Gair Rhydd

Fever Pitch

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CARDIFF UNIVERSITY’S increasingly popular Intra-Mural Games (IMG) are under threat this year, as the fifteen regular football pitches at Pontcanna have been declared unplayable by the Athletic Union and Cardiff City Council, only weeks before the beginning of the season.

During the summer, the University learnt that the 160,000 visitors to the Eisteddfod festival, combined with Cardiff’s poor weather, has left the playing fields at Pontcanna out of action this season while they recover. Despite the Council’s reassurance that the pitches leased by the university would be unaffected by Wales’ festival of the arts and culture, there seems to have been a break down in communication and there is little the AU can do now the damage has been done.

Shaw to shine

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Beijing bronze medalist, and former Cardiff University student, Bryony Shaw speaks to Sport's Richard Williams about windsurfing, the Olympic experience and her hopes for London 2012

The performances shown by the sailing team in Beijing were one of the highlights of a brilliant summer for Team GB, which came as no surprise to Bryony.

“I certainly knew the potential of the British Sailing Team, which has been in the top three best performing sports for the last three Olympic Games, alongside rowing and cycling. This summer’s performance was the best sailing team result in 100 years. In terms of athlete potential, we were very close to winning more medals.

IMG: Scrapheap Challenge

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THIS SEASON IMG rugby will have to settle for a touch rugby league and an end of year contact tournament. However last week, talks were held between IMG rugby, the AU President Scott Pigott, Head of rugby Martin Fowler and Membership Services and Democracy Manager Steve Wilford to discuss the potential restoration of IMG rugby to its former glory.

The air was cleared of popular speculation that the University wanted to rid itself of IMG rugby entirely with reassuring words from Head of Rugby Martin Fowler: “We are not here to stop you playing rugby. We just want you to play rugby safely.”

The word on......the highlights of the greatest show on earth

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There is no better advert for the capabilities of mankind than the Olympics, the biggest, most intense sporting showcase on the planet. For those two short weeks in August, elite sportsmen and women congregated in Beijing, the hub of the world’s fastest growing nation, to perform at the highest level.

The attraction of the Olympics comes from its variety in sport and diversity in nations. It features so many exciting sports that, unless you are a devout follower, are rarely talked about, publicised or broadcast through mainstream mediums.