Sporting Achievements

Rugby Blues for Darwinians

Hilde Schneemann and Sonia Ubong Darwin students Hilde Schneemann (mat: 2019) and Sonia Ubong (mat: 2021) both won a blue for being on the winning side in the Cambridge Women Rugby Varsity Match against Oxford University in April. Hilde relates her experiences here.

It is an immense privilege as a rugby player to get the opportunity to play at Twickenham... twice! My first varsity at Twickenham was marked by a last-minute victory thanks to Scottish international Coreen Grant scoring the winning try about 3 minutes before the final whistle. Then well, we all know what 2020 was like... and in 2021 measures were just relaxed enough that we could train up in a mere 12 weeks to play the varsity match at Leicester rugby stadium, which was again victorious.

My expectations then going into this year’s varsity were high, boosted by our skilful, fast and strong team which also included fellow Darwinian Sonia Ubong.

On the day, we got cheered off by the men as we got into the bus. As we got closer to Twickenham, the stadium appeared in the distance. Surreal.

Then, everything moved fast: changing, warming-up, final briefing from the coaches, I looked around the circle as we embraced each other in the Twickenham changing room, all nervous, all excited, all ready to go. And then, it kicked off.

It all started well, we played in their half and had lots of possession. Inching closer and closer to their try line, but not quite making it across. One commentator remarked we might as well apply for council tax in the Oxford 22... But eventually it happened, as Hetta Friend put it over the line to bring in our first 5 points. A great start, but now came the challenge to remain vigilant and not give any easy opportunities away. We dominated in the forwards, particularly with our scrum, but the Oxford backs were particularly dangerous making a few too many line-breaks that could have been tries if it weren’t for some narrowly forward passes earlier on. Just before the end of the first half, Oxford managed to break through our defence and secure a tie.

The second half saw another try from Oxford early on. Now things were starting to get really tense. Fortunately, we had some incredibly strong players still on the bench that were ready to pump some fresh energy into the game. About 15 minutes into the second half, I got substituted for tackling queen Cara Prowling. Now it really came down to trust.... it was nerve-wracking having to watch the rest of the second half from the side line.

In the meantime, time was running out and Oxford were still ahead on the scoreboard. We again had most of the possession, but it just wasn’t paying off until fellow Darwinian Sonia Ubong, determined to stay on her feet, managed to break through the line, undeterred by several Oxford defenders hanging from her limbs, until just meters before the try line. This time, we didn’t let the opportunity slip away and our highly experienced Mexican prop Vianney Gomezgil Yazpik made the equalizing try: 10-10.

This was just the boost we needed and in the final minutes we were again looking dangerous. When the referee’s whistle blew, it felt the game had not really finished, and that this could not be the end. Somehow, none of us had considered that we could end in a tie. In fact, this was the first tie in the history of the women’s varsity match.

Thanks to our victory in the previous year, we retained the trophy, but of course it wasn’t quite the same. After greeting our friends and family, including lots of Darwin supporters (Thank you!!!), we had dinner together with the Oxford women. Their captain, Jessica Abele, was the perfect person to speak some words before we parted ways. She actually started her rugby career in Cambridge, joining CURUFC at the same time as me, indeed we played together, before she moved to Oxford for her PhD. She thanked the coaches from both sides, the Cambridge coaches teaching and making her fall in love with the game and the Oxford ones who prepared their team for this confrontation.

As each side went their separate way, we ventured into London nightlife, and with our light blue rugby family we danced the night away.

Blondie Win at the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race

Darwin Student Nicole Molina (MPhil in Economics) helped secure the Cambridge women’s reserve team a win in Blondie Boat at the 2022 Oxford Cambridge Boat Race. Here she explains the pain and elation that made it such a life-changing experience.

My year at Cambridge began to feel real at Darwin’s Welcome Dinner, where a speaker sagely advised that we enrich our academic endeavors with activities that we could look back on, so as not to have tired, stressed, late nights in the library as our sole memories of our time at Cambridge.

My experience with CUBC (Cambridge University Boat Club) as a member of the Blondie crew will forever be something that I remember fondly, despite the tired mornings on my bike to catch the 5:57 train to Ely, the wet, cold hikes back from the station to my morning classes, the late-night social events missed, and the physical demands on my body.

Several times I questioned my ability to balance everything-- school, sleep, rowing, and mental sanity--but not once was I able to seriously consider not being a part of it all. And thank goodness I saw it through. Being the first person to cross the finish line in the 2022 Women’s Reserve Boat Race is something I cannot explain, a thrill and sense of fulfillment like no other. I am so incredibly thankful for my coaching, my squad mates, and most importantly my crew, for such a life-changing experience.