Lancaster University gets set to host 60th Roses tournament
Hundreds of competitors across dozens of sport will assemble in Lancaster on May 1 for the 60th Roses Varsity Tournament.
This huge festival of sport, named after the historic rivalry of the red and white roses of Lancashire and Yorkshire, is one of the oldest and biggest inter-university tournaments in Europe.
The competition is always intense, but this 60th event has even greater significance with Lancaster attempting to extend its winning-streak to a record five Roses championships.
The Roses tournament started in 1965, when the vice-chancellors’ of the two universities agreed to hold a boat race.
The students added in a few more sports that year – table tennis, a tug-o-war, relay race and hockey. Since then the number of categories has expanded hugely and now teams and individuals compete in more than 160 different events and activities.
Roses paused for two years during the Covid pandemic, but came back stronger than ever, with teams and individuals from the two universities eager to keep their friendly sporting rivalry going.
The two universities take turns in hosting Roses and this year it is Lancaster who are the home team.
The event is organised by Lancaster University Students’ Union and Lancaster Sport and it is a massive logistical undertaking making sure all these different competitions take place on time as well as hosting the hundreds of competitors and supporters over the Bank Holiday weekend.
Emily Houston-Woods, LUSU activities officer, said: “This year is the 60th anniversary Roses and Lancaster athletes will be going for the 5th win in a row! The entire Lancaster community will come together over the three-day weekend for over 160 fixtures.
" As activities officer, Roses is one of the most rewarding parts of the year to be involved in. It’s not just about the sport, it’s about the scale of student engagement, from those competing to the huge number volunteering, organising, and supporting. It really shows what students can achieve when they come together.”
LUSU president Rory O’ Ceallaigh said: “Roses is simply a spectacle to behold! Lancaster vs York is an age-old rivalry, and we bring it to the modern day in what is becoming its own piece of history – hundreds of fixtures, and even more athletes, competing in sports ranging from rugby to football, to darts to martial arts and sailing, and what’s more, it’s free to attend whether you’re a student or member of the public!
"I’d encourage everyone to come down to cheer on the red rose for what’s looking to be a fifth consecutive victory for Lancaster!”
The winners’ trophy is presented on the Sunday afternoon and is filled with roses corresponding to the victorious team. Everyone at Lancaster will be hoping that for the fifth year running the Roses will be Red.