York takes hard-fought victory at Roses
Posted on 7 May 2008
There were just two points between the teams following three days of fierce competition. York withstood a spirited last day comeback by Lancaster to claim 124-122 victory.
Winning an away Roses is a fantastic achievement and I’m hugely proud of all the teams that competed here for York
Jo Carter
Going into the 2008 event, the scores were tied 21-21 (with one draw) in the series, with home teams generally having the upper hand.
Roses 2008 was opened by the University of Lancaster’s Chancellor, Sir Chris Bonington, with Lancaster taking the first blood in the rowing, to take an early 16-4 lead.
York caught up the 12-point deficit thanks to strong performances in badminton and squash. York also took all eight available points in skiing.
Saturday saw historic victories for both the men’s and women’s rugby teams as well as full points in sailing, snooker and tennis. By the end of Saturday York were 18 points clear, leading 105-87, just 18.5 points short of victory.
But Lancaster staged a dramatic comeback on Sunday, winning the majority of the football fixtures and claiming a last gasp winner in women’s hockey. With just three fixtures remaining, York needed a draw from any fixture to secure the trophy. Facing three defeats, Richard de Boltz equalised in men’s hockey to secure the Roses 2008 honours for the visitors.
YUSU Athletic Union President Jo Carter said "I was a nervous wreck - at one point it looked like we’d thrown it all away. Winning an away Roses is a fantastic achievement and I’m hugely proud of all the teams that competed here for York."
ENDS