Following a tough year, sport has come back into the consciousness at York. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the University of York has had to follow the guidelines in place throughout the country. Those rules have been ever-changing, and sport has, understandably, had to take a back-seat. However, an ultimately successful year of sport was secured in early May when York saw off Lancaster to win a Covid-compliant Roses 2021. The tournament — named Roses Unlocked — pitted York’s best teams against that of Lancaster University in a variety of events.
However, Lancaster had to complete their challenges from their own university. The eventual winners were York, scoring 115 points to Lancaster’s 57. Student media outlets YSTV, URY and of course Nouse covered the virtually-held tournament, which ran from Friday 30 April to Sunday 2 May. The competition was followed via these publications’ live reporting, but also at YUSU bars, like The Forest, The Glasshouse, and The Lakeside Tap. YorkMind was chosen as the charity for the event and over £1,100 was raised, thanks to the kind donations from participants, supporters and other donors.
After Roses Unlocked, attention moved to the 2021 York Sport Union Colours Ball. The gala event celebrates the achievements of sportrelated clubs and societies at the University of York, including sports teams and student media outlets. In the student journalist of the year category, the four shortlisted nominations includes Nouse’s Deputy Sport Editor, Lucy Wilde, as well as a joint nomination for Editor, Matthew King, and Deputy Editor, Annabel Mulliner. Joining them are Joe Radford of YSTV and former Nouse Sport Editor Alex Woodward, representing URY.
The Sportswoman of the year award sees representatives from four different clubs: Lacrosse’s Emily Cumming, the Boat Club’s Emily Walters, Libby Ward for Swimming and Water Polo and two representatives from UYWRUFC in Georgia Briggs and Amelia Evans. In the Sportsman of the year award two clubs enjoy double nominations: Dan Jones and Greg Forrest for the Boat club, and Thomas Wilson and Thomas Allsopp from The York Centurions, alongside them is Fencing’s Bertie Holdsworth and lastly Leo Thomas from the Softball and Baseball club.
The most improved Sportsperson of the year, including both Imogen Voysey and Sophie McMaster from York’s Ballroom and Latin Society, Equestrian’s Hannah Smith, Henry Gibbs from Boxing and UYWRUFC’s Molli Coleman.
The next award gives an opportunity to appreciate the people who have dedicated their time to sport and the six shortlisted nominees are: Hannah Grunwerge from York’s Ballroom and Latin Society, the Boat Club’s Michael Senior, Glyn Houghton from UYHC, Georgia Briggs who receives her second nomination of the night, Maisie Clarke from the Netball Club and lastly Rhys Ashton from Lacrosse rounds off the people shortlisted for their services to sport.
Both Emer Bealin-Kelly from the Boat club and Nakibul Khan from the York Sport Union committee have been shortlisted for the Equal Opportunities award. Alongside this, Nakibul Khan has also been shortlisted for another individual award, coach of the year, for Boxing club. The other nominees for this award are: Tom Fulton for the Athletics and Running club, American Football’s Tom Prosser, Tilly Fox from Lacrosse and lastly Fencing’s coach Harry Parr. Finally to finish off the individual awards, is that of team champion. Sophie McMaster and Emer Bealin-Kelly both receive their second nomination, alongside them is UYWRUFC’s Pip Hodgson, Molly Krzeczkowski from Cheerleading and Lacrosse’s Jacob Lynch.
Congratulations to all the incredible people nominated for awards, but also all members of sports clubs, societies and committees, who have made such a difficult 2020/21 season so successful. To see the remaining team and club awards go to the York Sport Union social media pages.
