Varsity Match

[Becks]

Obviously the big question over the next few weeks is not who's going to win the UK Cup races next weekend, but who is going to triumph in the age old match between Oxford and Cambridge the week after. This time the VM is in Sweden, where there's presently a lot of snow and hence is going to be a competition that really shows who's boss. The OUOC team was announced on Sunday after a gruelling selection race (mainly because of the killer spiky plants) at Pembrey.

For the blokes we have
Ed (when will he ever leave) Catmur
Chris (out of the woodwork) Davidson
Chris (no longer just an XC runner) Millard
Ian "distracted" Webb
Benjamin "Benjamin G" Grandey
Luke "Luke W" Woodward

And in the girls:

Cerys (there is only one way to live life, to win) Manning
Becky (almost winning) Carlyle
Anne (improving at an incredible pace) Osbourne
Kat (no more old ladies for me) Asker
CJ (running well post stress fracture) CJ (Does she have a surname we cry?!)

OUOC are looking strong. We call on CUOC for some banter!

[Blanka]

Well, Cambridge's selection race was a couple of week's back, but the selection process was so difficult, which is why the teams have only just been announced... But here goes:

For the girlies:
Rosemary Dyer
Nicola Robertson
Anya Crocker
Blanka Sengerova
Ali Ingleby

And the blokes:
Ian Elder
Alan Elder
Tim Bagguley
Edmund Ward
Alex Copley
Niall Inverarity

[Dids co]

Who really cares?
The Varsity match is just an excuse for a bunch of toffs to get together and raa raa and yaaa yaaa. The main talking point being - how is it they're such bad orienteers when they're supposed to be so intelligent.....

[Becks]

Trying...so...hard...not...to...rise...to...obvious...bait.

[distracted]

Who really cares?

Well obviously not you! But who cares??

The Varsity match is just an excuse for a bunch of toffs to get together and raa raa and yaaa yaaa. The main talking point being - how is it they're such bad orienteers when they're supposed to be so intelligent.....

Opinion is one thing. Fact is entirely different...

[LukeM]

....raa raa yaaa yaaa.....ra...ya...yaaaaaaaaaa....raaaaa...pimms anyone?...raaaa..yaaaaaaaaa..oh dear I seem to have spilt it on my smoking jacket perhaps I should get the college servant to clean it off for me......yaa...raaa..let's go punting chaps!!....ra......yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[badger]

....then daddy bought me a pony.. yaaa yaa yaa....

[Mrs H.]

well obviously Didsy must care - else why would he bother posting on the subject - it may irritate him - but he still cares. - as i've said before it doesn't really matter what enthusiasm you have (I am talking within the bounds of respectability here) or how well you expertly you pursue it, as long as the enthusiasm is there.

We are ALL here because we love orienteering.

Incidentally distracted - i thought you were robbed last night If that penaultimate question had gone your way you would have swung it I reckon

[cj]

Astounded by the number of naive prejudices you managed to fit into one post there Dids.

1. You've clearly either never met a rah or never met any of the Oxford or Cambridge orienteers. Rahs just wouldn't be interested in orienteering, there’s no one important to network with for a start.

2. I think at least Cerys, Becks and Ed will resent the suggestion that they're crap orienteers and everyone else, though maybe not at the top of their class has been training incredibly hard for this race and showing great improvement.

3. OUOC and CUOC may not attract many members of the GB squad but at least that means the competition does not depend, as with Sheffield Edinburgh rivalry on where all the good juniors decide to go. Several of the team members started orienteering at university and getting a place in the varsity match teams represents a big challenge for them just to have you slate their efforts. We spend all this time talking about BOF's initiatives and how they're failing to attract new members it seems a little contradictory to then offend those people and those, like myself, who may not be super fast but enjoy the sport and the personal challenge it offers.

Next time you think something is not worth discussing, just don't read it, or don't post, your comment was not constructive and particularly demeaning to all of us.

[distracted]

Incidentally distracted - i thought you were robbed last night If that penaultimate question had gone your way you would have swung it I reckon

Was a bit of a giveaway once you knew which one it wasn't. but such is life...
The opposition were such a miserable bunch - first two matches were much more fun as there was a bit of banter beforehand. Jesus, however, were taking things a bit too seriously, so I will most enjoy watching their next match

[Guest]

Astounded by the number of naive prejudices you managed to fit into one post there Dids.

1. You've clearly either never met a rah or never met any of the Oxford or Cambridge orienteers. Rahs just wouldn't be interested in orienteering, there’s no one important to network with for a start.

2. I think at least Cerys, Becks and Ed will resent the suggestion that they're crap orienteers and everyone else, though maybe not at the top of their class has been training incredibly hard for this race and showing great improvement.

3. OUOC and CUOC may not attract many members of the GB squad but at least that means the competition does not depend, as with Sheffield Edinburgh rivalry on where all the good juniors decide to go. Several of the team members started orienteering at university and getting a place in the varsity match teams represents a big challenge for them just to have you slate their efforts. We spend all this time talking about BOF's initiatives and how they're failing to attract new members it seems a little contradictory to then offend those people and those, like myself, who may not be super fast but enjoy the sport and the personal challenge it offers.

Next time you think something is not worth discussing, just don't read it, or don't post, your comment was not constructive and particularly demeaning to all of us.

yup, you definitely rose to the bait!

[Becks]

yup, you definitely rose to the bait!

I don't blame her. When you get comments like that, be them sarcastic or not on a regular basis, you start to get soo soo fed up. OUOC is an amazing club doing loads to promote orienteering in the University and Local Schools and so passing us off as anything but gets well annoying.

So anyways...back to the original purpose - who's the bets on?!! Oxford or the Bridge?

[gingerwtfish]

I dont mean to lower the tone, after all i am a toff, but someone should make it clear:
*swallows bait whole*

Shut up dids.
Go and talk about things you do care about.
I wouldn't like to presume I know what that might be but I think you've made it clear that its not giving decent banter.
Get back to the playground and reel off "your mum" jokes.

On the topic of decent banter:
Word on the street is that Oxford have a damn good drinking team, thanks in part to some world class new blood.
What have the tabs got to offer?

Another clean sweep me thinks.

[Dids co]

....just trying to liven up the banter section. I should start fishing,you lot always take the bait

[harry]

come on, it was funny!

anyway i went to italian 5 days with some ouoc/cuoc people a few years ago. it was very fun but having gatecrashed many uni o club trips in the past it is clear the chat is more intelligent and rah-y than say on a shuoc or euoc trip.

it's not an insult. you lot are the creme of the crop and i'm sure you'd rather spend minibus journeys doing the telegraph crossword than holding up a picture, overtaking the other minibus and play "name the animal" while craney and hargreaves share jokes about bums? or driving round and round a small village while scotia moons the local neds?