Press release
Sports stars set to do battle in Varsity 2023
Published on 15 March 2023
More than 600 athletes from the Universities of Dundee and Abertay will next week take to the pool, field, track, court and elsewhere in pursuit of the 2023 Tay Varsity Challenge Trophy.
The inter-university sporting contest, which takes place on Wednesday 22 March, is the biggest amateur sporting event in the city’s calendar. This year’s tournament will be held across sports including athletics, basketball, football, golf, hockey, netball, rugby, tennis and volleyball.
A total of 23 contests will take place across venues in and around Dundee. The majority will be held at the University of Dundee’s Riverside grounds and Institute of Sport & Exercise, but Scotscraig golf club and the Regional Performance Centre at Caird Park will also host match ups.
Cheerleading and dance performances will entertain the crowds at the women’s and men’s basketball games that mark the culmination of the day.
Dundee, the reigning champions, are determined to hold on to the trophy but Sports Union President Sarah Roddick says there is a more important aspect of the day than friendly rivalry. “It’s wonderful to see Varsity return for another year where ourselves and Abertay will go head-to-head in a day of celebration of sport.
“Sport plays a crucial, but often overlooked part, in so many student’s lives at university. It creates opportunities to build lifelong friendships, build on teamwork skills as well as acting as a valuable support to not only students' physical health but also mental health.
“Once again, the University of Dundee Sports Union has seen record engagement and membership from students and Varsity is a day to really bring together students in the spirit of sportsmanship and celebration.”
Michael Devlin, Sports Development Officer at Abertay University, added, “The annual Varsity challenge is one of the most anticipated events of the year. Although there is a clear competitive nature to the event, it also supports the participation of hundreds of students over the course of the day.
“In addition, there is a very strong social side to the event with large numbers of students who are not engaged in the matches attending to support their respective teams.
“Being the smaller university, Abertay will always be underdogs, but who doesn't love an underdog story? We are looking forward to bringing back some older sports and developing newer events. Varsity is always a great way to finish off the competitive sporting calendar.”