The University of Manchester Handball Club have been around for over ten years, and last year we merged with our former Mancunian rivals Manchester Handball Club. The merge has proved successful in creating a stronger club with many volunteers, and a new energy has been injected into the student branch of the club. Also, do not worry—university students still compete in our traditional purple colours of the University of Manchester, when competing at student-only competitions. As handball is, unfortunately, not yet a BUCS sport, the biggest university handball event is the University Championships, organised by ABUHC (Association of British University Handball Clubs) on behalf of England Handball and Scotland Handball. This year’s championships kick off with a northern round in Leeds on November 28th-29th. With this in mind, the UMHC women’s and men’s teams are currently preparing for the upcoming tournament, and are feeling confident.
Josh is one of the volunteer coaches for handball, and is in his third year of playing handball for the University of Manchester Handball Club. He likes how the welcoming nature of the handball club makes it feel like a community, rather than a sports club. He’s excited for the upcoming Handball University Championships in Leeds, since this will be his final season with the handball club and wants to go out on a high. He also says that the atmosphere is always a good combination of excitement and competitiveness; he’s looking forward to playing as many games as possible in the famous purple shirt.
Emilie and Julie are two of the club’s newcomers this season. Originally from Norway and the Netherlands, they’re no strangers to handball, having played the game for 12 and 10 years respectively. Now students in Manchester since September, they have both enjoyed the many handball team socials and meeting new people from different countries and cultures. Handball is easy when you get the hang of it, says Emilie, and Julie encourages students to try it if they want to be a part of a fun bunch!
The University of Manchester Handball Club run free sessions for students on Mondays, 5-6pm, at the Sugden Sports Centre. Join us for a fun and friendly session, whether you’ve played before or if you are a complete beginner!
You can follow the team on Twitter: @manunihandball or check out local sessions on www.manchesterhandballclub.co.uk
