The University of Brighton is perhaps not exactly known as a hot bed of athletic competition, and therefore you wouldn't necessarily expect them to be great winners, unlike the great Brighton Olympian, Steve Ovett.
But you might think that they would be competitive.
They field all the usual men's teams. Athletics, football, rugby etc and in fact in recent times they have also fielded women's teams in all the major sports.
However it appears that the women's rugby team (the 'Panthers') is, if not unwilling, then not very good, and they have taken one or two bad defeats. They were scheduled to play the ladies team from Sussex University in a varsity fixture following the mens match between the two universities, in what what was in effect a repeat of an earlier encounter in which Sussex University ladies had won 31-0 .... something of a hammering. However some of their other games have been more competitive, such as a narrow 25 to 21 defeat by Reading Knights
But in stepped the organisers health and safety team, who said that the women's match with Sussex University should be cancelled because of fears that one or all of Brighton's belles might get hurt, as the game would be too one sided. In fact that the "disparity in competition levels caused health and safety concerns."
Sussex students union said that their girls were "gutted" at the cancellation, however they understood that "health and safety concerns had to come first." But it seems that the Panthers had played the Sussex Uni Ladies Second team on the 5th December 2018 ..... and won 29 to 5. Apparently that wasn't cause for health and safety concerns about the Sussex 2nd string girls!
Now forgive me, but how exactly are the ladies of Brighton ever going to get any better if they can only play teams as weak (not too much weaker, or the issues are reversed), as them? Where exactly is the competition when there is nothing to strive against or towards?
I have been in and played against teams that have either been outclassed, hammered by or crushed other teams in the mens sports (including rugby) .... we never once cancelled for fear of defeat or injury .... but then health and safety wasn't trying to emasculate competitive sports in those days either.
...... When the going got tough, the tough got going.
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| Steve Ovett From Brighton Was Very Competitive Despite Some Defeats .... |
But you might think that they would be competitive.
They field all the usual men's teams. Athletics, football, rugby etc and in fact in recent times they have also fielded women's teams in all the major sports.
However it appears that the women's rugby team (the 'Panthers') is, if not unwilling, then not very good, and they have taken one or two bad defeats. They were scheduled to play the ladies team from Sussex University in a varsity fixture following the mens match between the two universities, in what what was in effect a repeat of an earlier encounter in which Sussex University ladies had won 31-0 .... something of a hammering. However some of their other games have been more competitive, such as a narrow 25 to 21 defeat by Reading Knights
 |
| The Panthers |
But in stepped the organisers health and safety team, who said that the women's match with Sussex University should be cancelled because of fears that one or all of Brighton's belles might get hurt, as the game would be too one sided. In fact that the "disparity in competition levels caused health and safety concerns."
Sussex students union said that their girls were "gutted" at the cancellation, however they understood that "health and safety concerns had to come first." But it seems that the Panthers had played the Sussex Uni Ladies Second team on the 5th December 2018 ..... and won 29 to 5. Apparently that wasn't cause for health and safety concerns about the Sussex 2nd string girls!
Now forgive me, but how exactly are the ladies of Brighton ever going to get any better if they can only play teams as weak (not too much weaker, or the issues are reversed), as them? Where exactly is the competition when there is nothing to strive against or towards?
I have been in and played against teams that have either been outclassed, hammered by or crushed other teams in the mens sports (including rugby) .... we never once cancelled for fear of defeat or injury .... but then health and safety wasn't trying to emasculate competitive sports in those days either.
...... When the going got tough, the tough got going.
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