Ultimate Frisbee is perhaps not one of the most recognised sports in the world today. The players don’t regard the sport as a route to popularity, respect, fame or fortune, and it is more often than not a point of ridicule. However, despite this, more and more people are beginning to pick up a disc, highlighted by the quality of play displayed at the recent UK Nationals held at York University.

The University of London had two teams qualify from the regional heats, which is impressive when you consider that only four places were given to the whole south eastern Region. LSE, who won the region, qualified for division one, which consisted of the best 16 university teams in the country. Meanwhile, Kings College qualified for division two - the first time they’d made it to nationals.

LSE began the competition as the number five seeds and started well in the group stages, winning their first two games against Dundee and Leeds, losing only to Bristol, the third seed, in their final group match. This meant they had to play a crossover match against one of the teams who finished third in their group, to make it through to the last eight. This team was Oxford Brookes, who LSE had lost to a few months previously in a nail biting, down-to-the-wire game. The game started with the exchange of downwind points before Brookes’ gratuitously elaborate hammer-throws started to break the LSE zone. The score moved in Brookes’ favour, and despite a late surge by LSE reclaiming an upwind score, they weren’t to be caught. This was the end of LSE’s first day and it left them with only the plate to play for on Sunday.

Kings’, in reverse form to LSE, lost their two opening matches to Portsmouth, a fellow south eastern side, and Leicester respectively. However their third game was against York, who openly admitted that they were only competing in the competition because they were hosting it. Needless to say, Kings’ strolled to a comfortable win. Strathclyde rounded off Kings’ opening day opponents with the game being a close fought match, which Kings’ came out of victorious.

Sunday’s matches once again went in LSE’s favour to begin with, as they comfortably won their first two. This put them into the final play-off to win the plate where they would play Edinburgh. Unfortunately, due to fatigue and the injuries, LSE failed to display their normal cohesion as a unit. Gallant efforts were made to raise the team’s morale to try to get a hold of the game but it wasn’t to be. Edinburgh won the match and the plate with it, leaving LSE 10^th in the final standings.

Kings’ second day results suggest that their games were more of an education than a celebration as they lost each of their three matches. However, despite the fact that each game started on the back-foot, leaving themselves work to do in the second half, they still managed to make a comeback in each one, which was stopped only by the final whistle. A rematch against Leicester concluded Kings’ day and although the score mimicked their first encounter, Kings’ showed more drive and led for the early part of the game.

Leicester’s composure and consistency eventually set the two teams apart and Kings’ eventually finished eighth overall.

The conclusion of the tournament saw Cardiff crowned this year’s champions, with Cambridge finishing second and Bristol third. Punters may dispute that the final standings did not reflect the true stature of our UL teams, though be that as it may, both LSE and Kings are relatively young sides, and to compete on a national stage so soon after conception is a worthy achievement in itself and highlights the potential of UL ultimate for the future.

Sport
King's, LSE, Sport, Ultimate Frisbee