Students dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge for Sport Relief

A player gets to grips with Dodgeball

Press release issued: 8 March 2012

The sport of Dodgeball, made famous by the film starring Vince Vaughn and Ben Stiller, is a growing craze among students at the University of Bristol who are putting their dodging and ducking skills to good use by raising money for charity. Sport Relief looks set to benefit from the efforts of around 120 keen Dodgeball enthusiasts who are taking part in one of the biggest tournaments of its kind ever seen in Bristol.

Sport Relief looks set to benefit from the efforts of around 120 keen Dodgeball enthusiasts who are taking part in one of the biggest tournaments of its kind ever seen in Bristol. Members of the public are also welcome to enter a team.

The sport has largely been confined to London but is growing in popularity and now forms part of a wider initiative being run by the University of Bristol to get more students taking part in sport. Other diverse activities being introduced as part of UBU Active include Lacrosse, Korfball and Ultimate Frisbee.

DodgeSoc, the Dodgeball Society, is in its first full academic year and now has 151 members who practice regularly. It’s expecting over 20 teams to don their best fancy dress costumes and take part in the tournament for Sport Relief, which is being held at Cotham School on Saturday, 10 March.

The sport consists of two teams, with six players on each side who attempt to eliminate their respective opponents using a specialised rubber ball. Throughout the course of the game, players throw the balls at the opposing team members in order to hit one of them and get them out.

Players can also be eliminated if their throw is caught by an opposing team player, which means a team member of the catcher’s team rejoin the game. The team with the most players at the end of the two minute round wins the game.

Gavin Da Silva, President of DodgeSoc, believes Dodgeball is a sport which is accessible to most people, who particularly enjoy the sense of camaraderie, and says members of the public are welcome to take part in the tournament if they register a team in advance.

He said: “Dodegball is growing in popularity because it’s a fun, friendly sport which does not require a high standard of athletic ability. We put a particular emphasis on enjoyment and participation, which appeals to those who want to play a sport and keep fit but not in a highly competitive nature.

“I have played football and rugby competitively in the past but enjoy playing Dodgeball far more. Physically, it's a pretty easy sport to pick up and play. The fact that everyone can play to pretty much the same standard means they enjoy themselves at our weekly sessions, win or lose.

“Our members have a good sense of camaraderie, despite constantly trying to throw balls at each other. I think the smiles and jokes we have during our games and sessions tell their own story, and that's what makes Dodgeball such an attractive activity.”

Saturday’s tournament aims to raise over £500 for Sport Relief, which is one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events and brings people across the country together to get active, raise money and change the lives of those in both the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

To register a team, or find out more, please email Gavin Da Silva on gd9629@bristol.ac.uk or visit the Facebook page for the event. Entry is £3 per person and the minimum team size is six.

The event is being sponsored by Mission Burrito, Las Iguanas, Cafe Gusto, Giraffe, Za Za Bazaar and The Hill.

Further information

About Sport Relief

As one of the UK’s biggest fundraising events, Sport Relief brings the entire nation together to get active, raise cash and change lives. All the money raised by the public helps people living incredibly tough lives, both at home in the UK and across the world's poorest countries.

As the nation celebrates the biggest ever year of sport, the entire country can join in the fun with Sport Relief 2012 from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th March.

Over one million people are expected to take part in the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile as they raise cash to change lives at home and across the world’s poorest countries. And, with a whole weekend of entertainment planned across the BBC, it’s all set to be huge.

For some ideas on how to get involved in Sport Relief 2012, visit the website: www.sportrelief.com.

Over the past decade, a staggering £124m has been raised through Sport Relief and a lot of lives have been transformed as a result.