The start of the 2017-18 BUCS season has been near perfect for the Badminton Team. The Men’s 1st team currently top 2A and Women’s 1st and Men’s 2nd are placed second in their leagues, 2A and 3A respectively. Both 1st teams are also currently showing good form in the cup with quarterfinal matches approaching in the coming weeks.
The Men’s 1st team have been growing in strength in recent years and are looking to solidify their position as a top team in the North. An undefeated 2015-16 season saw promotion to 1A, however inconsistent performances lead to relegation back to 2A. The 2017-18 season has picked up from where they left off after 2015-16, with a flawless start to the season in both the league and cup. Captain, Alistair Hawgood praised team cohesion as the reason for success; “the start of this season has been perfect. A 100% win record, top of the league and quarters in the cup to come. Partnerships have grown by each match making us even stronger going into the 2018 matches where we look to remain unbeaten in BUCS and Roses”. A tie against second in the league, Liverpool, at home on 21st February could be the league decider, so keep the date free!
Women’s 1st also have their eyes on silverware this season. Currently second in their league with only one loss to their name, however the league title will be difficult to achieve as Edge Hill 1st lead the way with a 100% win record. Captain, Jess Logue, is also hoping for success in the cup with a quarter final tie against Liverpool 2nd due for 7th February. Of course, Jess also has plans in place for Roses success too; “The girls have been battling hard so far this season and it’s paying off. Currently second in the league with only one match lost. 2018 might be tough with the majority of matches being away, however we are determined to fight back and be just as successful as last term before going on to have a winning year at Roses”.
Men’s 2nd are looking strong going into 2018, currently placed 2nd in 3A. Their cup run was cut short after drawing their team mates from Men’s 1st, however the loss didn’t dampened spirits as the team recorded 6-2 and 7-1 victories in their league matches proceeding their cup tie. Captain, Ziyad Campbell, has applauded the team’s mental strength to keep focus and remember their aims for the year. A top 3 league finish would show fantastic improvement as they competed in 4A as recently as the 2015-16 season. The team are also looking to replicate their Roses success from 2017 after winning their tie 8-1. Ziyad commented “we have a lot of strength in depth this season and that is showing in our league results, however, to have success at Roses we will need established partnerships that can handle the pressure. We are working hard to work out who the pairings might be and getting them to continue to play and practice together. If we complete the plan we’ve set out, I have no doubt we can run away with a 9-0 win this year”.
Can the team keep up their fantastic form and pick up the silverware they deserve? Only time will tell.
