‘Dare to Win’ - that’s the powerful message De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) sports sides will carry onto the field of battle, following an inspirational and motivational event to mark the start of Varsity, the highlight of our city universities’ competitive calendar.
The Varsity Rally, at The Venue@DMU on Monday 13 March from noon until 1pm, will officially launch the fiercely fought series, which pitches #TeamDMU against sporting rivals from the University of Leicester.
Varsity kicks off properly on Thursday 16 March and runs until Wednesday 22 March, climaxing with two huge rugby fixtures under the lights at the home of the Leicester Tigers, Welford Road.
DMU announced this academic year that close to £1 million would be spent on coaching and support for sports teams and recent British University and College Sports (BUCS) results seem to show the commitment is breeding success.
With #TeamDMU sides reaching their highest-ever BUCS position and securing or remaining in title contention, there is huge optimism ahead of Varsity. A DMU victory would be something no other cohort has managed to achieve since the series began more than 20 years ago.
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DMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard will fire up his sportswomen, men, coaches and supporters at the Varsity Rally, sharing his sporting passion and inspirational thoughts before the games commence.
Professor Shellard said: “I am hugely excited for this year’s Varsity competition with the University of Leicester. The performance of so many of our teams in BUCS this year has been nothing short of outstanding and I know our students are relishing the opportunity to compete with their counterparts across the city.
“Varsity has become a real highlight for our students and I look forward to supporting our sports clubs loudly and proudly from the sidelines.”
De Montfort Students’ Union President Dan Winney will share the stage and said: “The 2017 series is going to be bigger than ever and I urge as many staff and students as possible to take time out to witness Varsity in action and offer their support.
“I have had the pleasure of competing in four Varsity fixtures myself and I can’t express how excited I am to see how this series pans out.
“We have a genuine chance. I really hope the incredible form of our clubs is replicated in Varsity, and that every competitor does themselves and the university proud.”
Students attending the rally will get their first opportunity to grab this year’s highly desirable Varsity T-shirts, and organisers are promising a huge picture opportunity and an electric atmosphere inside The Venue@DMU.
To be part of it, email eventsoffice@dmu.ac.uk with ‘Varsity Rally’ in the subject line. Doors will open at 11.30am on the day, Monday 13 March, to allow guests to take their seats and start building the vibe.
You can keep right across the Varsity series through Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat accounts, and follow the story using #DareToWin and #TeamDMU on social media.
Posted on Friday 3 March 2017