Run by the University of York Students’ Union, the Roses tournament has a long history. Starting life as a boat race, today the contest features some 50 sports, from American Football to underwater hockey.
Roses are a pretty big deal in the North. In the 1400s, the white rose of the House of York and the red rose of the House of Lancaster fought for control of the English throne. Over five hundred years later, the rivalry lives on in Europe’s largest interuniversity sports tournament.
The road to Roses
“I don’t look like a conventional athlete. When you think of an athlete I’m not what comes to mind. I’m an international student. I’m a person of colour. I’m part of the LGBTQ community. I’m tall. I’m big. It doesn’t matter here as long as you have skill. ” Tanisha is the York Sport Union President, an elected officer of the University of York Students’ Union (YUSU). She looks after the University’s dozens of sports clubs, and aims to make sport accessible to everyone. In her time at York, Tanisha has played all sorts of sports: from casual college games, to representing the University. Each college has a wide range of social sports available, from netball and football, to darts and hockey. So you can get involved no matter your ability.
This sporting life
Rewind a few years, and you’d find Tanisha’s passion for sport running just as high. “I’ve played basketball since I was eight years old. Everyone in India plays cricket. But I never got to play at a professional level because women aren’t encouraged to participate. The whole reason I wanted to study in the UK was for sport. “The first time I looked at York I fell in love with it. There was so much support from the teammates, the coaches, the Students’ Union. When I arrived I was stressed about joining the University Cricket Team – I had only ever played on the streets. But the club here is incredible. I have never felt so accepted. ”
The final hurdle
The barriers to participation that Tanisha faced inspired her to run for office. “I had to move out of my own country, move thousands of miles from home, to become something in sports. I don’t want other people to go through that. “As Sports President I have the opportunity to change a lot of lives and make a lot of lives better. Sport is a community; being part of that community is a privilege and an honour. No gender, background, age, disabilities, sexual orientation, physique, physical or mental barriers should hold you back. ” This was the platform on which Tanisha was elected. “For nearly three years I dreamed of this job. It was overwhelming to have so much support. ”
Rise to the challenge
This year Tanisha will lead York’s Roses campaign against Lancaster, who’ll be fighting to retain the Carter James Trophy. “The amount of effort our teams are willing to put into the tournament is incredible. It takes consistent training throughout the year. ” Roses couldn’t exist without the hundreds of student volunteers who support the tournament. “It brings our whole community together. It really touches my heart to see so many students cheering their friends on and supporting the University. It doesn’t matter if you’re involved in sport or not, it doesn’t matter if you’re a student or a staff member, friends or family. Everyone cares about Roses. ”
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