CURRENT STUDENTS

Catz boasts a wide variety of sports and societies, allowing everyone to get involved and show their love for the wheel!

Catz prides itself on being known as a sporty college and has Cuppers teams in football, rugby, netball, hockey and many more. So, if you’re into sport, Catz is the place to be!

New opportunities to play sport are constantly being offered – be sure to check out the newly established girls’ rugby team! Other sports on offer at Catz include athletics, badminton, basketball (men’s), rowing, climbing, cricket, croquet, cross country, cycling, golf, lacrosse, skiing and snowboarding, squash, swimming, table tennis tennis, ultimate frisbee and water polo.

The Kittbag (which also runs a newsletter) has sports news from around the College.

If sport isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other opportunities, with societies on offer for everything from music and drama to charity and literature, including Card Playing Society, Chess Club, St Catharine’s Christian Union, Catz Careers and Entrepreneurs Society, St Catharine’s College Film Society, Law Society, Medsoc, Catz Orchestra, Catzappella, and many more. Some highlights include:

• Chill in the Chapel – this is a fortnightly, informal music event held in the College (you guessed it) chapel. Anybody is welcome to perform any style of music, with hot chocolate and biscuits served after the recital. Chill in the Chapel, or just Chill, is a Catz speciality – it provides a perfect break from work for anyone who enjoys music.

• The John Ray Society – first year natural scientists (or NatScis) are automatically a member of Catz’ John Ray Society. Throughout the year, it hosts talks from speakers covering all of the science disciplines, a book sale, the John Ray Annual Dinner and the John Ray Garden Party (in May Week).

• The Shirley Society – this is Cambridge’s oldest literary society and is based at Catz. They hold talks, poetry evenings and play readings, as well as weekly literary meetings known as ‘The Union’. The Shirley Society also run ‘Volta’, a creative writing magazine.

If you have any questions about sports and societies at Catz, feel free to email our Sports & Societies Officer, Sheherazad. The College website has a list of some Catz societies.

Facilities

Catz pitches are situated about a 5-minute cycle from College, at the end of King’s Road. We have football and rugby pitches, tennis, netball, squash and basketball courts and a sports pavilion. We are also the only College with our own Astro Turf hockey pitch.

The College’s squash courts and badminton courts can be booked through the online court system : Booking System - St Catharine's College | Skedda.

Please note that due to COVID regulations, a booking of 1 hour on the Badminton Courts (for example, 13:00-14:00) consists of: Sanitise court and equipment (13:00-13:05); Play (13:05-13:45); Re-sanitise court and equipment (13:45-13:50); and leaving the court at 13:50 so as not to overlap with any other users at 14:00.

For details on how to book other College facilities, including College rooms, look on the How Do I? page.

Societies Funding

College sports clubs and societies may apply for funding through the Amalgamated Societies & Clubs. Meetings to allocate funds take place at the start of the academic year in the first couple of weeks of Michaelmas, so monitor your emails carefully for more details.

It is still possible to to apply for funding after the Amalgamated Clubs & Societies meeting. If you are starting a non-sporting society contact the Senior Tutor, Dr Holly Canuto, if you are starting a sports club contact Dr Peter Wothers.

How Can I Start a Sports Club or a Society?

Contact our Sports and Societies Officer, Sheherazad Che, if you need help setting one up. Otherwise, to set up a Catz-specific society, go ahead and email Kati Sexton, our Student Services Manager

This Cambridge SU page might be of some use, but mostly pertains to University-wide societies.

Sports Captains

Society Presidents

 Catz Rowing