UCD Tennis
The close of January marks the start of a busy stretch for UCD tennis. On the Men’s side, UCD will field two teams in the Dublin Winter League. Our first team finds themselves in a tough group in the Class 3 division and anything higher than a mid-table finish would represent a job well done. The Seconds have cause for optimism, having achieved promotion to Class 5 off the back of their Class 6 title win last time out. The team will be confident of progressing from the group stages this year. From there, anything can happen given the unpredictable nature of the knockout rounds.
The Ladies, having been crowned Class 2 champions last year, find themselves competing against Dublin’s elite in the highest Class 1 division. Securing their status will thus be a challenge, but the group looks tight and if a few results swing their way, then progression to the knockout stages is a distinct possibility. The action begins on January 26th.
by Neil Stokes
UCD Athletics Club
Last weekend, UCD Athletics Club had two athletes racing the Stirling Cross Country in Scotland, which incorporated the Celtic Cross Country International. Danielle Donegan, selected for Ireland, finished in 13th place in the Women’s U20 race while Sarah Kelly, selected for Northern Ireland, finished in 51st place in the Women’s U23/Senior race.
Meanwhile in Dublin, Israel Olatunde posted the fastest 60m time of the day in Round 1 of the National Indoor League representing UCD AC, clocking 6.92 seconds for the win.
by Ciarán Crowther
UCD Hockey
These are good times indeed for UCD Hockey. The Men’s team are making a very strong challenge for a play off place in the EY League, having only been promoted this season. The team currently lies in 3rd place with only the top 4 guaranteed the opportunity to compete for the Champions Trophy. A new coaching team and a raft of new signings are clearly having the desired effect. What’s more, the team has a semi-final date in the Irish Senior Cup to look forward to, having dispatched of Three Rock Rovers in December. In doing so, they ended Rovers’ two-year reign as champions and snapped their incredible streak of 34 consecutive wins in cup competitions dating back to February 2017. With the Firsts also having a Leinster semi final to look forward to and the seconds still alive in the Irish Junior Cup, there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful around Belfield.
The ladies team find themselves in a similar battle for a playoff place, lying in fifth position and just a point off Pembroke in fourth. Ladies hockey in UCD is currently riding the crest of a wave given our strong contingent of players featuring for the eminently successful Irish team of late. Having finished third last season, the team will be confident of securing their playoff berth this time round. February represents a big month for their playoff push with a series of matches against lower ranked teams and the team will aim to go on a confidence-boosting winning streak heading into the crunch part of the season. The target then will be to avenge their semi-final defeat of last year and deny league-leaders Pegasus a second consecutive crown.
by Neil Stokes
UCD Lacrosse
The UCD Lacrosse teams have had their first training back and it’s looking to be a busy season! We’re excited for week 2 and recruiting some freshers – come to our stall on Wednesday 29th, old and new hands welcome. Our first night out is on Feb 3rd and first match on Feb 8th in Galway so you’ll be part of the family in no time!
This semester is a big one for us – we’ll be training up our ladies for the World Cup trials in May and the lads will be working towards the World Lacrosse Festival and U19 Men’s World Championship in Limerick this July. In addition to making sure we win the Irish Lacrosse league so we can represent Ireland again at the Euros in September.
by Emily Ann
UCD Volleyball
The UCD Volleyball Premier Women have secured a victory in their first round of the Cup on January 19th, Beating Tallaght Rockets D1 team in a very close 3-0 match. The Rockets were very strong and pushed the UCD team in every set, but the girls stayed tough and focused and came away with the win. Their next round of the cup will be the weekend of February 8th.
The Annual UCD Volleyball Blitz Competition will take place this coming weekend, 31st January to the 2nd of Feb 2020. It is a mixed tournament for all levels; from beginner to professional, all are welcome.
by Sarah Escalante
UCD Ultimate Frisbee
Last weekend the Ultimate Frisbee Men’s All Ireland Indoor tournament took place in Limerick. While not a university tournament, UCD Ultimate Frisbee still sent a team down, which mostly consisted of beginners who did the club very proud. Stand out performances from Brendan Dunne and Evan Rossiter. The club was back to training hard this week, with four mixed trainings in preparation for Mixed Outdoors in two weeks’ time here in Dublin.
by Mark Carolan
UCD Olympic Handball
The UCD Olympic Handball Club have their fourth match against Astra Wings on Saturday. The Women’s lost 37-26 and the Men’s won 26-24.
The UCD Olympic Handball team are the first Irish rish team to qualify and compete in the tournament “Trofeo Ciudat de Calella” in Calella, Spain, about 50km north of Barcelona. The tournament is now in its 37th year and will be taking place between 10th and 14th of April.
If anybody wants to join the team, they practice on Mondays at 4:30pm to 5:00pm and Fridays on 5:00pm to 7:00pm in Hall B of the Sports Centre.
by Emre
