Tuesday, March 19Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Author: Lee Miller

Sexuality, Movember, and Spiking in Sports
Features, Sports & Socs

Sexuality, Movember, and Spiking in Sports

Photo by Jeffrey F Lin via Unsplash I interviewed three anonymous members of sports societies to determine their stances on sexuality in sport, Movember and spiking in a bid to see how sports can tie these topics together. Sports have a huge voice to be heard, especially when the topics at hand require vocal stances. Speaking openly on such is the first step to provide an increased awareness, with the conclusive aim to positively affect these subject matters.   Sexuality in sport On the 27th of October, Josh Cavallo marked a significant breakthrough for gay footballers, powerfully coming out as gay. He became the first footballer in a top flight division to do so. This raised awareness of the LGBT+ side of football; for many years light has not shone amongst this side o...
The Premier League Checkpoint
Sports & Socs

The Premier League Checkpoint

The 2021/22 English Premier League season has well and truly kicked off, but how is it shaping up?  Leading the way is Chelsea, who are proving to be a well organised team. With the best defence and second most goals scored so far, it’s going to take a lot to slow this team down, their eyes set on a sixth premier league title.  Liverpool remain the only unbeaten team. In close second, Liverpool’s squad are almost fully fit, desperate not to lose out due to injury as they did in previous seasons. Mo Salah, a forward for Liverpool, has been unplayable for the most part but if he makes a solid comeback that could be pivotal, allowing him to haunt his former team, Chelsea, come May 2022.  Manchester City won't be happy with their start, having lost twice already. Pep Guardi...
Reviewed: Joshua vs Usyk
Sports & Socs

Reviewed: Joshua vs Usyk

It was a clean sweep from Oleksandr Usyk as the Ukrainian remained undefeated, securing a unanimous final result of 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113. Anthony Joshua's second reign as heavyweight champion came crashing down after a timid and lethargic performance. The first 3 rounds of the fight saw Usyk assert himself more so than Joshua, who was using the opening as a chance to feel out Usyk and gain some reads. Joshua’s process appeared to be paying off, as the pendulum swung during rounds 4-6. The reigning champion upped the pace and took back control of the fight, watched on by 65,000 fans. However, Usyk quickly adjusted and during round 9 Joshua suffered an eye injury that only got worse as the fight went on. The eye kept swelling and consequently Joshua was unable to see, losing t...
NBA Superteams: Basketball Analysed
Sports & Socs

NBA Superteams: Basketball Analysed

“I’ll never leave the team.. till we build to a championship level. It needs a lot of work but me and the guys we are ready for a challenge”. A young Giannis Antetokounmpo tweeted in 2014, a year following his 15th pick by the Bucks in the 2013 NBA draft. At the time, the road ahead to the playoffs looked bleak. Their 2013-14 season ended with a record of 15W and 67L.  Steadily, both the Bucks and Antetokounmpo improved - the Bucks have shown consistency in the playoffs since 2016-17, and Antetokounmpo picked up his first MVP in 2019. Turning his words into reality, Antetokounmpo dropped a cool 50 points in arguably one of the greatest performances of a Finals game. It’s this tenacity that is at the heart of the sport. Bucks elation was at the expense of the Phoenix Suns, who w...
Guide to the UCL Favourites 2021/22
Sports & Socs

Guide to the UCL Favourites 2021/22

The greatest club competition in football returns this September with several teams eyeing the prize. A manic transfer window could provide the tightest competition in years, with many teams bolstering their squads in the knick of time. Below, we take a look at the predicted odds of success come May 2022.  PSG: The bookies' favourites have undoubtedly had the best transfer window in history, acquiring sensational names on free deals like Donnarumma, Ramos, and Messi. The project with PSG has been simple - win a champions league. The rejection of Real Madrid’s £190 million offer for Mbappe throws all eggs into the UCL basket knowing he will walk as a free agent next year. Appearances in the final and semi final over the last 2 years are a testament to their progress, but being c...