The University of Sussex came up trumps over the University of Brighton on Thursday, 31 March in the 2022 Varsity Series, winning 14 out of the 17 events on offer across both University campuses.
The excitement was palpable at the 2022 Varsity Series events, with University students in large numbers being provided the opportunity to witness their student teams in action against each other for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.
Sussex were dominant from day one of the tournament, thrashing Brighton in the cricket event, and took their momentum forward to day two, where they were victorious against the Brighton Panthers in American Football.
Victories in women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s volleyball followed, before the Panthers roared back to capture two impressive wins in men’s and women’s basketball. The men’s basketball event saw a packed house at the Falmer Sports Centre, and home fans were rewarded with a stellar performance by their student team who won 85-64.
Panthers’ power forward Matt Redhead was the top scorer with 18 points and was all smiles after the hotly contested battle.
“I thought we played a near perfect game,” he said.
“They made it tough for us in the second half and played a bit of a rough game but I’m proud of how the boys handled themselves in front of a big crowd.”
Brighton’s only other victory came in women’s football, while Sussex took home the spoils in tennis, hockey, netball, rugby and badminton.
