And here we go… 

Nine years of hurt… Not quite England’s wait for World Cup glory, but to every supporter with Black and Gold in their hearts it will seem like forty years of hurt.

But with each new Varsity we have to hope we can bring about the victory.

So what about this year? Well I can promise you one thing, it will be tight. Starting at the Ice Hockey on the 11^th Feb, where the Bears split the contest will be close. Last year we came painfully near and it was due to our Skiers and Snowboarders which meant we took home the Winter Trophy once more.

Varsity however, is so much more than winners and losers on the field, it comes down to the sometimes magical bond that Sport can bring to people. For one time of the year it unites the student population under Black and Gold and sends a message to the very heart of the University Of Sheffield. That students care about their sport and that those contests between our best elite athletes, mean so much more the thousands of fans willing them on.  

The excitement of organising Varsity this year has being the highlight of my year as an Officer, but only because it’s the highlight of thousands of students. For all who take part it’s a Cup Final. For all who watch, breath, love, sleep, eat, cry, win, lose, Varsity, it will be their World cup final.

Black and Gold….

Ben Baldwin sheffield union Sports officer

It's that time of year again... It’s February, it’s cold, but students from Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield have one thing on their mind… It’s the start of Varsity 2012!

Both Universities from Sheffield will be going head to head once again and what a way to kick Varsity 2012 off starting on the ice at the Motorpoint Arena Sheffield with Ice Hockey on Saturday 11th February!  This year, “Winter Varsity” celebrates its 8th anniversary and the whole Varsity event celebrates its 16th anniversary. It’s an honour to be leading out Team Sheffield Hallam for a second year in Varsity and it promises not to disappoint:  it will be BIGGER and BETTER than ever before!

Naturally, I want to win, but winning isn't everything though. The reason we put a lot of time planning and organising these events is because we want our students at both Universities to have an experience they can take away from being a competitor, a spectator or even working at it, and remembering it forever. Some of the students that compete in Varsity will probably never get the chance again to play in front of thousands of spectators again or even play in such fantastic venues again. It’s also an opportunity to show off once more how fantastic the sports facilities are in Sheffield.

Background to the Ice Hockey

In 2010 the Ice Hockey was held at the Motorpoint Arena for the first time bringing in over 3,000 spectators to the game and it was the deciding point for the “Winter Varsity” trophy. Last year we had over 4,000 spectators at the Arena and Team Sheffield Hallam won a thrilling match 5-3. This year the teams are said to be the closest they have ever been but hopefully we will be able to start off Varsity 2012 with a win in front of an expected 5,000 spectators! The match will also be a curtain raiser for the Sheffield Steelers who have a rival match against Coventry Blaze and this game is expecting to bring a crowd of around 7,000.

Although we won the Ice Hockey last year, we then went onto lose 4-0 at the Ski Village which meant the University of Sheffield won “Winter Varsity” 4-1 and took their trophy back. This gave them a 3 point lead going into Varsity XV which I’m delighted to say, after a week of over 60 fixtures with wins, losses and draws, Team Sheffield Hallam pulled it back to win 31-30 and retain the Varsity trophy for the 8th year in a row.

For 364 days of the year these two teams play together on a single Sheffield Universities team - The Sheffield Bears - But Varsity is different… The Sheffield Bears will divide and represent their own University! I am proud and honoured to be leading Team Sheffield Hallam onto the ice rink and hopefully beating the University of Sheffield again. The talent of our students never fails to amaze me and both Universities are desperate for success!

After winning Varsity XV last year for the 10th time in 15 years, Team Sheffield Hallam would love to take the “Winter Varsity” trophy home for only the second time since the competition has started.

Colan Leung, Sheffield Hallam Students' Union Sports Officer