Sports societies are in full swing
We asked some of our Sports societies here at Imperial how their fresher’s experience was, details about upcoming events, and what they expect from their societies this year.
Sailing - Secretary, Imogen
At Sailing we’re off to a brilliant start! It is our best year yet for beginners. We ran a sold out taster session and have already surpassed all other IC sports clubs in membership numbers! Our next events are squad tryouts and our first competition is taking place at the end of October. It’s been great seeing so many new faces on the water.
This is an important year for Sailing as we are adopting the windsurfing society to create one big water sports family. We’re excited to keep expanding the club.
We also have a lot of returning sailors who were eager to be back in the boats. One sailor said, ’the thrill of being back on the water again was incredible, especially among so many new members and alumni.’. We sail every Saturday at Queen Mary
Reservoir, and compete regularly across the UK. We also run theory sessions where we discuss the tactics of Team Racing - the competition format favoured by universities. Our main competition of the year is the BUSA Team Racing Championships, but we also go to more casual events hosted by other
universities.
Whilst there’s about 30 people in our competitive squad, we have over 100 social sailors who come to our taster sessions throughout the year.
We also host a lot of socials, curries, bottomless brunches, and of course sports nights. Members can come on our Summer Sail Week, where we go island hopping around the Mediterranean on a flotilla of yachts.
Sailing is open to all levels of ability. We have several qualified instructors who can show beginners the ropes, and get them comfortable in the boat. Our goal is to get as many people loving Sailing as possible. If you’ve always wanted to try, now is your chance!
Rugby - Club Captain, Dylan
Club captain, Dylan, said ‘The turnout from Freshers Fair has really been amazing. We had over 60 boys come to our training session on Monday; it’s great to see such a range of players and a great way for Freshers to get involved and meet some new people.’
Sami, the society Treasurer, adds ‘The team is looking really strong and I’ve already met some really interesting people in the past week. My advice to all freshers is to get involved as much as possible, try go to all the sessions, games and socials as well!’
Will, a Fresher, said ‘I am so glad I joined the IC rugby club. Everyone has been super welcoming and good chat. Each person has fun nicknames like “the Hammer” and “Wall”, hoping to get mine soon. Can’t wait for the rest of the year.’
Imperial Medics Women’s Football Team (IMWFC) - Club Captain, Tomi Oloke
Tomi Oloke, IMWFC Club Captain told Felix that ‘I am really excited for IMWFC’s first match of the season against Essex! It’ll be our new recruits first away day and I’m looking forward to starting the season strong!’
discDoctors (IC Ultimate Frisbee)
Give Frisbee a go! We have everyone. From people who have never played a sport before, to players who have represented Great Britain on the national team. We’re super accepting of new players and there’s a great group of captains and coaches to bring you up to speed. We still love to get competitive with each other though, so if you’re looking to let out some energy it’s perfect for you. Lastly, we regularly have joint training and socials with UCL and KCL, so it’s a great way to meet other uni students around London.
Upcoming events:
- 16th October (2pm): Charity Hat Tournament
- 20th October: LUSL Game vs LSE
- 3rd November: University Mixed Indoor Regionals (UXIR)
- 9th/10th and 23rd/24th November: University Men’s/Women’s Indoor Regionals (UMWIR)
Imperial College Gliding Club - ICGC Captain, Aidan Clark
Imperial College Gliding Club offers the opportunity for anyone to learn to fly gliders regardless of prior experience. We run trips to the airfield every weekend where student have the opportunity to fly with one of our instructors in a two-seat aircraft. All our aircrafts have dual controls to enable our instructor to show the students how to complete a certain stage of the flight then provide an opportunity for the practice.
We ran our first trip to the airfield on Saturday where 12 students each flew twice. The club’s secretary, Luca, who joined the society last year, shares his experience: ‘Of all the societies I have had the privilege of joining over my years at Imperial, ICGC has been the most unique and rewarding experience. Having grown up near Washington DC and the rich history of aviation on display there, I grew up with a passion for aviation but never had the time or money to dedicate to flight training. Fast forward to my fourth year of my medical studies at Imperial, I joined ICGC via a chance encounter with the committee and our single-seat Discus (296) at the Freshers fair last year. 12 months and countless trips later, I have progressed through the rigorous training syllabus and got my bronze and cross-country certificates, allowing me to apply for glider pilots licence. I have made many good friends along the way and I look forward to continuing this unique kind hobby and making new friends who share an interest in this sport over our socials at Lasham airfield, Winter series and our customary Christmas and summer dinners.’
Imperial Devils Ice Hockey - Social Secretary, Rhys Giles
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you took field hockey, put it on ice and strapped blades the bottom of all the players feet? Fancy trying the fastest sport there is? Want to spend 30 minutes answering questions from all your buddies when they ask you what sports you play? Well, look no further, as The Devils sounds like the team for you!
Imperial Devils Ice Hockey Club provides that satisfying feeling of mastering a new skill combined with forming strong bonds with your fellow Devil brothers and sisters.
Can’t Skate? No problem! We’ll quickly get you up to speed with our weekly ‘Learn to Skate’ sessions held at Queensway Ice Rink. This, along with our Friday Training sessions, will get you playing matches in no time! Our B team is a beginner friendly, mixed gender team that competes in a southern beginners’ league. At bit more experienced? Our A team competes in one of the top southern leagues, so we have room for all abilities.
Upcoming events
- Wednesdays: Learn to Skate (meet at 11:30am in the Beit Quad, Sports Night (6:45pm at the Union)
- Fridays: Training (meet at 8:00pm in the Beit Quad, train from 10:15-11:45pm)
