The Challenge Cup is one of the biggest events in the UELSports Calendar and is UEL and Anglia Ruskin University’s (ARU) equivalent of the Varsity match.
Established three years ago between the two universities, UEL have the opportunity to level the scores this year.
How Does It Work?
The Challenge Cup is structured so that 17 teams face off against the Cambridge based ARU in 13 sports throughout one day’s competition.
The location alternates between east London and Cambridge each year.
After last year’s victory on home soil, this year UEL are heading to Cambridge.
There are a variety of sports that include: Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Tennis, Futsal, Badminton, Netball, Indoor Rowing, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, American Football, Hockey and Cricket, with both men and women’s teams competing.
The scoring system is nice and simple, if you win your match, you get one-point for your university and it’s best of 17.
UEL have faced ARU for the past three years in the Challenge Cup, despite losing on two occasions, last year UEL made history with a resounding 14-5 victory!
With the east Londoner’s looking to even the scores in enemy territory on April 3rd.
Captain’s Corner
Ahead of this year’s competition, Challenge Cup captain and Rowing scholar, Damien Andrews, spoke of UEL’s intriguing captaincy trials:
“Basically, I did a trial a couple of weeks ago and we had to do a selection of tests. It was like beer pong, agility tests, throwing hoops and a basketball challenge.
After a few days I heard back that I got the position, considering that there were quite a few people doing the trial I managed to get the position so I was quite happy.”
Andrews has been a part of two Challenge Cups so far, vice-captaining UEL to their first Challenge Cup win on home soil last year.
The third year Sports Coaching student discussed the different emotions that he went through during the victory:
“Last year I managed to lift the trophy, but during our competition we lost. The emotion I felt then was disheartening, however by the end of the day when I got to lift the cup and everything, all my energy was lifted and I’m happy about that. I’m glad at the end we won overall.”
Ahead of early April’s competition Andrew is optimistic about securing a second victory:
“I hope we win again this year, we should because it’ll be 2-2 then on the scores. I’m hoping with all the sports behind us we should win. After lifting the trophy last year, I should rise to that challenge to do so again and I should feel confident after last year.”
After defeat last year in the event Andrews gave Rising East an insight into how the team have been preparing for April:
“We’ve been doing some testing, last week we did some 1k tests to decide the team, I made the team for that again this year.
Basically, we choose the four best males and females to compete and then we train and train and train, we train six days a week.
When it comes up to Varsity we do a 1k test against ARU and the quickest team wins, in a sort of relay format. We’ve got a strong women’s team this year, so I’m hoping we’ll win.”
After UEL’s 14-5 victory last year, Andrews was keen to point out the areas where he hopes the east Londoners will prevail:
“American Football have been doing quite a lot of bits this year I’ve noticed on social media. The Football team again are doing quite well. But I’m anticipating the Rowing team this year, it’s the first year we’ve had a strong women’s presence in the team, so I’m hopeful that we will win on the women’s side and then the men will back it up as well. Hopefully Rowing can help us this year.”
UEL travel to Cambridge on April 3rd seeking to level the scores.
