Sport
St Edmund Hall is renowned for sporting excellence. We field teams in every available competition and excellent support is offered to both teams and individuals representing the College or University at any level. Each year, we award the Luddington Prize of £500 to any undergraduates who have achieved both a First Class degree and won a ‘Blue’ (represented the University) in a sport. The prize has been won by 14 students in the last 5 years.
Alongside our overall sporting strength there is an emphasis on participation at Teddy Hall, this is evidenced by our having more second and third teams than any other College, with less serious teams fielded in cricket, netball, football, rounders, tennis, and rugby every year. Teams always welcome new players of any standard, and enthusiasm is the only essential ingredient to participate in sport at Teddy Hall.
Support for College teams is unusually strong, and tournament matches against other colleges often draw a large, and very vocal, crowds of supporters bedecked in Teddy Hall’s colours of maroon and gold.
Our sports men and women are among those celebrated at our annual Achievements Dinner, which recognises extra-curricular achievements, including in music and the arts, and charitable endeavours.
Sports Clubs
Teddy Hall has many different sports clubs, all of which are student-run. The College’s Amalgamated Clubs Fund assists with paying for tours, kit, and the hiring of facilities.
Below are examples of well-established clubs, but interests vary each year and we have also recently competed in disciplines such as dancesport, karting and canoe polo! If there is a team you want to start, you can!
- Rugby (men’s and women’s)
- Football (men’s and women’s)
- Rowing (men’s and women’s)
- Hockey (men’s and women’s)
- Cricket (men’s and women’s)
- Netball
- Tennis (men’s, women’s, and mixed)
- Lacrosse (women’s and mixed)
- Basketball
- Darts
- Badminton
- Yoga
- Swimming
- Water Polo
- Orienteering
College Facilities
- Gym (at University Sports Complex, Iffley Road), free to use.
- Two heated squash courts – shared with Queen’s College – free (small deposit required).
- Boat Club – the boat house is on the River Thames (known locally as the Isis). It is a multi-functional space for ergo and circuit sessions, with changing rooms and a large boat bay with a wide variety of different sized boats.
- Punts (boats) – both the JCR (undergraduate student body) and MCR (postgraduates) have access to a punt on the River Cherwell during the summer months, free of charge. You will need to contact the MCR to hire the punt.
- Table tennis – William R Miller building.
- Table football – the main College site.
- Pool tables – the College and Norham Gardens sites.
- Access to grass sports pitches for rugby, football, cricket, etc – University Parks and the rec ground.
The Oxford University Sports Complex is on Iffley Road, just a short walk or cycle from Teddy Hall. Facilities there include a swimming pool, gym, running track, water-based 3G astro-turf, grass pitches, badminton courts and tennis courts.
Funding and University-Level Sports
The College’s Amalgamated Clubs Fund supports College clubs to hire facilities and purchase kit. The College also supports individual students who play in Blues (University-level) sports teams:
Masterclass Fund
Support of up to £1000 per academic year per student to fund additional advanced coaching in any extra-curricular interest, for students who already participate at a high level. Funding is not restricted to sports.
Blues Funding
The JCR and MCR, our two common rooms, can provide support for their members to participate in Blues sports. This includes funding to help with the costs associated with representing the University. Students awarded a Full Blue receive a prize of £200 from the College, and £100 is awarded to Half Blue holders.
Simon, Arpi and Marie Simonian Prizes for Excellence in Leadership
An annual prize of £500 is awarded to a student who shows significant leadership qualities whilst at Teddy Hall (in any area, including in sports).
There are lots of opportunities here – sporting, musical, theatrical – and they’re a really good way of getting to know people in other years as lots of people give them a go and pitch in where numbers are needed.
Lizzie, undergraduate studying Geography