Sports club captains – a celebration

Posted on: 30 November 2016

A new video celebrating the role and achievements of Trinity Sport’s club captains was launched in The Gibson Hotel recently.

This inaugural event was attended by representatives from most of the college’s 50 student sports clubs, Director of Student Services Alison Oldam, as well as staff from Trinity Sport and DUCAC. Brian Wickham and Heather McArdle were there to represent Bank of Ireland, sponsors of Trinity Sport.

The video features contributions from six club captains, past and present, including Hugo MacNeill (rugby captain 1981 and former Ireland player), Jane Williams (founding member of ladies boat club), Sean Healy (former fencing captain), Aisling Anderson (ladies boxing captain), Bryan Mallon (GAA chairman) and Niamh Byrne (women’s rugby captain).

A common theme throughout the video is the strong friendships formed out of university sport, which carry through to the rest of your life.

Speaking at the event Head of Sport and Recreation Michelle Tanner commented: “The position of captain is one that Trinity Sport holds in very high regard, as history will indicate you have now joined with a potentially powerful network. According to the late Trevor West, former Chair of DUCAC in his ‘Bold Collegians’ book, it was the captains committee who were in the thick of the protests when the college board wanted to build on the site of the rugby pitch in the late 1950s.

“This little snippet into the history of Trinity Sport demonstrates the potential that you have to influence key college decisions, albeit on a much larger scale these days; you have the ability to create a movement and network which supports your Trinity experience and allows your sport and you to flourish.”

Heather McArdle, Bank of Ireland’s Trinity Branch Manager, spoke about the many transferable skills that playing sport in university brings, such as leadership and communication.

Trinity Sport launched its new strategy earlier this year, which provides for enhanced sporting performance and provision in the university. At the time of its launch Provost Dr Patrick Prendergast commented: “Sport is a significant co-curricular activity that can provide for many learning opportunities outside of the classroom.”