New sports facility unveiled for Varsity (From York Press)

New sports facility unveiled for York St John hosted Varsity

9:34am Tuesday 9th October 2012 in Sport

York St John University are hosting their first Varsity event tomorrow.

York St John and Teesside have been going head-to-head in the North Yorkshire Varsity competition for more than five years, but the event has never been staged in the Minster city.

However, the event will be the first of many destined to be held at new sports facilities at York St John University Nestlé Rowntree Park in Haxby Road.

More than 700 students from York St John and Teesside universities will compete in 14 different sports when 27 matches take place at six different venues around the city, in what is believed to be the largest senior multi-sports event in York this year.

Professor Andy Smith, head of sports performance and participation at York St John University, said: “Our recently acquired 57-acre site will provide huge benefits to our students and the local community, including everyone who has been inspired to study and play sport by the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.

“The facilities already include a cricket pitch, two rugby pitches, six football pitches, a six-lane athletics sprint track, a long jump pit, three tennis courts and two netball courts. Our ambition is to develop it even further to create one of the best venues for student and community sport in the UK.”

Adam McSkimming, York St John Students’ Union president, added: “This is a great opportunity to showcase the great new facilities at York St John, and we are sure there will be a real sense of home pride.

“We are looking to inspire our students to have a great time and get some great results in their sporting fixtures this year, starting with Teesside tomorrow.”