Dear Alumni,
As I write this final Alumni Update in my role as Junior Alumni Officer, I’ve been reflecting on what makes CUSWPC so special. Whether it’s catching up with friends at training after a long day of lectures and supervisions, the buzz of away competitions and matches, or—dare I say it—the socials, these core memories are what connect generations of CUSWPC members.
So I ask you: what do you remember most from your time with CUSWPC, and who could you reconnect with to relive those memories?
One thing I’ve come to realise is that so much of what keeps our community thriving is thanks to you—the alumni. Whether by reaching out to long-standing friends or getting back in touch with someone you haven’t spoken to in years, these small actions generate the momentum to keep the CUSWPC network alive and well.
In this report, I look back at some of the club’s recent achievements and give a glimpse of what’s to come.
Warm regards,
Sam English
Alumni Officer, 2024–2025
Alumni Event: Pub Evening
Following the success of our last gathering, the CUSWPC Committee is pleased to invite alumni to another pub social evening. This time, we’ll be heading to the Founder’s Arms on the South Bank—a more convenient location for those commuting.
Location: Founder’s Arms, South Bank
Address: 52 Hopton St, London SE1 9JH
Date: Friday, 11th July
Time: From 7:00 pm onwards If you’re planning to join us, please take a moment to fill out this short Google Form. It will help us estimate numbers and inform the venue in advance.
Varsity Update
This home Varsity certainly did not disappoint! We sold an impressive £4,557.30 in tickets (a figure our Treasurer assures me is unusually high), and the spectator gallery was packed out across both weekends. Support came from all directions—fellow swimmers and water polo players, friends, family, and alumni.
A personal highlight was welcoming alumni back to Parkside Pools for the Alumni Match—thank you to everyone who came. We had enough alumni to field both men’s and women’s teams—something O*ford couldn’t match—which helped Cambridge secure multiple victories. While I was racing, I heard that alumni organised a post-race dinner together – I’m thrilled to see our alumni community remains as close-knit as ever. We look forward to seeing many of you next year at Iffley Road, O*ford!
Results:
Blues Swimming
Overall: 98-77 to O*ford
Women: 46-41 to O*ford
Men: 52-35 to O*ford
Read the full report here
Marlins Swimming
Overall: 115-55 to O*ford
Read the full report here
Water Polo
M1: 15-8 to Cambridge
M2: 14-3 to Cambridge
W1: 14-6 to O*ford
W2: 11-7 to O*ford
Read the full report here
Fundraising Campaign – Help CUSWPC Cover the Cost of Varsity!
The University Sports Service Matching Scheme ends at the close of this academic year, and the CUSWPC Committee is keen to make the most of this valuable opportunity. The University will match alumni donations through the scheme—up to £7,500.
Our fundraising goal is to cover the cost of an away Varsity Match, which totals around £5,000 for both Swimming and Water Polo. With your support, next year’s club budget can be directed towards what matters most: supporting CUSWPC athletes with more pool time, improved training equipment, and top-tier preparation.
Instead of allocating a large portion of our annual budget to coach transport for the 2026 Varsity at Iffley Road, Oxford, your generosity will allow us to focus on what really counts—retaining top athletes and delivering training that outpaces Oxford, helping us aim for a clean sweep of Varsity victories.
https://www.philanthropy.cam.ac.uk/give-to-cambridge/swimming-and-water-polo-club
