flag bearer at the Closing Ceremony, Ben is the most

decorated Olympic Sailor ever. After a tough final race Ben

commented “It was really nerve-racking. It was a really tense

race. There was a lot at stake in difficult conditions and I was

just glad to come through it. It’s an amazing feeling and big

thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years”.

Sir Clive Woodward (Hon LLD Law, 2007)

Director of Elite Performance, Team GB

This role has seen Sir Clive working in partnership with UK

Sport and the 35 Olympic disciplines and their athletes,

coaches and performance directors in the run up to the

Games in order to maximise success for Team GB. Sir Clive

was awarded an Honorary LLD from Exeter in 2007 for his

commitment to British Sport.

Nick Beasant (Geography, 1998)

Hockey Coach, Olympic Ambition Program

me

Assistant Director of Sport at Exeter, Nick visited the Olympic

Park as a member of the Olympic Ambition Programme.

“The Ambition Programme focuses on preparing athletes

and coaches to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The trip to the Olympic Park and Athletes’ Village gave me a

real insight into the work which goes into making Team GB

successful.” Ian Haley (Exercise and Sports Science, 2005)

Athlete – South Africa, Hockey

Experienced international Ian was an integral part of the

South African hockey squad at London 2012. Ian plays club

hockey for the University of Exeter in the English Hockey

League and was a Sports Scholar whilst studying at the

University. “It was an amazing experience and an honour to

represent my country.”

Kirsten Adams (MSc Aquatic Biology and Resource Management, 2012) Games Maker at Eton Dorney

Kirsten was a GamesMaker in the Venue Communication

Centre at Eton Dorney. Her role involved monitoring and log-

ging radio communications as well as relaying information to

support the venue team. “It was an amazing experience. The

public responded really well to the GamesMakers and I felt as

though my efforts were really appreciated. I am so pleased to

have been a part of it.”

Tanya Harris (Exercise and Sports Science, 1999) Head of Summer Sport Engagement and Deputy Chef De Mission, British Olympic Association

Tanya was tasked with the job of managing the relationship

between the BOA and the National Governing Bodies for the

sports. During the Games, Tanya was responsible for sports

in Olympic Park to ensure British athletes were supported in

and out of competition. “To be part of it was something quite

incredible. To see Team GB climbing up the medal table was

extremely rewarding.”

5Sports Report

Crystal Lane (Exercise and Sports Science,

2011) Athlete – Paralympics GB

Alumna and para-cyclist Crystal Lane competed in the 3km

pursuit, time-trial and road race. Crystal has previously been

honoured with a Special Recognition Award from the Jaguar

Academy of Sport and was also named as their ‘Star of the

Future’ 2011, a title she is already living up to.

It has been another fantastic season for Sport at the University of Exeter. The 2438 points accumulated in BUCS competition represents our best ever return and the 7th place finish of 161 institutions is our highest ever ranking. In the last 3 years Exeter has finished 12th (2008/9), 10th (2009/10) and 8th (2010/11).

2011/12 Season Round-up

Our rise in the BUCS rankings from 12th to 8th in just 3 years is testament not only to the efforts of our students but also to the hard work and determination of our coaches and support staff behind the scenes.

Nick Beasant, Assistant Director of Sport – Performance and Competitions

6 Sports Report

1

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3

4

5

6

7 8 9

10

11

BUCS Table 2011/12

Loughborough University 5353.4

Durham University 3503.5

University of Birmingham 2911.9

University of Bath 2813.6

Leeds Metropolitan University 2758.6

University of Edinburgh 2590.5

University of Exeter 2438.1University of Manchester 2221.8University of Nottingham 2131.9

Newcastle University 1952.8

University of Bristol 1808.6

It has been another fantastic season for Sport at the University

of Exeter. The 2438 points accumulated in BUCS competition

represents our best ever return and the 7th place finish of 161

institutions is our highest ever ranking.

We have won a number of BUCS titles this year, including Conference

Cup (competition between universities in the same region) Gold

medals in Badminton, Basketball, Football, Hockey and Volleyball.

In BUCS Championship competition (the highest level of inter-

university competition, between all institutions in the UK), Exeter

were crowned champions in Men’s Hockey, Women’s Rugby 7’s,

Yachting, Windsurfing, Judo and Karate.

Silver and Bronze medals were won in sports including Rowing,

Skiing, Track Cycling, Equestrian and Surfing.

The Class of 2012 include a number of athletes who were selected

to represent English Universities and England Students:

n Rob Hockedy, Sarah Brook, Poppy Davis and Charlotte Benjamin (Rugby 7’s)

nClare Jones and Hannah Leger (Netball)

nTom Sargeant and Matt Chambers (Rugby Union)

nDavid Wiese and Tom Loake (Lacrosse)

nThe following members of the Class of 2012 were selected for international representation:

nSarah George (England under– 20’s Rugby Union)

nSam Harley (GB U25 Rifle Team)

nAmber Reed (Senior England Rugby Union)

I thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the Lacrosse Club

throughout my three years, which pushed me to run for election for

Club Captain in my third year. That, combined with my role as Treasurer

on the AU Executive Committee, meant that I got fully involved in

the AU and I couldn’t have asked for a better Sporting experience

at Exeter. I wanted to take this further and so in February I ran for

election for AU President and was delighted when I received the

most votes from the student body and was offered the post.

I’m very excited for the coming year and I’m enjoying the job

immensely so far, having started in July. I’m looking forward to all

the events such as the Varsities, Dodgeball and the AU Olympics

which I’m sure many of you will remember fondly, but also to many

of our recently created events such as International Sports Month,

the Multi-Sports Varsity against Bath and the Interhalls Games. In

addition to all the events and everything else we do here at the AU,

I’m mostly looking forward to working with all of the Club Captains

and students on a day to day basis. My aim is to ensure that they

have as good a sporting experience as I, and I hope all of you did,

during your time here.

Athletic Union President’s Report

I studied Human Bioscience during my time at Exeter, whilst getting fully involved in sport and the AU. As I’m sure many of you found during your time here, balancing a degree with all the sport and committees commitments can be tricky, but well worth it.

7Sports Report

This year we face a big challenge to match our fantastic finish in

BUCS last year. However, once again we will have more teams

competing in more sports than ever before as student sport at

Exeter continues to go from strength to strength.

I look forward to meeting many Exeter Sport Alumni at events

throughout the year ahead.

Joe Batten

(Human Biosciences, 2012)

AU President 2012–2013

The support I received through my Sports Scholarship, combined with the excellent facilities at Exeter, enabled be to perform at the highest possible level.

Olly Deasy (Exercise and Sports Science, 2011 and former Men’s Hockey 1st Team Captain)

The £8.1m construction work in the Sports Park on Streatham Campus continues at a great pace. The first phase of development is progressing well with a number of facilities complete or nearing completion.

Building on our success

8 Sports Report

Facade materials

Glazed curtain wallingRecycled rainscreen claddingAluminium solar shadingProfiled metal roofingProfiled metal to rear wall facade Aluminium posts to roof overhang

Streatham Sports Park - Option BSketch view

Developments in this phase include:

• Covering the 6 outdoor tennis courts and 6 netball courts,

expanding capacity to 10 indoor tennis courts and 6

indoor netball courts

• Relocation and re-laying of the MUGA (Multi-Usage

Games Area)

• Re-laying of the Olympic-standard water-based

hockey pitch

• Construction of a new block of changing rooms and

viewing area for the water-based hockey pitch

Work has also started on the second phase of development, the

construction of a new 200-station gym that will be over twice the

size of the existing facility, two new exercise studios and a new

Sports Park entrance and reception area. Work is expected to be

completed in time for the start of the 2013/14 academic year.

This new multi-use facility will be named the Russell Seal Health

and Fitness Centre in honour of Russell Seal, Chair of University

Council from 2005 – 2012. Throughout this time Russell has been

a passionate supporter of Sport, Health and Wellness and we are

delighted to name this landmark facility after him.

Construction work on the Nicholas Bull Boathouse on the banks

of the Exeter Canal is nearing completion. The new home for the

University’s Boat Club has been named after alumnus and former

Rowing Captain Nicholas Bull (Chemistry, 1972). Nicholas’ vision

and generosity has been instrumental in the development of

this facility.

Sport Park new development aerial view

9Sports Report

Men’s Hockey Alumni Committee

Last year, the club earned 234 BUCS points which included a

fantastic 4-3 victory for the 1st team over Durham to win the

Championship. This made us not only the highest points-scoring

club at the University last year but also one of the very highest

achieving student sport clubs nationally.

We’re looking to engage with our alumni through a new Alumni

Committee. Events in Exeter and London are planned to allow

alumni to reconnect with former teammates and socialise with

other Club Alumni.

If you’re interested in getting involved with this new venture or

would like to help push our events and initiatives to other Club

alumni, please get in touch with me at clubcaptain@eumhc.org

Andrew Miller

Men’s Hockey Club Captain 2012/13

The Lacrosse Club had another tremendous year in 2011–2012, resulting in being awarded ‘ Athletic Union Club of Year’ at the annual AU Awards Dinner. This was down to the hard work and dedication of all 261 members.

10 Sports Report

FOCUS ON: University of Exeter Lacrosse Club

The teams hit the ground running and all had fantastic seasons.

The Ladies 1st team came third in the BUCS South Premiership

league while the Men’s 1st team won the South Premier League

for the second year running and did so finishing undefeated. The

Ladies 2nd team finished 3rd in a competitive Western 1A League.

Both Ladies 1st and the Men’s 1st reached the semi finals of the

BUCS Knockout competition. This was a first for the Men’s 1st team

and the second year running for the Ladies 1st team and included

beating old rivals Loughborough in the Quarter Finals.

The success of our teams in thanks in no small part to our coaching,

delivered by our student coaches and our Sports Scholars. This

filtered down the club and all members benefited from their

expertise. Our Beginners Men’s Team won ‘Fresh Fest’ (a series of

beginner’s lacrosse tournaments) in both Bath, and Exeter. The

tournaments saw eight universities come together and compete

at our home pitches.

We are extremely grateful to our two American Scholars who acted

as Player Coaches for the whole Men’s side of the Club, and to the

University’s High Performance Unit for enabling this. They both

went above and beyond what was expected of them and were

fantastic additions to the Club.

Last season we started delivering weekly coaching sessions in local

schools in association with the Athletic Union’s Sports Volunteering

Scheme. We engaged with a number of schools who are now

interested in starting lacrosse programmes for their pupils.

We are looking to expand this side of the Club in the coming year

with the aim of perhaps setting up a Lacrosse Club in Exeter for

non-students. As a Club, we’re also very proud to have raised

over £3000 for our nominated charity last year: The Darlington

Foundation, which supports students in Higher Education in

South Sudan.

Our annual Alumni Game in March saw an alumni team return to

Exeter to play against our current 1st team. It was a great success

and we would like to thank all of the alumni who came back to get

involved.

This coming season, we are fortunate that the High Performance

Unit has appointed a High Performance Manager for Lacrosse,

which will be hugely beneficial to the Club. Combined with the

addition of a Men’s second team in BUCS for the first time, we are

looking to add to our BUCS success of last season and attain even

more points for the University.

The Lacrosse Club continues to develop both on and off the field of

play and we’re looking forward to another great year ahead.

Emily Zaborski and Rex Carter

(Lacrosse Club Captains 2012-2013)

My role as a Club Captain during my third year at Exeter helped me to refine many of the skills I now use on a daily basis in my job.

Megan Russell (Exercise and Sports Science, 2009)

The University of Exeter’s Cornwall Campus offers an excellent university experience in stunning surroundings. Sport forms a major part of this experience for students studying here as the sporting offering in Cornwall continues to go from strength to strength.

shown by students’ unions in creating an environment for

Game-inspired activity and FXU were one of only 20 student

unions to achieve Silver Accreditation.

29 University of Exeter students have been accepted onto the FXU

Sports Scholarship Scheme, offering financial support to enable

students to continue towards their sporting aspirations and

represent the University in competition.

The FXU Volunteering Scheme, in its first year of activity, gives

FXU students the chance to volunteer in the local community. It is

a flexible scheme which supports students in whatever capacity

they wish to volunteer, be it to coach their favourite sport to school

children, help out with a local club, run a sports event for their

fellow students or the community or get involved in the

organisation of sport. The scheme provides students with essential

training and support to find a placement to suit their interests and

rewards students for volunteering. Every 10 hours of volunteering is

converted into £100 of funding towards a sport related

qualification. 34 students have taken part in the scheme in Year 1.

We look forward to introducing more students to the scheme

next year.

The FXU (Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union) are proud to support

a wide range of student-led sport clubs which are open to all

University of Exeter students studying in Cornwall. In 2011/12, 32

Sports Clubs contributed to our greatest membership ever with

over 3000 students involved in a club or society.

To further aid our sporting provision and to ensure we keep the

interests of the student body central in all that we do, we have

introduced a new Sabbatical position in the form of a Vice

President, Participation and earlier this year Kasia Drinkwater

was elected by the student body to take up this role.

We also held the FXU Awards for the first time in March. This is set

to become an annual event with the slogan ‘Appreciate, Nominate,

Celebrate’ and is an opportunity to recognise student activity and

achievements and includes awards for Sports Clubs, Committee

members and an overall Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year.

In the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games, FXU hosted

‘Tremough 2012’. We opened the campus for the local community

to interact with students to enjoy a number of sporting and cultural

activities showcasing the fantastic opportunities on offer in

Cornwall and at the Tremough Campus. Throughout the day

members of the public and students were able to explore the

campus and visit over 50 stalls showcasing various sports, activities,

charities, voluntary organisations and local enterprises. FXU was

awarded Silver Accreditation through the Be a Champion initiative

for the Tremough 2012 project. This award recognises the effort

Sport at the Cornwall Campus

The last 3 years as a student studying on the Cornwall Campus have definitely been the best of my life and being an active member of a number of clubs and societies has played a huge part.

Kasia Drinkwater FXU Vice President Participation

11Sports Report

The University of Exeter Men’s Rugby Union Club, or EURFC as it is more commonly known, continues to offer a fantastic experience for students both on and off the field of play.

EURFC Look to the Future

12 Sports Report

We work very closely with Exeter Chiefs who provide much of our

coaching to ensure that our squads receive the very best support.

We regularly work with a number of their 1st team players and

many students have gone on to join the Chiefs Academy in recent

years. Last season’s Chiefs squad, which finished 5th in the Aviva

Premiership, featured a number of Exeter alumni including 1st

team regulars Neil Clark, James Hanks and Haydn Thomas.

The University’s High Performance Unit provides invaluable support

to the Club and ensures the ongoing development of our many

Rugby Scholars. Director of Men’s Rugby, Keith Fleming, oversees

the Club’s development and much of our success is thanks to his

tireless work. The infamous Duckes Meadows remains the spiritual

home of EURFC but the 1st XV now play at the University’s Topsham

Sports Ground. Facility improvements are ongoing and it is rapidly

becoming one of the very best homes of University Rugby in

the UK.

While the 2011/12 season was a disappointing one overall by the

high standards of EURFC, there were a number of both team and

individual achievements over the season. We continue to attract

huge numbers of students to the club and last season we fielded

five teams into various levels of BUCS (British Universities and

Colleges Sport) competition.

In November the 1st XV were victorious against the University of

Bath in the annual Rugby Varsity fixture at Sandy Park, home of

Exeter Chiefs. The game finished 16 - 14 and was a thrilling

encounter from start to finish.

The 2nd team ended the season in joint 3rd position in a

competitive BUCS Western 1A League, finishing with the second

highest points difference and recording a resounding 29–0

victory over the eventual league winners.

The big success story of last season was the 5th team, competing in

BUCS competition for the very first time. Keith’s vision was for this

team to be a Fresher’s XV and to act as the EURFC Nursery. The team

exceeded all expectations and finished top of their league, having

won all 11 games against opposition including a number of other

university 1st and 2nd teams. The side also reached the final of the

BUCS Western Conference Cup (a regional knockout competition)

and were unlucky to lose to Cardiff’s 2nd team in their only

competitive loss of the season. Off the back of this success, we have

entered a record 6th team into BUCS competition next year and we

hope to see further success here in the season ahead.

In another first for EURFC, we also entered a side into a regional

league this year against non-student teams. We powered to the top

of the league, gaining promotion and giving many more members

a chance to play competitive rugby. We now plan to enter a second

team into this league for the season ahead.

The 2012/13 season looks set to be an extremely successful one for

EURFC as we seek to build on the successes of last year. A date for

all EURFC alumni diaries is Wednesday 13th February, when the 1st

XV take on Bath once more in the annual Varsity fixture at Sandy

Park. It would be great to see as many Club Alumni there as

possible to lend their moral and vocal support!

Rugby at Exeter has developed hugely in recent years and we

attract many talented players to the University. Players at all levels

in the Club receive quality coaching and benefit from our close links

with Exeter Chiefs.

Rory Macrae

EURFC Alumni Secretary

I played Rugby during my time at Exeter and some of my best memories are because of my involvement with the Club, both on and off the pitch.

Ollie Cummings (Exercise and Sports Science, 2000)

The seventh annual Alumni Golf Day took place on Friday 7 September at Worplesdon Golf Club, Surrey. 76 University of Exeter alumni from six decades took part. John Gilbert (Economics, 1972) reports on another enjoyable and successful event:

What a wonderful day! The sky was blue, the sun shone brightly

and the immaculate course and excellent clubhouse provided many

memories for the 18 teams.

This year’s Stableford competition winners, following a countback,

were the 1990s team of Alex Lawton, Matt Heal, Mike Atkinson and

Paul Atkinson, just edging out the mixed 1970s/1980s team of

Danny Smith, Jon Whiteley, Dave Millard and Mark Taylor. Both

teams scored 84 points.

Mike Berners-Price took the straightest drive prize, while former

golf scholar Dave Corben was the nearest to the pin on the

picturesque 10th hole, inches away from holing an ace.

This year five current golf scholars participated and Craig Townsend,

Director of Golf, thanked the alumni for their tremendous support

over the past six years which has enabled Exeter to climb to fourth

in the British Universities Golf Rankings. Exeter now boasts 11

scholars with a handicap of scratch or better compared to just

three in 2008.

Alumni Golf Day

13Sports Report

It was great to meet so many people at the Alumni Golf Day. I’ll definitely come to this event as an alumnus in future years and support the University’s Golf Programme.

Laurie Potter (current Golf Scholar)

Following the speeches of thanks, the traditional Golf Day auction

took place, brilliantly organised by Rod Alexander. Over the past six

years the alumni golf days have raised some £45,000 towards golf

scholarships. This year, nearly £11,000 was raised. £1,750 was

contributed by the ‘Cutting Edge’ raffle, which was held in memory

of Alumni Golf Day joint founder Chris Edge, who sadly died in

late 2010.

Next year, the Alumni Golf Day will move to St George’s Hill Golf

Club following four very successful years at Worplesdon. The date is

fixed for Friday 16 August 2013. We hope to host a full house for the

fourth successive year. Cost of the day will be £95.

Attendees were also informed of the annual Northcote Trophy

Alumni v Students match. Last March the students just managed

to hold onto the trophy for the second successive year. Next year’s

challenge is to field a team of 10-12 alumni to give it a Ryder Cup

feel – and regain the trophy.

The Alumni Golf day was once again expertly organised by

alumni John Gilbert and Rod Alexander (History, 1971).

The University of Exeter would like to extend our sincere

thanks to both for their continued support of the High

Performance Golf Programme.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

14 Sports Report

Class of 1958 ReunionOn Saturday 8 September, the PE Diploma Class of 1958 held a

reunion on St Luke’s Campus which was attended by 19 of their

cohort. Geoff Gearing and Keith Mollard organised the event

which was attended by alumni from as far away as Canada and

New Zealand. During the morning the group were treated to

presentations from Dr Richard Winsley, Director of Education and

Associate Director of the Children’s Health and Exercise Research

Centre, and Will Katene, Subject Leader for Exeter’s Physical

Education PGCE.

In the afternoon, the reunion moved on to Streatham Campus

where Director of Sport Phil Attwell gave a tour of the sports

facilities and talked through the £8.1m building programme

which was well underway. Alumni Officer Simon Tyson (Exercise

and Sports Sciences, 2008) then led the group to the Forum to

look around the facilities there including the 400-seat Alumni

Auditorium.

In the evening a dinner was held in Cloisters Restaurant on

St. Luke’s Campus. Guest speaker and fellow Luke’s Alumnus

Julian Tagg (Education, 1978) spoke of his life from childhood

to becoming Chief Executive at Exeter City FC.

Francis Angle

We were extremely saddened to learn of the death of Francis (Fran) Angle (Education, 1958) in May. Fran had been Secretary of

the St Luke’s Club and had remained extremely active in the role right up to his passing. He will be remembered fondly by many.

Fred Davies (Physics, 1954) has taken over as Secretary of the St Luke’s Club.

Sports Report

Sports Report

If you would like to share any sporting memories of your time at Exeter please get in touch with us at SportsAlumni@exeter.ac.uk

15Sports Report

For many people, involvement in sport is a defining factor in their enjoyment time spent at the University of Exeter. We had a fantastic response to our appeal for memories and photos of Exeter Sport in the last edition of the Sports Report.

As a result we are creating a dedicated Sports Alumni section on our

website which will chart our history through the ages. From our

early origins as a collection of schools and colleges established in

the middle of the nineteenth century to the founding of the

University of Exeter in 1955 and the incorporation of St Luke’s

College of Education in 1978, sport has always played a significant

role in our activities and our identity.

Andrew Beattie (Exercise and Sports Science, 2001) in action

at the former County Ground in the annual Rugby Varsity

fixture against Swansea in 2001. Andrew went on to win 238

caps for Bath and captained England A.

Chris (Jack) Pashley (Physics, 1958) shared this

photo of the Boat Club in 1955. Chris rowed at

number 7 for the University’s 2nd XIII.

David Bull (Sociology, 1961) sent in this image of the

Men’s Football 3rd team from 1959. David is pictured

on the far left of the front row and was also AU

Secretary 1960-61. He suggests that perhaps the

fact that only ten players are pictured explains

why they lost so often!

The Women’s Hockey Team of 2002 reached the final of

the BUSA (British Universities Sports Association, now

BUCS) Championship held at the National Hockey

Stadium, then based in Milton Keynes. Sarah Thomas

(front row, middle) has gone on to win 69 caps for

Wales and 65 caps for Great Britain and was part of the

Bronze medal winning Team GB squad at the 2012

Olympic Games.

University of Exeter SportStocker RoadExeterDevon EX4 4QN

Telephone: 01392 722152Email: SportsAlumni@exeter.ac.uk

www.exeter.ac.uk/sport

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Photography courtesy of Pinnacle Photography, Jenny Manby and Mike Powell