Lent Term Issue

scan.lancastersu.co.uk SCANLU SCANLancaster
29
S p o r t s
Bombers Set to Fly
High in 2024
SPORTS EDITORS:
Will Jones
& Peter Murdock
Getting
Ready for
the 2024
Olympics
Peter Murdock
SPORTS EDITOR
The Lancaster University American Football
society- the Bombers- will come into the
second half of their season brimming with
confidence.
At time of writing, they are enjoying an undefeated
season, with the prospect of it being capped with a
double bill, consisting of a clash with UCLAN that
would see them promoted into Division 1 North A,
and of course, a home Roses.
It’s a palpably exiting time to be a
Bomber. Rookies who joined the
society at the start of 2023 have
cemented themselves into the team
over the course of the last term.
After a successful bootcamp following the
Christmas holidays, the club is ready to carry the
momentum on and off the field into the new year.
Speaking to Vice President Kaie Turner, it became
clear just how tight a unit
the society is, stemming
from a delicate but crucial
balance of values that exist
outside game day. Turner
was quick to emphasise the
key pillars of the squad-
“It’s a club team. It’s
about supporting and
growth.”
He then followed that with
a grin, and the equally
important admission that,
“We enjoy winning
and we are good at
it.”
They certainly are good at
it, but by no means does
that come from simply
turning up and putting in
a performance Any Given
Sunday.
The necessary
preparation that goes into a week
of training is in-depth and allencompassing.
From ‘chalk-and-talk’
analysis sessions, to position-specific
training, no stone is left unturned.
The nature of American Football, with it’s
seemingly endless rulebook and tactical approach,
is something that the Bombers actively lean into.
Turner explained that depending on
their opponent, Lancaster players have
to learn new tactics and positional
play, which is practised and filmed in
training, before being reviewed by the
team and the coaches.
Despite this in-depth approach, Turner was quick
to point out how within the society.
“Everyone is learning.”
The ethos around building relationships which feed
into team performance is something that Turner
embodies.
“We rely on veteran players and coaches, lads
that really know what they are doing- I’m not one
of them! I have to turn around to people like Jack
Watson and Coach Swimmers.”
The calibre of both the playing and coaching roster
has encouraged growth. Headed by Lea Hall, the
coaching team is comprised of individuals whose
expertise has been crucial in constructing game
plans and general management.
During the two-times weekly training sessions, the
work of Defensive Coordinator Coach Swimmers
(Matthew Berry) and Offensive Coordinator Coach
Rosie (Andrew Morrow) have helped build a wellrounded
and competitive squad.
Many members of the Bombers, past
and present, have been selected to
play in the BUCS All-Star North vs
South game, providing opportunities
for players to gain experience and
if they stand out, to be potentially
scouted.
Ruby Watson, who joined the Bombers at the start
of the academic year, is a current member of the
Great Britain American Football Team, and has
been a vital cog in the team’s success during the
2023-2024 season.
To have a player like Ruby Watson is a rare luxury.
The size of the sport within the UK makes for a
small player pool.
According to the British American
Football Association, in 2019, around
4,230 students were engaged in
BUCS Football.
It’s hard to judge whether this relatively low number
of students, compared to many other university
sports countrywide, has since risen or decreased in
the aftermath of Covid-19.
The wider placing of American
Football in the UK sports scene is an
interesting topic. Since the 1980s,
various news outfits, beginning with
Channel 4, quickly cottoned onto the
popularity of the sport within Britain.
However, the engagement that has since been
shown towards the NFL and College Football
across the pond, has not corresponded to local
interest in British American Football.
Kaie Turner believes that a mixture of funding
and media attention, coupled with a grassroots
approach, would see the game make strides. Quite
clearly the picture needs to change-
“There are so many UK fans of
American football but if you turn around
to an American Football fan in England,
and ask who’s your favourite local team,
they’d respond with ‘I didn’t realise we
had one.’”
Across Britain, the amount of American Football
teams is slim. Indeed, when asking Turner about
the mixed gender makeup of University American
Football, it became clear that for men and women,
opportunities to play at a local level are significantly
less than many other typically UK-based-andplayed
sports.
“When else in my
life am I going to
be able to join
an American
Football team and
get stuck in? Why
would I pass up
the opportunity?”
Happily, for all
students, BUCS
American Football
provides that chance.
The 2024 Lent
Term promises
more of these
chances. The
clash with
UCLAN on
Superbowl
Sunday promises
to be epic, with
the Bombers’
chance of promotion hanging on that
game.
Following their bout, the team are hosting a Super
Bowl party at The Crafty Scholar in town, which
will surely be a night to remember.
Wednesday night socials will also be
back firmly in full swing, alongside
weekly flag football sessions that are
open to the entire university.
Of course, there’s the small matter of Roses at the
start of May, where the Bombers will seek to make
it a hat-trick of victories over York Centurions.
With a truly unique team spirit and ethos, led by
individuals like Kaie Turner and the Club President
Matthew Chadwick, who’d bet against them to do
just that.
If you are keen to join the Bombers, head to their
Instagram @lubombers and get in touch via DM.
Photo Credits: Ottillie Peterson
Valentina Caneschi
MUSIC EDITOR
Whether you’re tuned in
for the incredible displays
of athleticism or for the
wonderful opening ceremony,
the Summer Olympic Games
are a must-watch.
This international sporting event has
existed since the late 19th century,
taking inspiration from the Ancient
Greek Olympics.
Happening every
4 years (with some
exceptions), this year’s
Summer Olympic
Games are coming back
July 26th and ending
August 11th. They will
be held in Paris, which
has been preparing for
them for years.
According to the Olympics official
website, the estimated viewers for the
opening ceremony are 1 billion, around
1/8 of the world population. 206
countries will be participating, putting
together a total of 10500 athletes.
While the athletes are
working hard to bring
pride to their country
by participating in the
Games, Paris is quickly
finalising all the details
and event spaces, and
the viewers are waiting
in anticipation.
Paris 2024 have decided to take the
opportunity provided by the IOC in
the Olympic Agenda 2020 to “propose
additional sports to enhance its
programme and overall concept.”
The four additional
sports that will be
added this year include:
Breaking, a type of
dance, Sports Climbing,
which involves boulder,
speed, and lead,
Skateboarding, and
Surfing.
But the real question is... will the USA
win again, as they did for the past three
games, or will a new country be at the
head of the medal table?
We will soon find out!