The transition from secondary school to college is an exciting, if not daunting, time. As well as the many academic opportunities provided by Trinity, there is an abundance of sporting societies at your disposal. And as many people leave behind school teams or are trying to make new friends, there’s no better time to take up a new sport or hobby. However, Freshers’ Week is an incredibly busy time, with stalls and sign-ups aplenty, meaning it can be hard to keep track of where and when you can get involved with the many clubs on campus. So Trinity News has put together a handy list of some of the events being hosted by these societies, helping you plan out your week and maybe introducing you to some new sports.
Cricket
Trinity’s Cricket Club is one of the oldest in Ireland, having played cricket on College Park for the last 200 years. They are planning to field three men’s teams and two women’s team for the coming year. During Hilary term, men’s nets will be from 8-10pm on Fridays and women’s nets will take place from January. DU Cricket Club also have an event on the Friday of Freshers’ Week. “Trinity Cricket & Cans” will take place outside the Pav from 12:30pm where mixed teams can take place in a friendly tournament on the lawn. Current members of the society will be there if you want to get more information about joining and training times. After the tournament, there will be refreshments in the Pav with an afterparty at a yet to be arranged location.
Women’s Rugby
DUFC Women’s team are coming off the back of a brilliant season which saw them reach the final of the Paul Cusack Cup. Monday of Freshers’ Week will be the team’s first training session, starting at 6:30pm at College Park, with another session on Wednesday evening. They are also planning to have a night out during Freshers’ Week and will be involved in a “Women in Sports” event on Thursday.
Basketball
Trinity Basketball will be hosting an informal beginners event on Friday evening in the Sports Hall from 7-8:30pm. Open to all experience levels, the event will be a casual evening of playing with a scrimmage to finish.
Rowing
Established in 1836, Dublin University Boat Club is one of Trinity’s oldest and most iconic societies. For any freshers hoping to get involved with rowing, the DUBC will be hosting their information meeting at 2pm on Thursday in the Maxwell Theatre, in the Hamilton Building. As term progresses introductory sessions will be held on the 10th of September at 6pm and 7pm on 4th Floor of the Sports Centre with first water sessions at the College boat house in Islandbridge at 10 and 11am the following Saturday. Beginners will be welcome all the way to reading week.
Ultimate Frisbee
No octagons to be found in this UFC as Trinity’s Ultimate Frisbee Club set their stall out this year! On Tuesday, they will be having a show game, an exhibition match to show off the niche sport to anyone interested in seeing the ins and outs of Ultimate Frisbee, followed by a public game on Wednesday for people to join in, with refreshments in the Pav afterwards. Training sessions will be on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as the term progresses.
Archery
DU Archery are eager to get new members this year, not only through the music and pizza which can be found at their stand in Front Square. They will be holding “Try It Out” events on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-4pm. There is also going to be a “Sharpshooter Shooting Range” where you can shoot targets with tag arrows for some spot prizes. If you’re interested in getting your hands on those prizes, the Range will be up from 12-2pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As for nights out, DU Archery will be running a pub crawl on Thursday night at 7:30pm ahead of the Ents event “All Hands On Deck”.
Sports is one of the greatest ways to get involved in the Trinity lifestyle, giving students a well earned break from academics. The variety of societies allows people who already play sports to continue playing while also providing opportunities to students to pick up a new hobby. All of these societies and more will have stalls up in Front Square throughout Freshers’ Week if you want to sign up to the society or ask about any of these events. They can also be found on Facebook if you have any questions as term progresses.
