The Glasgow Taxis Cup is one of the most exciting varsity events amongst Scottish universities, including over 700 students across Glasgow. The sporting event will field up to 19 sports, with 17 being scored this year.
The Taxis Cup is a student favourite, always providing exciting rivalries and endless sporting action. Held towards the end of the semester, it’s the perfect occasion to take a day off from deadline season, enjoy a variety of sports and have a fun night out too!
The event sees the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University and University of Strathclyde competing against each other. It includes different sports such as netball, rugby, hockey, badminton, and swimming as well as others.
On 26 March, the three universities will go head-to-head across different sports and venues throughout Glasgow. These venues typically include Strathclyde Sport, the Stevenson building (Glasgow University’s sports centre), Garscube Sports Complex, Stepps playing field, and Scotstoun Sports Centre.
Concluding the event is the awards ceremony, held last year at Scotstoun Sports Centre. Strathclyde are reigning champions, taking the title from Glasgow and making the rivalry more intense than ever.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event. Originally, the varsity competition was named the City of Glasgow Cup, while it was being sponsored by the council. In 2011, however, Glasgow Taxis signed a contract to sponsor the event.
What to look out for this year?
Strathclyde Sports Union representative, Lee Gallagher, explains there is always “a vast range of sporting rivalries across the competition”. When asked about which event to look out for, Gallagher elaborated that “Strath men’s football is worth a watch this year as they have done really well in the BUCS league this year,” adding, “Powerlifting has been a good one to watch since its introduction to the competition two years ago.”
“Cheer is always a good one to watch,” Gallagher continued. The Strathclyde Warriors Cheer society boasts a variety of different teams, such as pom, hip hop and varsity, taking home a first-time win for pom last year. According to the Strath Cheerleading president, Amy, “this year we have more than one team competing for the first time!” All eyes will be on the official confirmation of the teams.
Additionally, the Strath Warriors varsity team will be putting on a performance at the awards ceremony at Scotstoun Sports Centre. This will be a new routine with 36 members; so, make sure you to look out for the girls at Strath Sports and Scotstoun Stadium for some stellar performances.
This year is the first time the snow sports will be split into two separate sections for the Taxis Cup. The competition will consist of ski and snowboard racing and freestyle. Gallagher explains that this makes the competition closer than ever, offering opportunities for Cali to score more highly and be more competitive.
If you want to watch the snow sports, head to Bellahouston dry ski slope on Wednesday afternoon! Or, if you are interested in enjoying snow sports, our editor-in-chief, Rhiannon, sat down with Strath Snow’s president here.
This year will be the first time dance will be included in the varsity competition. While it is not included within overall scoring, classed as a friendly event, Strath boasts a huge Dance society with exciting and diverse performances.
For more information on locations and timetables for the different sports, keep an eye out on the Glasgow Taxis Cup and Strathclyde Sports Union Instagram pages.
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