UK Student Archery Association

December Catch Up pt. 1 [11/Dec/13]

The first SEAL and SWWU matches were held over the weekend of the 23rd and 24th November, but before we review how the southern leagues kicked off, an interruption to our usual programming.

The Scottish Archery Association (SAA) AGM on Sun 15th Dec, is not something that would normally get a lot of coverage on this site. However a clarification document (about proxy voting) has been published which says "Any persons affiliated with the SAA through an SAA En Bloc Club are not individual members."

This apparent disenfranchisement is stunning - and if allowed, leaves the SSS clubs vulnerable to the introduction of individual membership fees instead, i.e. a massive price hike. All Scottish clubs should contact SSS league organiser Douglas Jardine. With no sense of irony at all, the meeting is being held at the Institute of Sport and Exercise at Dundee University.

Back in regional league news, Southampton comfortably won the first SEAL leg of the season - in fact their total of 2219 was enough for a 76 point lead. London were second on 2143, with Surrey in third on 2123. Kent were fourth, back on 2039. They were also the last team over 2000. Reading, Imperial and Essex were in the 1900s, in the middle of the table, as all 11 teams competed.

Top individual score in the match was Matt Sharpe (Surrey) on 561 with Sherman Ip (London) and the Southampton trio David Williams, Andrew Howe and Nata Chavanich all on 558.

In the novice match, Kent narrowly held off the challenge of London 1376 plays 1363, with Southampton a further 100 points behind in third on 1261 and Reading in fourth, a further 80 back.

The first SWWU match of the season saw a record breaking 7 universities compete, albeit only 5 with complete teams, the top four finishing within 60 of one another. Bath scored 2136, winning the leg, with Alex Hickson scoring no less than 584, a full 33 points ahead of his nearest rivals. Swansea were second on 2109, with Exeter on 2091 and Plymouth on 2076.

Aberystwyth were fifth. Bristol and South Wales made their full SWWU debuts, although neither fielded a full team. In the novice match Swansea ran out comfortable winners.

See latest SEAL and SWWU standings.

Elsewhere, review of the second batch of NEUAL fixtures, plus the results from the NEUAL Novice Champs and SEAL match 2 will be published shortly. There is also a new club at Lincoln.