October 3, 2017, by Sharon Bains
Top 10 Sporting Activities in Nottingham
Here in Nottingham we are lucky to have a vast range of sporting activities and facilitates around. One of our current students Daniel Hudson has listed some of the top things to get involved in during your time in Nottingham, keep reading to find out more!
David Ross Sports Village
Our brand new £40 million Sports Village is sure to take your breath away! With so much to offer, ranging from a eight-lane, 25m swimming pool to a martial arts dojo, and a 12m climbing wall to a 200-station fitness suite, there is something for everyone.
At university, you’ll probably find yourself falling in love with sports that you didn’t even know existed before you arrived in Nottingham, but this will help you stay active and make new friends.
For me, playing a sport at university was the best decision I could have made. Playing sport with like-minded people helped me new create friendships and social circles, something that I believe is really important when settling into university life.
There is too much sport on offer on campus to fit into this blog, so I suggest that you get yourself down to David Ross Sports Village or onto the University of Nottingham Sport website, and purchase a Sports and Fitness Membership so that you can explore it in person!
We also have the Jubilee Sports Centre and the Sutton Bonington Sports Centre, both of which have excellent facilities, all included within our UoN Sports and Fitness Membership.
Holme Pierrepont Country Park
If watersports is your thing, you will undoubtedly find yourself here most weekends. Whether it is Rowing, Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking or Powerboat handling, you can spend hours of fun on the water. You could also challenge your friends to the new ‘Lagoon Wipeout’ inflatable obstacle course, but expect to get wet!
If you aren’t a fan of water-based sports, Holme Pierrepont makes a lovely place to go running, an escape from the hustle of the city centre.
Nottingham Tennis Centre
Located just a stones-throw away from University Park campus, Nottingham Tennis Centre is home to the University’s tennis club. The 36-court facility also hosts a number of international tournaments throughout the calendar year.
2017 has already seen Wimbledon Semi-finalist, Johanna Konta, do battle on the grass courts during the AEGON Open. Olympic Wheelchair champions have also graced the match courts over the summer months. So whether you enjoy playing tennis, or just watching the professionals do the work whilst you tuck into some strawberries and cream, the short walk to Nottingham Tennis Centre is not one to be missed.
Notts County
The oldest professional association football club playing at a professional level, Notts County, can be found playing in their traditional black and white stripes on Saturday afternoons. Their current team contains former Premier League champion Alan Smith, who made his mark playing for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The club used to play their matches inside the old Nottingham Castle, but nowadays, you can watch ‘The Magpies’ from the terraces of Meadow Lane, not too far from the city centre.
Nottingham Forest
The other footballing force in the city is Nottingham Forest. With two European Cup titles to their name, only two English sides have been more successful in the history of the game! ‘The Reds’ play their home matches at City Ground, just across the River Trent from Notts County’s Meadow Lane!
You can’t go very far without seeing something about Forest whilst in Nottingham, such as the statue of Brian Clough, just off Old Market Square in the city centre, the side’s manager during it’s most successful period.
Nottingham Rugby
Competing in the RFU Championship, Nottingham’s Rugby League team can be seen playing their home games at Lady Bay, which is also the venue for Rugby League and Union matches in our own Varsity Series.
The side was founded over 140 years ago, and has seen many iconic figures pull on the green and white jersey throughout it’s history. You can be part of the future of Nottingham Rugby by supporting the players and helping them achieve further success.
Nottingham Varsity Series
Every year, University of Nottingham faces its neighbours Nottingham Trent in a series of sports across the city. This might not seem like a big deal to you when you first start University, but you will soon learn that nothing in life has meant more to you than victory over Trent.
Over recent years, action has taken place at venues including Ice Hockey and Basketball at the Motorpoint Arena, which has also housed Ed Sheeran in April, and football at Notts County’s Meadow Lane.
University of Nottingham won the 2017 series 12-9 after all the action-packed sport came to a close. 2018 is set to be another exciting competition, so find yourself some green and gold facepaint, and get ready to support the teams!
Nottingham Ice Centre
The first twin Olympic-sized ice rink in the UK, found in the heart of Nottingham, was officially opened by Olympic Gold Medalist Jane Torvill, in 2000. You may not be as graceful as Torvill at ice skating, but there are lots of opportunities to have fun and develop your skills on the ice all year round.
If you’d rather wrap up warm and watch from the stands, you can see Nottingham Panthers Ice Hockey Team in action. The Panthers are one of Britain’s most successful professional ice hockey sides and often get more than 5,000 spectators for their home games! Alternatively, you can watch the GB Short Track Speed Skating Squad zip around the rink and even watch the University of Nottingham’s own team play on the ice.
Trent Bridge Cricket Ground
Howzat? If this won’t knock you for six, then I don’t know what will!
The recently redeveloped Trent Bridge is the home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, but also hosts many England Internationals. Nottinghamshire play various different types of matches including T20s and ODIs. T20s are fast-format matches, often during the evenings, which have atmospheres so electric that it is impossible not to become hooked on the action.
England faced South Africa and the West Indies in Nottingham over recent months, but you can still purchase tickets for next summer’s One-Day International against Australia!
Robin Hood Marathon
See the wonders of Nottingham on foot by taking part in the Robin Hood Marathon and Half-Marathons. Whether you take part in the race and raise money for charity, line the streets and support the runners, you will become engrossed in the event.
Although the 2017 race has been and gone, entering yourself into next year’s event will provide you with fantastic motivation to get fit and to keep active, which is great for your body but also your mind. Finding time to remain active at university is important in relieving stress and enhancing your ability to study effectively, so even if you just go on a short run around University Park, it all helps.
So that is our Top 10 Nottingham sporting recommendations – there are so many other opportunities to embrace during your time in Nottingham so try something new whilst you are here!
Don’t forget to head to our Welcome 2017 website to #FindYourActive with UoN Sport – we still have a range of activities and tasters to get involved in.
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