Varsity's coming up. Here are some of the bosses repping TeamUCL in this year's Varsity.
Phoebe Teo
Captain for Ultimate Frisbee
I first started playing Ultimate Frisbee with my high school team in 2018 and instantly fell in love with the sport. Thus, when I came to UCL, I continued to pursue my passion with UCL Silverbacks! One thing I really enjoy about the club is that there is a wide range of players from super experienced players to players who just want to play to keep fit, and so it allows me to push myself but also have fun at the same time! I also love that Ultimate Frisbee can be a mixed gender sport which allows a lot of social interactions between loads of people! Varsity is not just another tournament to me. Over the past few months, we’ve made many friends in Kings through tournaments and joint socials, and having an event specially planned to play against our frenemies is just so amazing! The competition will be high, but we know that at the end of the day we’re still good friends on and off the pitch.
Alexandra Thacker
Captain for Ultimate Frisbee
Like most people in our club, I started playing Ultimate Frisbee properly at university as it is where most people come across this sport for the first time. UCL ultimate has an amazing track record of top performance at regional and national competitions and is one of the best teams in the UK - so of course I wanted to join! UCL ultimate offers something for everyone - from beginners to GB level players on and off the pitch. We regularly hold volunteering and wellbeing activities on top of our weekly trainings and are known to party hard at joint socials with other London uni frisbee clubs.
Ultimate Frisbee is unique as it is self-officiated and revolves around the idea of spirit of the game. This basically breakdowns into mutual respect for each other, individual responsibility to adhere to the rules of the game and sharing the joy of playing the game. In addition to the match score line , teams also give each other spirit scores based on criteria such as communication and fair mindedness which is considered just as important as the result of match. No other sport adopts these values so explicitly, which is one of the many reasons why Ultimate is such a fantastic sport.
Varsity is an opportunity to confront our rivals, which we play regularly throughout the season, but with the additional weight of Team UCL’s reputation and pride on the line.
You can fit exactly three pints in an upside down frisbee!
Andrea Ripa
Basketball Captain
When I started playing basketball at age 12 I immediately fell in love with the game. After playing for a few years in Italy and China I moved to London for university. Even though my main focus was studying, I never wanted to abandon basketball. When I joined the club in my first year it was super welcoming, giving me the opportunity to meet new people and have fun. Two years later I am still here, captain of the 1st team and dedicated to making this club as inclusive as possible. Thanks to the incredible work done by the committee and in particular our president Alan, the club is now like a family. Most of the players go out and study together outside of basketball practice and we are always ready to support each other when in need. This unique team spirit is exactly what allows us to achieve great results. Varsity has always been very important to me: it represents both the competitive and team spirit of our club. Over the past two years UCL has won – and we will do whatever it takes to defend our title.
Mathilda Jurewicz
Co-Captain of UCL Women's Basketball
Since I played elite-level basketball in Sweden, I was really keen on continuing to play competitively after arriving in the UK. When I found out that UCLWB existed, I was thrilled since it would be so easy to join and spared me some time trying to find local clubs. Although I was quite nervous for the try-outs, seeing the girls in person really reassured me that this would be a great community to be a part of. The leadership of this club during my time here has been absolutely amazing; we've been really lucky in having some long-standing committee members that have done fantastic work in terms of organising everything, but also creating an environment where anyone can feel welcome, included, and supported. These girls made me want to give back, which is why I decided to run for captain, and I am incredibly grateful that I was able to share this role with Eileen.
My favourite thing about playing basketball is the team-building process and seeing how everyone comes together towards the end of the season. We have such a talented roster this year so it's so fun to see how we've all become better at playing together, supporting each other, and becoming better friends with each other. Varsity really puts all this to the test and shows who the stronger team is. The most important thing for me is winning, so there is no way King's is going home with that trophy on Sunday.
Hugo Ferreira
Men's Captain of UCL Boat Club
When I joined UCL I knew I wanted to join a competitive sports society where I could work well within a team. Fortunately, rowing provided exactly that. Having rowed at school I was accepted into the senior squad where I was expecting the typical 6ft 5 rowers to be very daunting to talk to. Everyone was so welcoming and approachable that I felt welcomed straight away.
All the squads are integrated together really well and I’ve formed some of my closest friends through the sport. One of my best moments in the sport was Varsity last year where every boat from the club won comfortably against Kings. The sense of pride radiating out of the boathouse was immense. It really made the early mornings worthwhile. I look forward to another landslide victory that I know is inbound, especially after all the hard work the squads have put in leading up to the race. Fingers crossed for the clean sweep again…
Thomas Adler
Captain of UCL Barbell Club
I joined Barbell during freshers because I needed a new challenge, I actually started olympic weightlifting by chance after I went to the wrong taster session. I love the club because it's open and welcoming to all abilities, many of us started without even knowing what a barbell was! Weightlifting is the best sport to watch at Varsity because it is a delicate balance between technique, explosivity, strength and coordination. Also, it looks really cool (when you do it right). Varsity is the culmination of months of hard training and I'm ready to bring it to KCL!
Giulia Clini
Captain of Women's Football Club
As soon as I found out I was going to study at UCL, I looked up the women’s football club. I’d played football for most of my life, so I knew that I’d want to carry this forward into university, and when I found the Instagram page and saw how warm and welcoming the club seemed, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. I wasn’t disappointed when in first year the club quickly became somewhere where I felt comfortable, and where I made some of my closest friends. What I love about football is the competitive aspect of the game. The feeling of giving it your all for 90 minutes and coming off the pitch feeling satisfied that you did your best and played your part for the team is unmatched, and it’s even better when it’s against a rival team like King’s. This is why to me, varsity is the most important event of the season; not only is it always a good match in footballing terms, but it’s also an emotionally charged one that both teams will fight to win, and having the rest of the club watching from the stands will push us to win it for all of UCLWFC.
Daniella Dungate
Captain of RUMS Women's Netball
My name is Daniella, and I am a 5th year graduate medic and captain of the RUMS 1s Netball squad.
I have played netball since I was 7 and I knew when coming back to University, joining the netball club was a priority. Not only do I absolutely love the sport (my team can vouch I am a big netball geek!) it keeps me healthy!
I love that my team and club are so supportive. Having teammates who are in different years means the experiences we share help each other.
I am hugely competitive, however my favourite thing about playing netball is being amongst a team which allows everyone to shine which together creates a successful, happy team.
Varsity is the biggest game of the year for us!
We work towards it the whole season, so it is very important for us to put out a high quality performance that the spectators can also enjoy too!
Ayesha Bennet
Captain of UCL Women's Football Club
I am Ayesha, one of the first team captains at UCLWFC. I first got into football from playing it with my sister and Dad in the park, and quickly grew to love it. At home in Leeds, I played for the same team for over ten years, so coming to university I doubted I would find myself anywhere near as close with the people in the club here. However, I've had some of my favourite times over the last couple of years with people from football, and the fact that at varsity I'll be playing with my friends, not just teammates, is one of the reasons I want us to win so much!
Isabelle Buchanan
Captain of UCL Women's Rugby
I joined the club back in 2019 after trying out a few different sports and not finding a good fit – until I found rugby. I’d played a bit of tag rugby when I was very small, and watched quite a lot of rugby, but didn’t realise how much I enjoyed playing it as well until that first session, and after that I was hooked
I love that I get to just play a sport I love with a huge group of friends. The team this year has really glued together and I love the familial atmosphere that we’ve built up. I also have to give a shoutout to our coach Chris – he’s phenomenal and really brings the team together!
My favourite thing about rugby? Tackling! Whilst playing sport, in general, is a great stress reliever, hitting someone into the ground is definitely one of the most effective ways to get rid of any stress…
Varsity for me is a huge opportunity to show off just how far we’ve come as a team this year. We have some players who only played their first game of rugby back in October on the squad this year, and I can’t wait to watch them smash Kings on Thursday!
Ibrahim Chesshire
Captain of UCL Running, Athletics and XC
Hi! My names Ibrahim and I’m the UCL Athletics Captain this year.
I joined Athletics in first year after going to one of the taster sessions during freshers. Before coming to university, I’d never competed in athletics, but had always wanted to.
My favourite thing about athletics is the comradery - the team spirit at the club is amazing. Everyone comes together to laugh at King’s, and we’ll still be laughing when we beat them on Thursday (again)! Athletics is a great chance to meet new people, and I met one of my flatmates there. From social runs to more competitive training, there really is something for everyone, and a huge commitment isn’t necessary. While travel can be a pain, athletics has led me to run in many places I would never have been to otherwise. The weekends away are a nice bonus as well!
Varsity is the biggest day in the athletics calendar and for good reason! We were robbed of an athletics varsity last year by COVID, so this year counts for two! UCL have never lost to King's in athletics varsity ever, and I look forward to showing King’s who's boss once more by continuing our domination of varsity and retaining the trophy!
I look forward to seeing you there!