IF St. Anne were a football fan, as opposed to being the patron saint of knitting, she would surely find her college first team incredibly perplexing.
The home side demonstrated again why they have infuriated spectators this season. Their stylish victory over Brasenose. in a repeat of last year’s Cuppers final, showed that they are capable of wreaking havoc over their opponents, but they are yet to find any consistency, having lost to Christ Church in their opening game. 
Before kick off, Brasenose bemoaned the absence of six first team players, and for good reason. Immediately, St. Anne’s exploited the away side’s makeshift defence when the impressive Jacob Lloyd continued his good form by scoring his fourth goal of the season. 
Following Robbie McDonald’s whipped in corner, the striker’s flailing leg diverted the ball beyond the arms of Brasenose’s outstretched ‘keeper to make it 1-0. Rather than celebrating, Lloyd looked surprised, either because of the fortuitous nature of his touch, or by the amount of room he was given by the hapless Brasenose defence.  Immediately afterwards, Brasenose replicated this blunder- luckily for them, St. Anne’s were unable this time to toe poke it into the back of the net.
Following this second error, the Brasenose WAG contingent arrived in all their Primark glory.  Unfortunately, their presence did little to revitalise their players, who continued to struggle against the home side, particularly in aerial contests.
At the back, St. Anne’s were authoritative and organised, with Fox and Hollindale towering over the Brasenose strikers. The away side’s only opportunity of the first half came from midfielder Yeoh, whose determined run resulted in a misdirected shot which was ultimately of no concern to the keeper. By this stage, the most vocal Brasenose WAG was channelling her energies into a phone call.
If total aerial domination was not enough, St. Anne’s then proved stylish on the counter attack, stringing sixteen passes together only for midfielder Stuart Clark to shoot wide in the thirtieth minute. Nonetheless, the home side stretched their lead shortly afterwards when McDonald impressively beat his man before side footing it into the back of the net. Brasenose restarted with greater pride and vigour, competing strongly against Steve and Stuart Clark for balls in the middle of the park.  In turn, St. Anne’s became complacent, abandoning their urgency that had served them so well in the first half. 
A clumsy challenge on Yeoh offered Brasenose the chance to reduce their deficit to one goal, but the tame free kick that followed gave keeper Butler no trouble. Shortly afterwards, the visiting No. 9 penetrated the St. Anne’s defence, only to be denied by a parry from Mike Butler. Whereas Brasenose did not take these chances, the home side were alert enough to inflict further humiliation on their opponents by adding two more goals in the final fifteen minutes.
If St. Anne’s are proving to be Oxford’s Liverpool, then Ed Border has aptly been nicknamed Peter Crouch by his team mates. Like the England striker, Border has a deceptively good touch, demonstrating this to great effect by scoring the home side’s third goal.  Having received the ball with his back against the goal, the tall forward swiftly turned his defender, before comprehensively beating the ‘keeper. 
Border’s strike quashed any hope of a Brasenose comeback, with the home side resuming their dominance over visibly deflated opponents. Jacob Lloyd’s second goal of the game scored made the score 4-0, reversing the score of last year’s Cuppers final. Whilst this moment of revenge will undoubtedly satisfy St. Anne’s, the three points will matter much more if they are serious in their quest for silverware.

WITH the addition of ex-Arsenal and England defender Martin Keown into the coaching set up and the prospect of competing in the BUSA regional first division after promotion last year, this was always likely to be an exciting season for the men’s Blues football squad.
Whilst it naturally took some time and no small degree of experimentation to allow the squad to settle and find some rhythm, the unbeaten starts for both the Blues and Centaurs teams have reflected the quality and dedication of this year’s group of players. In fact, four members of our current Blues team have been invited  to train with the England Universities development squad.
The drive towards a greater level of professionalisation of the football setup within the University, encompassing such developments as the creation of the role of sabbatical officer and the recruitment of Martin Keown as team coach, has laid the foundations for success not just in this season but in many other years in the future.
We are striving to improve the quality of football experience across the spectrum from the blues to the college  teams and we are also seeking to identify as effectively as possible those players who could make the step up and compete at higher levels.
I honestly believe that promotion to the national premier league within two seasons is a realistic target for the Blues team and I would like to think that we can buck the recent trend of Cambridge victories in Varsity matches when the two teams meet at Craven Cottage in April of next year.
With the game taking place on the same day as the boat race, and at a venue located on the bank of the Thames in London, we certainly hope to have a substantial number of fans there to support the team in their quest for victory.

Complaints from University staff and students that damaged city sewers are acting as a thoroughfare for rodents has prompted Thames Water to launch a pest control programme.
The company has been called in by Oxford City Council after a series of complaints from Oxford residents. Thames Water plan to lay underground traps in the worst affected areas in an attempt to combat the problem, while Oxford City Council will simultaneously set a series of traps above ground.
In September 2007, Dr Frances Kennett was ordered by a judge to pay council tax after refusing to pay in protest at the city’s waste collections scheme and rat infestation.
A spokesman for Thames Water said that many of the traps would be laid in Greater Clarendon Street and the Jericho area. “We used CCTV to inspect the sewers in some areas of the city, and our responsibility is to make sure they are in good working order,” he said. “We have agreed to help the Council out as they have a legal obligation to ensure that the area is free of rodents.”
Students living out have had to deal with rodent problems in the past. The Oxford Mail recently identified Cowley as one of the worst-infested areas of the city with 105 pest control call-outs between April and September. It claimed that Jericho was one of the least afflicted places, with just 35 rodent-related call-outs, despite recent allegations that fortnightly rubbish collections have made rat problems worse.
There has been some disagreement over who is responsible for dealing with the infestation. Thames Water have cited the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act as evidence that the local authority should have been more proactive about pest control, and the City Council have claimed that Thames Water should have acted sooner.
A spokesperson for Thames Water said, “We’re only doing rat-baiting because the Council asked us to. This is something we are only doing on their request.”
Oxford City Council said that its only responsibility is to handle house calls for individual complaints rather than laying extensive above-ground traps. Councillor Jean Fooks said, “Thames Water have claimed they don’t have the responsibility through statute to deal with it. We would have liked them to do more baiting and they have finally agreed to do a little.”
Fooks added, “Jericho is where we have the least call-outs, at half the number that it was two years ago.” She claimed that there was no link between the rodents and the change in garbage collections to fortnightly.
Referring to Dr Frances Kennett, an Oxford University professor involved in a public row over refuse collection, she said, “We do have a particular resident in Jericho who is convinced there is a huge problem, and she does have a damaged drain under her house so it is possible that is where the rats are coming from. We are baiting as best as we can.”

Oxford 25 – 28 Cambridge WITH convincing wins against Exeter, Bristol and Bath behind them, the Blues Women’s Lacrosse team were prepared for a tough match this week in the University Parks, as they played host to their Varsity rivals. But despite having an equal share of possession, they could not have anticipated the reality check they were dealt when on the final whistle they had only one goal to their name.
When Cambridge shot out of the blocks to go 2 goals up after just 5 minutes, the girls in dark blue realised that victory would entail a fight from start to finish. However, some loose passing and turnovers against them at the beginning of the game undermined good work done in defence. After saving the first Oxford shot, a Light Blue fast break clinched them a third goal, asking questions of Oxford’s communication in defence. After their coaches called a timeout, the home side jogged back onto the pitch with renewed resolve, but unfortunately this did not translate into a score, as the attacks settled into rather flat play, inviting Cambridge to turn over, leading to a sustained attack around the Oxford goal and a fourth score for the visitors.
Not long before half-time, captain Els Sobczyk gave Oxford an early lifeline from the goal, pulling off a great save to redeem the score margin, and Claire Strauss made an excellent tackle on a Cambridge player’s shot to suspend Cambridge’s goal flurry. This seemed to lift the players  somewhat; after speedy first-year Leah Templeman flew past countless players in midfield to create a break for the Blues, Oli Valner linked up in attack and finally put Oxford on the scoreboard, deftly nudging the ball past the goalie, the post and into the back of the net.
With an appetite for goals, Oxford’s attack picked up pace, and Kate Hobday ran off a well-placed pick which Emma Readman had sprinted up from defence to set, only to see her shot skim the outside of the post. With the half-time whistle signalling a much-needed break, Oxford seemed to be back in the game, despite being 3 goals down.
Valner and Templeman looked dangerous around the Cambridge goal at the beginning of the second half. However, when the ball was turned over and play swiftly changed ends, Oxford’s defence was caught without a player marking the post and Sobczyk was given no chance against a precision-angle shot from a player running from behind the goal.
 In response to Cambridge’s re-applied pressure, the home attacks ran some set-plays, but some unusually slow stickwork and good hustling by the Cambridge goalkeeper, both in and out of goal, denied them a score.
Despite assertive defence from Rosie Price and Strauss who were forced to make two more checks on players mid-shot, the fast paced game Cambridge had chosen to play was working, and a sustained period of attack and sharp passing were rewarded with more goals. When the score reached 8-1 another Oxford timeout was called, but with 13 minutes left to play it would require something extraordinary for them to turn the game around.
Despite inevitable tiredness at the end of a very physical game early in the season, the Dark Blues did not give up, and the last quarter saw some of the most linked passes of the match. Amy Jordan was instrumental in some promising attacks on goal, and on most occasions it was the frustratingly good play of the Light Blue goalkeeper that prevented Oxford from scoring, as there was no lack of shots. When she decided to stray from her circle on a trip behind goal, Sophie Caulfield and Valner’s aggressive tackling raised spectators’ hopes as they seemed determined to secure another goal for their team.
It was not to be, however, and despite dominating the last few centre draws, Oxford did not have the consistency or finishing ability to match the Cantabs on this occasion. With inevitable complacency in the Cambridge camp, the road to Varsity will be bumpy for the Dark Blues. But glimpses of potential and impressive determination in the face of defeat suggest that this contest is by no means over.

by Jonathan TanThe brief seemed simple enough: travel to London to view the British Museum’s Terracotta Army exhibition and see whether it lived up to the hype.  Actually I had been oblivious to any hype.  How popular could it be?  Surely the principal reason the army is so impressive is the sheer scale of the work:  over eight thousand soldiers filling vast underground caverns.  Yet, in the case of the British Museum, there are fewer than twenty.  Still, it turns out these few statues are enough to turn the museum into something akin to a rock concert, and the British public into screaming, knicker-throwing teenage girls.  And I realise the cost of being part of this baffling phenomenon when my alarm clock sounds at 5am on a Saturday, and I’m forced to obey it.

The exhibition runs from September to April, but advance tickets are already sold out until January and are likely to sell out entirely within a month. Fortunately, five hundred are released every day for purchase at the museum. It is all for one of these precious tickets that I find myself in line at eight in the morning, a full hour before the gates even open. This, it seems, is just enough commitment to warrant sixtieth place in the queue. I ask the frontrunner what time he arrived. He shrugs. “About 6.30.” Nodding sleepily, I take my place in the line, which, within minutes, extends behind me, out of sight.

9am arrives and I’ve never been so glad to see it.  I trudge inside to take up position in a new queue. The £10 tickets are issued in timeslots to avoid overcrowding and the earliest times sell out first. Finding myself with an hour to wait, I foolishly decide to ascertain the length of the queue. Part accountant, part harbinger-of-doom, I shuffle down the entire line, informing those that ask of their predicament. There are over eight hundred people queuing for five hundred tickets, and it’s only 9.20 am.

I queue again (briefly) to actually enter the exhibition. By this point, the anticipation has me expecting the archaeological equivalent of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Instead, I find myself in the Reading Room, a reasonably large, circular area with a high, ornate ceiling. The exhibition itself is modern, with temporary stages erected, but I can see rows of old bookshelves just behind the makeshift walls. 

The atmosphere is a welcome relief from the chaos outside. Thanks to the timeslots, the exhibition is uncrowded, even peaceful, and there is ample time and space with which to savour the presentations. The magnificence of the history is unquestionable, but I want to view the displays for what they are, without feeling as if I’m obligated to bow in reverent awe, so I’m less than pleased by the opening chunks of information. The First Emperor ‘was unique in both life and death’ claims the British Museum which makes me wonder if it was them who started all the hype. Thankfully, most of the placards let the facts speak for themselves. 

This is not simply a display of ceramic figures, but an intriguing immersion into the Qin Empire. As I follow the layout, I am schooled in culture, history and architecture, before learning about the archaeological site itself. The Emperor, who viewed himself as an eternal, universal ruler, was driven to create an entire world for his afterlife out of a terrible fear of death.

“He wanted to live forever!” exclaims one lady behind me.

“So do we all,” replies her elderly friend dryly.

It’s interesting, but it’s all foreplay.  Everyone’s looking for the main exhibit.

There are about twenty complete terracotta warriors and horses displayed together (the largest ever collection outside of China), and numerous security guards watching over them, presumably on edge ever since an environmental protestor managed to sneak face masks on them.  Indeed, when one observer leans in too close, the tranquillity is shattered by alarms.  A guard surreptitiously whispers to me that one of the ‘objects’ in the display is worth £1.5 billion (approximately the GDP of a small country such as Suriname), but refuses to say which one.  I retain a healthy scepticism about his claim.
The figures themselves are slightly more than life-sized, uniquely detailed, staring impassively through two thousand years of history, betraying nothing of the pain that went into their creation.  It is certainly a privilege to be able to stand so close to such essential historical artefacts and I even find myself shivering- although it later transpires I’m standing on an air vent.

If the exhibits answer copious questions, they also raise some more.  Why may archaeologists never excavate the Emperor’s tomb itself?  What mysteries lie inside?  And still the question persists: why exactly is this relatively small exhibition so popular?  It is fascinating and well-designed, yet the hordes of people clamouring for tickets must expect something more.  Perhaps for some it is the chance of a lifetime, their only opportunity to confront such mythical heritage.  If not the statues themselves, perhaps it is the idea that compels.  The sheer audacity and grandeur and madness of one man.  Yet as I leave the museum, I see the last remnants of the queue and, gazing at their forlorn expressions, I wonder where the madness really lies.

College authorities have warned that CCTV will be installed at Lady Margaret Hall in an attempt to catch students allegedly stealing food, adding that anyone caught could face rustication and possible police action.
Posters put up in the Hall on Wednesday and signed by Head Porter Lawrence Le Carré warned, “Someone has been taking food which has been purchased by other students…I have been invited by a delegation of students to catch this person. If you are caught it could well end in you getting rusticated and not getting a degree. This may well ruin your ambitions in life and get you a police record.”
Despite claims that they were “invited by a delegation of students,” the posters have been criticised for being put up without the JCR Committee’s knowledge.
Sports Rep James Ibbertson-Price said, “I think this is pretty invasive. They should have told the JCR Exec about this first and we could have talked to everyone about it. Stealing food is something which we can work out ourselves without resorting to this sort of thing. And I also doubt the University would appreciate thousands of pounds being spent on cameras just to stop people stealing food.”
Former JCR President David Tan also criticised the College’s failure to consult students, and he warned that their actions would have negative repercussions. “Even if food is being stolen, colleges are supposed to operate on a level of trust and I don’t think CCTV is right or necessary. There was a backlash against Hertford JCR when they tried to put up cameras in the JCR, so I’d imagine the same would happen here,” he said.
Students agreed that they did not see food theft as a particularly big problem in LMH. JCR Exec member Freddie Williams said it was no more serious than in any other college. “If he’s [Le Carré] just doing this on the basis of a couple of people stealing food from communal kitchens that’s pretty petty. You’re always going to get a couple of people nicking a bit of bread or something in any college, but this just seems unnecessary,” he said.
In an email sent out to LMH students on Wednesday night, JCR President Marlene Cayoun condemned the College’s failure to notify them of the scheme. “Although taking peoples’ food is never good, we can’t have people making threats as to the consequences of it on the part of the College or the JCR without their approval,” she said.
Le Carré claimed he had typed posters at the request of a group of students complaining about food theft. “I have not put up any posters. I was asked to type some stuff up for a group of students, I just typed what they wanted,” he said.
Le Carré added that the threats made in the posters were designed as scare tactics rather than real measures. “We have no intention of putting up any cameras,” he said. “The students concerned wanted to frighten the thief. Everyone makes such a song and dance about us not doing enough to stop thieves, and when we take do take action they make a song and dance about it. There are no cameras and the thief is free to steal what he or she wants,” he said.
Junior Dean John Stokl admitted that he was aware of the posters, adding that no such action would have been taken without the approval of the College. 
Cayoun encouraged students to come to the JCR Exec with their problems rather than reporting them to the porters. “It makes our job much easier if you approach us with these issues before heading to the lodge,” she said. “If any student feels their property is not properly protected, we will of course look into possible solutions as a JCR.”
She also hoped that the incidents would not affect the College reputation, saying, “Isolated instances do need attention but shouldn’t be taken to represent the general picture at LMH.”
Other students were sceptical that the threats were entirely serious. “It’s quite an extreme thing to do, but I really doubt they’re going to kick people out of uni just for stealing a packet of crisps,” one first-year student said.

Oxford 1 – 10 Cambridge WITH convincing wins against Exeter, Bristol and Bath behind them, the Blues Women’s Lacrosse team were prepared for a tough match this week in the University Parks, as they played host to their Varsity rivals. But despite having an equal share of possession, they could not have anticipated the reality check they were dealt when on the final whistle they had only one goal to their name.
When Cambridge shot out of the blocks to go 2 goals up after just 5 minutes, the girls in dark blue realised that victory would entail a fight from start to finish. However, some loose passing and turnovers against them at the beginning of the game undermined good work done in defence. After saving the first Oxford shot, a Light Blue fast break clinched them a third goal, asking questions of Oxford’s communication in defence. After their coaches called a timeout, the home side jogged back onto the pitch with renewed resolve, but unfortunately this did not translate into a score, as the attacks settled into rather flat play, inviting Cambridge to turn over, leading to a sustained attack around the Oxford goal and a fourth score for the visitors.
Not long before half-time, captain Els Sobczyk gave Oxford an early lifeline from the goal, pulling off a great save to redeem the score margin, and Claire Strauss made an excellent tackle on a Cambridge player’s shot to suspend Cambridge’s goal flurry. This seemed to lift the players  somewhat; after speedy first-year Leah Templeman flew past countless players in midfield to create a break for the Blues, Oli Valner linked up in attack and finally put Oxford on the scoreboard, deftly nudging the ball past the goalie, the post and into the back of the net.
With an appetite for goals, Oxford’s attack picked up pace, and Kate Hobday ran off a well-placed pick which Emma Readman had sprinted up from defence to set, only to see her shot skim the outside of the post. With the half-time whistle signalling a much-needed break, Oxford seemed to be back in the game, despite being 3 goals down.
Valner and Templeman looked dangerous around the Cambridge goal at the beginning of the second half. However, when the ball was turned over and play swiftly changed ends, Oxford’s defence was caught without a player marking the post and Sobczyk was given no chance against a precision-angle shot from a player running from behind the goal.
 In response to Cambridge’s re-applied pressure, the home attacks ran some set-plays, but some unusually slow stickwork and good hustling by the Cambridge goalkeeper, both in and out of goal, denied them a score.
Despite assertive defence from Rosie Price and Strauss who were forced to make two more checks on players mid-shot, the fast paced game Cambridge had chosen to play was working, and a sustained period of attack and sharp passing were rewarded with more goals. When the score reached 8-1 another Oxford timeout was called, but with 13 minutes left to play it would require something extraordinary for them to turn the game around.
Despite inevitable tiredness at the end of a very physical game early in the season, the Dark Blues did not give up, and the last quarter saw some of the most linked passes of the match. Amy Jordan was instrumental in some promising attacks on goal, and on most occasions it was the frustratingly good play of the Light Blue goalkeeper that prevented Oxford from scoring, as there was no lack of shots. When she decided to stray from her circle on a trip behind goal, Sophie Caulfield and Valner’s aggressive tackling raised spectators’ hopes as they seemed determined to secure another goal for their team.
It was not to be, however, and despite dominating the last few centre draws, Oxford did not have the consistency or finishing ability to match the Cantabs on this occasion. With inevitable complacency in the Cambridge camp, the road to Varsity will be bumpy for the Dark Blues. But glimpses of potential and impressive determination in the face of defeat suggest that this contest is by no means over.

St John’s College has been criticised after deciding to close its main kitchen next term, with students claiming that Americans on summer courses were being put ahead of students doing ‘proper degrees’.
Susan Hendrickson, Domestic Secretary for St John’s JCR, said the College’s decision to not postpone refurbishment until the summer vacation so as not to inconvenience American visiting students had proved unpopular.
“That’s a big sore point,” she said. “It’s annoying for students but the College said it did not want to inconvenience those tenants who stay over the summer, who are Americans who come back every year to do summer vacation courses. It’s a bit annoying in that we’re here to do proper degrees and they’re here to do summer courses, but its not going to ruin our term.”
The College hopes to have completed the upgrading of catering facilities for the start of Trinity Term, and in the meantime plans to use alternative smaller kitchens in the Garden quadrangle.
The reduced capacity of facilities means formal hall has been cancelled for next term, although informal hall will continue to be provided with extended opening times.
Hendrickson claimed that the College had made inadequate contingencies for the reduced capacity now available by extending informal hall.
“We do have another kitchen facility. It’s a smaller capacity and is not designed to feed four hundred people three times a day. So they are looking at increasing meal times and using reheated food,” she said.
Anthony Boyce, Principal Bursar at St John’s, said the College said it had planned the refurbishment to minimise disruption to the students and had consulted fully with the JCR and MCR.
“The refurbishment has been delayed by a full year to ensure that all of our alternative arrangements are in place when the work begins,” he said. “The JCR and MCR have been fully consulted over the plans, to ensure that any potential problems and difficulties could be identified and minimised.”

Club of the Year
Kickboxing
Judo
Basketball
Cycling
Women’s Lightwieght Rowing
FencingTeam of the Year
Women’s Hockey Blues
Rugby League
Women’s Netball BluesSportswoman of the Year
Frances Smithson
(athletics, multieventer)
Martine Bomb
(athletics, sprinter)
Hannah Bowe
(hockey)
Beth Wild
(hockey, cricket)
Rachel Hughes
(cycling, triathlon)
Rebecca Bayliss
(judo)
Justine Aw
(fencing)Sportsman of the Year
Dave McGaw
(cycling)
Richard Hildick-Smith
(swimming, modern pentathlon)
Matthew Dodwell
(fencing)

AS Michaelmas term hits its stride, swathes of fresh-looking university sports teams are taking shape. Every year clubs face the daunting task of trialling, selecting, cohering and competing in a far shorter period of time than at any other university.
One wonders sometimes how Oxford’s legions of competitors do as well, nationally, as they do. Balancing the multiple commitments of work and life and compressing the experiences of their peers into eight week terms, our captains and coaches somehow continue to produce teams that take on the best that student sport in this country has to offer – and win.
As the Sports Federation collates nominees for its prestigious awards ceremony, it’s now that the teams and individuals that have set their sporting scene alight get the recognition they deserve. The most high-profile amongst these are the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year gong; draped in BUSA gold medals, international honours, Varsity winning credentials and receiving the approbation of their nominating club committees, this section of our sporting demographic is special indeed. 
The question of who is to succeed Jonathan Blackledge as Sportsman of the Year is a pressing one. Blackledge sets a daunting precedent, having won the award for two years running. This athlete and cross-country runner won BUSA and non-student national competitions over the same distance and won the domestic Premier League with his club. Such a plethora of individual and team achievements was necessary for him to edge the other nominees to the prize for two consecutive years.
This year, the cycling and fencing clubs have provided the bulk of the nominees and again the field is strong, but it’s among the women that the competition looks fiercest. Last year’s victor, sprinter Martine Bomb, is again nominated after another sensational season on the domestic and international circuit and her club-mate Frances Smithson (06/07 Athletics Blues captain and competitor in high jump/triple jump/100m relay events) also looks a strong contender.
Smithson’s individual prowess at BUSA, Varsity and in the AAAs matches speaks for itself but her club recognises in her a personal fortitude and captain’s zeal.  As the closest ever Varsity victory was sealed this year, the team nominated her for this award as testament to the gamut of achievements, individual and motivational, which can combine to make a potential Sportswoman of the Year. 
Elsewhere in this category, the nominations have thrown up another interesting pairing as former housemates Beth Wild and Hannah Bowe also vie for recognition. They played alongside one another for the women’s hockey Blues and were both key players in this squad, nominated for “Team of the Year”. Bowe has managed to rack up a succession of senior international caps for Ireland in a string of high-profile games. As well as being selected among the best of the Irish best, she helped mastermind the girls’ BUSA Premier League victory and the subsequent run that saw Oxford placed in the top 4 of students nationally, scored in Varsity and even flew home to Ireland play for her local Gaelic football side in their national final! Bowe described her senior call-up after a gruelling trialling period as “a welcome relief – in hindsight what I did as regards training, travel and two or three tutes a week while still insisting on having a social life was probably a bit absurd but I was lucky enough to reap the benefits.” Beth Wild was among the top scorers during the same campaign and is also feted for her achievements in cricket – she has been part of the England squad for a number of years and is known for her prodigious batting on the Oxford women’s side. She is also the first female member of the Oxford UCCE setup but relishes being in a minority, saying “the setup in Oxford has been brilliant, very supportive, and challenging, since I constantly have to test my skills against the boys – this can ultimately only be a benefit for my game.”
The juxtaposition of the Athletics club’s internationally-acclaimed starlet and its inspiring captain, plus that of two friends who formed the most devastating Oxford hockey partnership in years, makes for an exciting contest. Rachel Hughes of the cycling club (multiple BUSA-medallist, record-holder and last year’s runner up to Bomb), Rebecca Bayliss of judo (1st Dan black belt, British Judo and BUSA silver medallist, reformist club President) and Justine Aw of fencing (top 8 BUSA, winner of national senior Slough Open) make up a scintillating panel of nominees. Nearly 300 guests at this year’s Sports Federation Ball will be privy to the identity of the winner on 22nd November, which will surely be tough to decide, given the relative merits of all the contenders.