{"id":40,"date":"2025-10-24T18:18:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T17:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/katy-woods\/?p=40"},"modified":"2025-12-12T11:15:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T11:15:11","slug":"rounders-the-best-social-sport-at-newcastle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journalists.org.uk\/katy-woods\/2025\/10\/24\/rounders-the-best-social-sport-at-newcastle\/","title":{"rendered":"Rounders: The best social sport at Newcastle?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I’m on a mission to find the best social sport society at Newcastle University; first on the list is social rounders. Maybe it’s right for you? <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As the sun reaches its peak over Newcastle, and the students are beginning to rise from the night before, one group of students are already braving the day at Exhibition Park<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the Newcastle University Social Rounders Society<\/a> meeting for their weekly game, an easy, low-stakes and sociable society, as described by its welfare officer, Lucy Langdon, a third year at Newcastle University<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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Newcastle University Social Rounders Society; Image credit: Katy Woods<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The group meet at Exhibition Park every Sunday at 12 noon for a chance to \u201cplay a game of rounders and have fun without the competitive nature that seems to seep into a lot of other societies\u201d, in the words of its president, Spencer, a 4th year at Newcastle University.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The membership is \u00a35 per year, the basic fee for a society membership at Newcastle University, though Spencer and Lucy insist that members are only charged this because of the university’s regulations and not the society’s choice.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The society was started by Spencer when he was inspired by Edinburgh University<\/a>\u2019s social rounders club and their \u2018everyone\u2019s welcome\u2019 policy. He then wanted to implement this into his own social rounders club at Newcastle.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I’d definitely say it’s one of the most sociable social sports…”<\/p>Lucy, Welfare Officer<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Social aspects of the society were strongly emphasised by the committee; welfare officer Lucy said that social rounders is \u201cone of the most sociable social sports\u201d and they often get new members \u201ccoming back week by week\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The group also take part in sports night socials bi-weekly, most recently a \u2018charity shop fashion show\u2019 collaborative social with Newcastle University Boxing Club<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This social aspect is especially important for the president, Spencer, who in his first year at Newcastle attempted to join some of their sports teams but found that they were \u201coverly competitive\u201d and that he \u201cdidn\u2019t have a good time\u201d in his experience with them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that he therefore enjoys watching the members socialise with each other and \u201chave something that I don\u2019t think I had in first year.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…listening to someone say \u2018can I have your Instagram?\u2019 I just get really happy thinking that they\u2019ve had something that I don’t think I had…\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>Spencer, President<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It would appear that the society have been successful in their goals for a sociable sport; Lucy said that \u201cwe actually got a good response […] everyone was coming back\u201d, of the many freshers and masters students they reportedly attract.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is clear that the members are truly the centre of this society, with the committee even going to the lengths of keeping them fed for their Sunday afternoon activities. They work with a local charity that aims to reduce food waste by distributing leftover food from local shops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“…Saturday nights I go to different shops, collect a load of different excess food […] then carry them back up the next morning.\u201d<\/p>Spencer, President<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Every Saturday Spencer visits the charity and collects leftover food from shops around the city. He then takes the food to the games on a Sunday for members to enjoy and \u201chopefully feed a lot of people for the day.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to the Exhibition Park location, some members have complained that the games can be difficult to get to if they don\u2019t live in Jesmond or nearby. Even the president, Spencer, said that since he lives on the quayside the distance, for him, is the \u201cmain drawback\u201d.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But welfare officer Lucy said that it\u2019s the most convenient location due its \u201copen air space\u201d and the fact that it\u2019s \u201cnear all the accommodation\u201d which is \u201cgreat for freshers\u201d, as Spencer said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other society members did raise issues with the limited time they had to practice, since there is only one session a week.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, committee members have started to attend practice half-an-hour early to give members an opportunity for extra practice before the game begins and have begun to lead warm-ups and cool-downs before and after each session.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memberships for Social Rounders are available for all Newcastle University students on the NUSU<\/a><\/strong> website at \u00a35 for the year. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visit my Instagram here:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n