June 9, 2016, by Kate Rothery

UoN win record fifth straight Varsity series

By Sebastian Chmielinski

The University of Nottingham claimed bragging rights for the fifth year in a row after beating Nottingham Trent University 13-8 in the 2016 Varsity Series.

Having first begun in 2003, the Series is the most hotly anticipated sporting event every year, and 2016 did not disappoint. With more sell-out crowds, international stadiums, and great games across twenty different sports, this was arguably the biggest Series ever!

The first evening set the tone for the next three weeks, with over 5000 students out in force for basketball. After the women claimed a 57-43 win, the men’s game went right down to the wire, with Trent clinching a nail-biting 74-76 victory in the last 20 seconds. However, it was the Ice Hockey that once again proved the Varsity showstopper, attracting a crowd of over 7000 at The Motorpoint Arena – it was no surprise that the tickets sold out in under 10 minutes!

Another highlight of this year’s competition was the introduction of two Super Wednesdays. These offered a number of clubs the chance to battle it out in Varsity for the first time. The large crowds kept on coming and our clubs seized their opportunity, winning 14 out of the 18 Super Wednesday fixtures.

At the midway point of the Series, the score was poised at 6-3 to UoN. However, from there the green and gold never looked back and, after big wins from the Hockey and Volleyball clubs, Men’s Futsal won a thrilling game on penalties to clinch the series with three fixtures to go.

Reflecting on the success of the best Varsity series yet, SU Sports Officer James Bramley said:

“I am delighted we won the Varsity Series 13-8 this year. The series was a great success with record attendances at several events and #NottsVarsity trended 2nd in the country on two separate occasions! The biggest win has to be the addition of 18 new clubs this year, making the series double the size of previous competitions. A huge well done to everyone who was involved!”

You can relive all the highlights from the series by checking out our photos on Facebook, or watching our video by Lightfoot Media.

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