Much has been written about the general drinking phenomenon among student populations in Britain; whether it’s judging some people’s love of cheap vodka or condemning going out weekly as some kind of sin, everyone has an opinion on university drinking. Some of it is downright patronising, while other pieces herald the rise of the teetotal student.
Recently, news outlets have reported that young people are dramatically cutting down on nights out, with so-called ‘nightlife experts’ warning that one club closes every two days across the country. This may be an emerging national pattern, but there is certainly no shortage of binge drinking or going out at university, especially among sports clubs.
Research over the last few years has established that student athletes tend to consume greater volumes of alcohol than their non-sporting peers. If you dare to soberly walk anywhere near West Street or the pubs of Crookes on a Wednesday evening, you can see just how accurate these findings are.
Drinking tends to be embedded in many sports societies’ weekly routines; most of us know someone who loves Roar just a bit too much. Armed with a questionable costume built from their student Amazon Prime membership and a bottle of Glen’s Vodka, student sportspeople are encouraged to take part in any number of drinking activities every Wednesday. From bar crawls that never quite go to plan to infuriating games like ou est le poulet, drinking is turned into a weekly challenge.
I spoke to some of these Roar lovers, who wish to remain anonymous, about the pressures around student alcohol consumption.
“Sports nights out seemed really intimidating when I started uni,” said one student. “I’m used to them now I’ve been enough times, but it can get a bit cult-like, watching a load of grown men chant at some fresher to down a pint.
“When I put any actual thought into how much I drink, it does worry me a bit. I just can’t say no now; whenever I’ve tried to drop out of a social, I get mocked in the group chat until I give in and go out.”
Another detailed how they have lost count of the number of times they’ve blacked out from alcohol consumption.
“The club I’m part of is pretty big, and some weeks we get about 60 or more of us going down to West Street before Roar. I feel like I need to keep up with everyone else so I just keep drinking. I’ve been practically carried home by some of my teammates before. It should be embarrassing but everyone just finds it funny so I don’t have any reason to stop going.”
With many pubs and bars offering student drink deals on weekdays, it’s a lot easier to get drunk quickly, especially when combined with society discounts. The lure of £2 pints and ridiculously cheap doubles makes it a perfect, simple way for teams to bond.
“We drink to socialise,” another student explained. “It’s not like we actually rely on it, but after matches we’ll normally go to the pub and have a chat. Win or lose, it doesn’t really matter – we’ll have a drink.
“Roar can get messy but sometimes it’s just a release of intense emotions – you can see that in smokers most weeks. It probably does verge on dangerous for some people, but for most of us it’s just a way to develop our friendships. Some of my best memories at uni come from sports nights out.”
It’s not down to me or anyone else to judge your drinking activities, but maybe consider having a week off from Roar at some point. The West Street bars will survive without you for one week, I promise.
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