Misplaced Pages

Team Durham

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Sport organisation of Durham University

Team Durham
InstitutionDurham University
LocationDurham, England
Established1927 (1927)
AffiliationsBritish Universities and Colleges Sport; Wallace Group
ColoursPalatinate
TypeAthletic Union

Team Durham (formerly Durham University Athletic Union, DUAU) is a student-run organisation responsible for sport at Durham University. Durham University's sports programme, run by Team Durham, has produced more professional sports people than any other UK university (141 as of 2022) and has twice seen Durham named Times and Sunday Times Sports University of the Year (2015 and 2023). It has ranked in the top three institutions in British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) every season since 2011–12. Eight Team Durham alumni or current athletes have won nine Olympic and Paralympic medals since 1996.

Team Durham played first class cricket as Durham University Centre of Cricketing Excellence and Durham MCC University from 2001 to 2020. The rugby club plays in BUCS Super Rugby, BUCS's flagship competition and the highest level student rugby in the UK, and were league winners in 2019–20 and 2021–22. Team Durham compete as the Durham Palatinates in the top-level Women's British Basketball League. With two members in each of the men's and women's GB Hockey teams at the 2024 Summer Olympics, BBC Look North branded Durham "the talent factory of the north".

Team Durham awards the Palatinate as its sporting colours. Famous recipients of a Full Palatinate include cricketer Nasser Hussain, triple jumper Jonathan Edwards and rugby player Phil de Glanville.

Team Durham instituted a policy in 2016 allowing students to train and (if permitted by the national governing body) compete in the team that best fitted their gender identity. This was proposed to the National Union of Students as a model for a national policy.

History

Administrative history

Team Durham alumna, Great Britain gymnast and TV presenter Gabby Logan hosting the BBC's coverage of the 2012 Olympics

The Durham Colleges Athletic Union was formed by the captains of the men's sports teams in the Durham division of Durham University in 1927, prior to which sports were run directly by the university. A federal Durham University Athletic Union was formed in 1929 with representatives from the Durham Colleges Athletic Union, from the Armstrong College and College of Medicine athletic unions in the Newcastle division of the university, and from the men's and women's university teams. From 1931 it was affiliated as a full member to the Universities Athletic Union (now British Universities and Colleges Sport; BUCS).

In 1946, the Durham Colleges Athletic Union merged with the Durham Colleges Women's Athletic Union, which had been formed in 1938. It became the Durham University Athletic Union in 1963, when the Newcastle division of the university became the independent Newcastle University. In 2002, Gabby Logan launched Durham University's "Team Durham" initiative to provide coaching and facilities for talented athletes. The athletics union was re-branded as Team Durham in 2006.

As a consequence of the Charities Act 2006, which removed exempt charitable status from students' unions, Team Durham was, along with a number of other student associations and some junior common rooms, legally incorporated into the university as a Durham Student Organisation in 2011.

Sporting history

Cricketer in red and blue down on one knee while playing a shot
Team Durham alumnus Andrew Strauss, "the most famous MCC University graduate", playing for England at the Oval

Sport at Durham University dates back to the university's foundation, with boats having raced in the first Durham Regatta in 1834, at the end the first academic year. The first recorded university cricket match was in 1842.

After the formation of the athletics unions and joining the Universities Athletics Union, Durham's first national titles came in men's cricket, with victories in 1938 and 39. These were the only victories until after the Second World War, when victories came in women's netball in 1949, 50 and 51, men's tennis in 1949, men's rugby union in 1951 and 55, mixed rifles in 1951, men's fencing in 1952, 53, 59 and 60, men's golf in 1953, men's association football in 1956, men's badminton in 1957 and 59, men's table tennis in 1957, 58 and 59, women's fencing in 1959 and 62, and women's tennis in 1960, before the separation of the Newcastle division in 1963.

In recent years, Team Durham was ranked second (behind Loughborough) in the BUCS overall championship in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. They came third (behind Loughborough and Nottingham) in 2019 and 2022 (the 2019–20 season was incomplete, and the 2020–21 season did not happen, due to COVID). Durham were ranked top in BUCS for team sports in 2014-15, when they also became only the second team (after Loughborough) to gain over 4000 BUCS points. Both of these achievements were repeated in 2015-16. In 2016-17, Durham had 30 top tier BUCS teams, three more than closest rivals Loughborough, and had a total of 119 teams entered in BUCS competitions, the most of any UK university.

Durham University Boat Club held the BUCS rowing Victor Ludorum for ten years consecutively from 2004 until 2013 and won it again in 2015 and 2023.

In 2022, Team Durham won BUCS national championships in women's cricket, men's rugby, men's fencing, women's futsal, men's lacrosse, women's rowing and women's volleyball.

BUCS/BUSA record

The Universities Athletics Union was formed from the Inter-Varsity Athletics Board in 1930. British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) was formed in 1994 by the merger of the Universities Athletics Union (UAU; formed 1919), the British Universities Sports Federation, the British Students Sports Federation, the British Polytechnics Sports Association and the British Colleges Sports Association. In 2008, BUSA merged with University College Sport to form BUCS. Durham participated in UAU competitions from 1931 to 1994, in BUSA from 1994 to 2008, and in BUCS from 2008 onwards.

Year Position Notes
2023–2024 3rd
2022–2023 3rd
2021–2022 3rd
2020–21 - Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the 2020–21 season was unable to go ahead.
2019–20 - The competition was suspended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the points table was voided since the season was not completed.
2018–19 3rd
2017–18 2nd
2016–17 2nd
2015–16 2nd 1st in league and cup competitions
2014–15 2nd 1st in league and cup competitions
2013–14 2nd 1st in league competitions
2012–13 2nd
2011–12 2nd
2010–11 5th
2009–10 6th
2008–09 6th
2007–08 4th
2006–07 6th
2005–06 8th
2004–05 5th
2003–04 10th
2002–03 5th
2001–02 10th
2000–01 9th
1999–2000 4th (Men) 9th (Women)
1998–99 4th (Men) 11th (Women)
1997–98 2nd (Men) 12th (Women)
1996–97 3rd (Men) 16th (Women)
1995–96 6th (Men) 18th (Women)

Olympics

The first Durham alumnus to compete in the Olympics was sprinter Reginald Reed at the 1906 Intercalated Games.

Since 1996, Durham alumni and students have won medals at:

Facilities

Maiden Castle

Main article: Maiden Castle sports centre
A sports centre with two buildings, the left a modern square building with a wood upper floor above a glass lower floor and the right metal and glass, behind green playing fields
Maiden Castle sports centre in 2011

Team Durham is based at the Maiden Castle sports centre, with a large 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft), a smaller 1,000 square metres (11,000 sq ft) hall, an indoor cricket centre, fencing salle and other facilities, along with three 3G pitches (used for association football, American football and lacrosse), two water-based hockey pitches, and a variety of grass pitches, including baseball/softball and cricket. The centre was upgraded at a cost of £35 million between 2017 and 2020. The football ground, which lies inside a running track and has a 300-seat grandstand and turnstile-controlled access, has been used since this upgrade as the home ground of Durham W.F.C. in the FA Women's Championship.

The Racecourse

Main article: The Racecourse
A cricket pavilion joined to a more modern building behind green playing fields, with the sight screens of a cricket pitch to the right
The Durham University pavilion at the Racecourse

There is a first class cricket ground at the Racecourse, along with other grass pitches and Green Lane Cricket Ground (Durham City Cricket Club), used for some inter-college games and non-first team BUCS matches. The Rugby fives club has two fives courts in the Racecourse pavilion.

Hollow Drift

The rugby club shares a ground with Durham City RFC at Hollow Drift, and the university has further grass pitches adjacent to this at Whinney Hill, used for inter-collegiate rounders and ultimate frisbee. Hollow Drift, which is owned by the university, has been earmarked for further development of its sporting facilities in the university's 2017–2027 estates masterplan. The ground has seen crowds of over 6,000 for the rugby club's annual charity matches against other top BUCS rugby teams. The Original All Blacks played at Hollow Drift in 1905, beating Durham County, the English county champions, 16–3 in front of a crowd of 8,000.

Elsewhere

The waterpolo team uses the pool at Durham County Council's Freeman's Quay Leisure Centre. In addition to courts at Maiden Castle, the tennis club uses the David Lloyd centre in Sunderland and the Durham Archery Lawn Tennis Club. The university boat club has a boat house on the River Tyne in Gateshead, shared with Tyne United Rowing Club, as well as at Maiden Castle, and many college clubs have boathouses along the River Wear in Durham. The sailing club uses Derwent Water reservoir, where they have a fleet of firefly dinghies, as their training ground.

Inter-college sport

Four rowers and a cox in red rowing on a river
Rowers from Grey College

Team Durham runs a large intramural sports programme based around the colleges of Durham University, with three quarters of students participating. 550 college teams compete across eighteen sports: badminton, basketball, cheerleading, cricket (indoor and outdoor), football, hockey, futsal, lacrosse, netball, pool, rounders, rowing, rugby union (full-contact and touch), squash, table tennis, tennis, ultimate frisbee and volleyball.

Inter-college men’s football, in particular, is hugely popular, with around ninety 11-a-side teams playing regular matches. Collingwood College alone field 16 teams and claim to be the UK’s largest amateur football club. Netball is similarly popular, with around 50 teams competing.

Alongside the regular season, some colleges hold an inter-collegiate varsity tournament in Easter term, with two colleges pitting their A teams against one another in a variety of sports over one day.

Varsity matches

BUCS Varsity

Durham competes in the BUCS Varsity against Loughborough University, which has been organised twice-yearly (home and away) as part of the BUCS fixture list since 2015.

Date Venue Durham Tied Loughborough
1 February 2017 Loughborough 5 2 6
23 November 2016 Durham 12 0 1
3 February 2016 Loughborough 8 1 7
25 November 2015 Durham 12 2 1

College varsities

Team Durham's best college teams participate in two annual college varsity competitions against their counterparts from colleges of the University of York and against teams from Loughborough Sport's intra-mural sports competition.

Boat Race of the North

Main article: The Boat Race of the North

Team Durham rowers compete against Newcastle University in multiple categories in the annual Boat Race of the North competition.

Student performance programmes

A woman in an Adidas shellsuit top marked "Great Britain" standing in a playing field
Fiona Crackles, winner of Olympic bronze and Commonwealth Games gold medals for hockey while a Team Durham player

Team Durham has student performance programmes covering 17 sports. It has recognised national centres of excellence in a number of sports, including the Durham MCC University cricket programme (funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board), British Rowing Performance Centre status, and Lawn Tennis Association University Partner status. It is also a Football Association Football Accredited University, with the highest 3* rating.

There are 25 Vice Chancellor's scholarships available annually for undergraduates across sports, arts and music (normally 8–10 awards in sports), 20 Palatinate scholarships for students who just missed out on a Vice Chancellor's Scholarship in sports, and 3 Weldon-le Huray scholarships in sports for students from low-income backgrounds. In addition, there are over 100 sports scholarships for postgraduate students. Durham is also one of the "delivery sites" for Sport England's Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.

Partnerships

Team Durham has partnerships with Durham W.F.C. (women's football), Durham United F.C. (men's football) and DMP Sharks (women's rugby).

University clubs

Durham University AFC vs Stirling Alumni at Durham City in 2008

Team Durham has 56 clubs representing the university across 53 sports, many of which compete in BUCS but including others in non-BUCS sports. Some of the more notable university clubs are:

Team Durham teams competing in non-student leagues include:

Esports

Team Durham also encompasses esports through Durham University Esports and Gaming (DUEG). DUEG participates in 12 games, across National Student Esports (NSE) and National University Esports League (NUEL) tournaments.

Charity events

The Athletic Union hosts 3 charity events per year, the Rugby Charity Challenge, Durham Fun Run and Twenty:20 Charity cricket. These events raise money for Sport Action in Zambia, Team Durham's official charity.

References

  1. Sian Griffiths (16 September 2022). "UK university rankings revealed: The Times league table". The Times.
  2. Zoe Thomas (21 September 2014). "Fit for purpose: success on the field of play and in community outreach programmes puts Team Durham ahead of the pack". The Sunday Times.
  3. ^ Lily Whear (17 September 2022). "Durham has been named Sports University of the Year". The Tab.
  4. Derek Pringle (2021). "The end of first-class university cricket". Wisden.
  5. Gary Heatly (30 March 2022). "Determined Davies wants Durham double before he heads south this summer". Taking Rugby Union.
  6. Caine McCartney (3 August 2024). "Inside 'the hockey talent factory': Here's how Durham University Hockey Club produces Olympians". The Tab.
  7. Camila Turner (24 April 2017). "Transgender students should not have to declare birth gender when applying to university sports teams, NUS expected to rule". The Telegraph.
  8. Ted Lavis Coward (9 February 2017). "Improving intersex representation in Durham sports". Palatinate.
  9. ^ "Durham University Records: Associations, Clubs and Societies". Durham University Library, Archives and Special Collections Catalogue. DU Athletic Union, DU/DC Athletic Union, DC Women's Athletic Union. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  10. "Gabby Logan launches 'Team Durham'". Durham University News. 14 February 2002.
  11. "Current Status of the Student Organisations". Durham University. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  12. "MCC Universities". Lords the home of cricket. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  13. "Durham Boat Regatta". York Herald. 28 June 1834. Retrieved 27 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. "Cricket". Durham County Advertiser. 24 June 1842. Retrieved 27 November 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ "Past National Victories". Team Durham. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  16. ^ "BUCS Points". British Universities and Colleges Sport. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  17. ^ "BUCS points 2016-17".
  18. ^ "BUCS points 2017-18".
  19. ^ "BUCS Points 2018-19".
  20. ^ "BUCS Points 2021-22".
  21. Carey, Simon (7 October 2015). "Want to get involved with sport? You're at the right University". Palatinate. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  22. "Dean's Comment". 6 May 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015. Once the British University points table is up-dated it will show that we have broken the all-time University record for points scored in 'league sports' and points scored in 'cup competitions' but after yesterday it will also show that Durham has crashed through the 4000 points barrier. With the obvious exception of Loughborough no other university has ever reached this total and huge congratulations should go to our athletes, to our coaches and all the support teams.
  23. "Bleed Palatinate Bulletin". Team Durham. 11 October 2016. BUCS. Retrieved 1 November 2016. The Palatinate's have 119 teams competing in BUCS team sport competition, 17 more than in 2015/16 and, for the first time, more than any other institution in Britain. In addition, Durham will be represented in new fewer than 30 Premier Leagues - a record for the University and three in front of our rivals from the Midlands.
  24. Katie Strick (7 May 2013). "DUBC Win BUCS Regatta for 10th Year Running". The Tab. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  25. James Lee (6 May 2014). "Students Shine at 2014 BUCS Regatta". British Rowing. Archived from the original on 27 February 2015. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  26. Tom Morgan (8 May 2015). "BUCS Regatta 2015 - Report". The National Student. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  27. "Durham University win Victor Ludorum at record-breaking BUCS Regatta 2023". British Rowing. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  28. "British Universities' Sports Association Records". Archives Hub. Jisc. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  29. "History". BUCS. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  30. "BUCS Points 2023-24". Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  31. "BUCS Points 2022-23". Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  32. "BUCS results".
  33. "BUCS points 15-16". BUCS. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  34. "BUCS points 14-15". BUCS. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  35. "BUCS points 13-14". BUCS. Archived from the original on 7 August 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  36. "BUCS points 12-13". BUCS. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  37. "BUCS points 11-12". BUCS. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  38. Philip Barker (December 2006). "Great Britain". Journal of Olympic History. International Society of Olympic Historians. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  39. "Our growing Olympic heritage". Durham University. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  40. Ben Green (5 August 2024). "These Russell Group unis produced the most Olympic medal winning athletes at Paris 2024". The Tab.
  41. "BUCS Football 22–23 Fixtures". BUCS. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  42. "BUCS American Football 22–23 Fixtures". BUCS. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  43. "BUCS Lacrosse 22–23 Fixtures". BUCS. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  44. "BUCS Baseball and Softball 22–23 Fixtures". BUCS. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  45. "Hartlepool United secure partnership with Durham University for new Training Facility". Hartlepool United. 7 July 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  46. Tony Kearney (16 July 2017). "Work starts on £35 million upgrade of Maiden Castle centre to create sports park for Durham". The Northern Echo.
  47. "Maiden Castle". Durham Women FC. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  48. "Details for Outdoor T20 Cricket 2021 Division 1 (2020-2021)". Team Durham: College Sport. Fixtures. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  49. "Details for Rounders Premiership (Pool A) (2021-2022)". Team Durham: College Sport. Fixtures. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  50. "Details for Ultimate Frisbee Premiership (2022-2023)". Team Durham: College Sport. Fixtures. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  51. "Durham University Masterplan Report" (PDF). What Do They Know?. 14 December 2016. pp. 90–95. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  52. "University challenge is a question of sport". Chronicle Live. 8 November 2005.
  53. Chris Lloyd (18 November 2022). "County Durham brothers & rugby players who made the ultimate sacrifice". Northern Echo.
  54. "All Blacks vs Durham". All Blacks. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  55. "BUCS Water Polo 22–23 Fixtures". BUCS. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  56. "BUCS Tennis 22–23 Fixtures". BUCS. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  57. "Boats". Team Durham. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  58. "Sailing". Team Durham. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  59. "Participation". Team Durham. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  60. "Team Durham: College Sport". Team Durham. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  61. "College Sport: Details for Men's Football". apps.dur.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  62. Caffrey, Jaye (8 June 2021). "CCAFC, biggest amateur football club in the UK, is raising funds for Darlington and Co. Durham's Rape & Sexual Abuse Counselling Centre". RSACC. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  63. "College Sport: Details for Netball". apps.dur.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  64. "Clash of the Titans". Palatinate. 23 November 2015.
  65. "Durham 12 – Loughborough 1: Durham complete unprecedented Varsity hammering". Palatinate. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  66. Team Durham (3 February 2016). "Durham 8.5 - 7.5 Loughborough". Twitter. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  67. "Durham demolish Loughborough in BUCS Varsity". Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  68. "College Varsity". York University Students'Union. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  69. "IMS Varsity v Durham". Loughborough University Sport. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  70. "Welcoming Euro Hockey Qualifiers to Maiden Castle". Durham University. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  71. "Performance". Team Durham. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  72. "ECB to resume university cricket funding". England and Wales Cricket Board. 17 May 2018.
  73. "High Performance Programmes in Clubs". British Rowing. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  74. "Our university partners". Lawn Tennis Association. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  75. "Football Accredited Universities programme continues to grow". BUCS. 28 June 2023.
  76. "Undergraduate scholarships". Team Durham. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  77. "Postgraduate scholarships". Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  78. "Sites". TASS. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  79. "Darlington Mowden Park announce women's rugby tie-up with Durham University". The Northern Echo. 13 March 2020.
  80. ^ Thomas Ludlow (27 June 2022). "#DurhamAsOne". Durham United FC. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  81. "University sports". Team Durham. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  82. Bradley Gains (22 December 2022). "WBBL 2022-23 Power Rankings – Version 2". Hoops Fix.
  83. "Esports at Durham". Durham University. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  84. TeamDurham.com - Major Fundraising Events
  85. TeamDurham.com - Sport in Action

External links

Durham University
People
Chancellor
Fiona Hill
Vice-Chancellor & Warden
Karen O'Brien
Visitor
The Bishop of Durham
List of Durham University people
Shield of Durham University
Colleges
Departments and
research institutes
Student life
Sports
Places
History
Chairs
Other


Categories: