Who cares about Sports?

There’s a fixed narrative that people love to write about Imperial: the one where students spend their days in lecture halls, their nights producing lab reports, and the time in between solving problem sheets. I believed the narrative. Coming to Imperial, I was under the impression that sports here were virtually non-existent and I spent a significant amount of time dwelling on this assumption. Then, I showed up on campus and found out just how wrong I was. In true Imperial fashion, you will find students in the library at three in the morning, but you will find a similar level of dedication at Ethos, at Harlington sports ground, and all the way out at the Putney boathouse. 

Sports is part of the beating heart of the Imperial community. Starting at Imperial can feel like being thrown in the deep end: as reality sets in and the deadlines pile up, it gets overwhelming quickly. This is why it is essential to have an outlet – sports. Through training sessions, match days and Wednesday sports nights, you release pent up energy from gruelling days hunched over your laptop, and whats more, you get to be part of a real community outside of your course.

Beyond that, you have the opportunity to compete throughout the year. With both BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) and LUSL (London Universities Sports Leagues) you can take part no matter your level. The City Varsity against LSE is a particular highlight (that is, if they manage to stay out of trouble long enough to be able to compete). This exhibition match between Imperial’s and LSE’s rugby teams has become a prime chance to foster university pride (and claim much deserved bragging rights).

And this is only half the story! Throughout the year, Imperial has our own season highlights. Notably, our ICSM vs IC varsity, when we see a civil war take place across campus. Throughout a weekend in March, our medics and non-medics battle it out in over 40 fiery matches across 12 sports to crown the ultimate victor. Last year ICSM took the win, winning 26-21 over IC, ending years of IC dominance. Fight night is another one not to miss, as its electric atmosphere and Black-tie dress code makes it a spectacularly glamorous event at the Clapham Grand.

But who cares?

It’s a fair question. You might pick up Felix to read about the newest scientific breakthrough, the unstable political climate, or just general updates on campus, and instead stumble across the sports section and wonder “Well, who cares?” If it’s possible to just look up the score and move on with your day, why bother spending precious time writing about it?

It’s simple: the score doesn’t tell the story. The stats cannot convey the gruelling hours of work put in nor the satisfying moment where the work pays off. They won’t tell you about the tense atmosphere or the gripping sequence of events that leads to a thrilling win or a crushing loss. Watching a sport is watching a story unfold. To truly capture that we must write about it.

How to get involved?

Imperial boasts over 90 sports club under Imperial athletes from familiar favourites like rugby to more niche sports like archery. For the first few weeks, societies run taster sessions that you should definitely take advantage of. Head over to the Fresher’s Fair to check out the different sports you could get involved in. If there is one you manage to fall in love with, buy the membership (and also the Imperial Athletes membership) and fall into the sporting life at Imperial.

We aim to cover match reports, highlights throughout the year, and keep students up to date with recent global sport events. Email sport.felix@imperial.ac.uk to get involved!