DMU may not be crowned Varsity 2015 champions, but the experience has been one to remember

Sportsmen and women have talked about their incredible experiences representing De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) in this year’s Varsity events.

The spirit of Varsity captured in this video by DMU Multimedia Officer Safwan Ahmedmia

The scoreboard may show rivals at the University of Leicester have won the competition with the current score at 30 victories to 12, but it has been an unforgettable few weeks for all the competitors and their supporters.

We’ve seen penalty shootout heartbreak, landslide victories in the rowing, and an electric night at the home of England’s most successful rugby team. Varsity 2015 has seen it all, and as the competition grows stronger year on year, attentions will already be turning to next year’s showdown.

Among the highlights for the De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU) sports teams and societies there was the continued success for our cheerleaders, the DMU Saints, an emphatic victory for the DMU Rowing club who took an 8-1 victory on the waters of the river Soar, and the centrepiece of it all, the men’s and women’s rugby first teams having the opportunity to play in front of thousands of spectators at Welford Road, the home of Leicester Tigers.

Regardless of results, however, the overriding theme of every Varsity event this year has been the determination of those not taking part to get involved in the competitive atmospheres and provide teams with some truly memorable experiences.

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Victoria Bayes, Chairwoman of DMU Netball, said: “Playing in front of the home crowd at the QEII Leisure Centre was incredible and definitely unforgettable!

“There were loads of brilliant chants and support by everyone who came along on the day.

“Although we didn't get the results we hoped for and certainly deserved I could not have asked for anymore from the girls, their dedication and drive from the beginning of the year was faultless and we will definitely come back fighting next year for that win!”

Russell Theobald, President of DMU Rowing, said: “It was a really exciting day, it was so good to see so much support from the university.

“It was obviously very satisfying to win given the massive rivalry that there is there. To beat the University of Leicester on the day and for the second year in a row now is brilliant and it puts us on a bit of a roll.

“I would definitely recommend to students to get involved with a sport or society at DMU, you’ll meet so many new people from all sorts of different areas of the university, you’ll meet your best friends there and have a brilliant time getting involved, it’s certainly worth it.”

Looking to future Varsity competitions, team DMU will have an even stronger platform to build upon with the recent announcement that DMU has purchased the Watershed building from Leicester City Council to provide state-of-the-art facilities for sports teams and societies.

The million-pound deal will provide the 2500 students involved in more than 100 societies at DMU with a  brand-new sports hall, changing rooms, kitchens, common room area, soundproofed recording studio, office space and meeting rooms.