Sports at Van Mildert JCR

College sport plays a large part in creating the community at Mildert. Of course, Durham as a whole is a great uni for sports, but playing at a college level is a less pressured, smaller-scale experience. It’s a great way to get involved in college life and provides lots of opportunities to meet new people.

We’re a large college so we have teams of all abilities across a wide range of sports (our men’s football club has 8)! Mildert performs very well across the board, with our Men’s Rugby, Darts, and Netball clubs all coming top of their league this year. Top teams train multiple times a week and expect commitment from their members. Supporting these teams at Floodlit events and high-stakes matches is a college ritual and a great way to feel involved in Mildert’s community. Even if you have never played a sport in your life, we encourage you to get involved… you never know what new passion you may ﬁnd!

Mildert also provides the opportunity to get involved socially, with many people joining sports clubs purely to enjoy socials and meet new people. There is a great culture in Mildert sport with all clubs appointing a welfare sec to ensure all members feel valued and can enjoy themselves without fear of being judged or excluded. Sport at Mildert is an easy way to ﬁnd your feet in a new place by giving you the chance to make friends in a familiar and friendly environment. Please note that in order to play Mildert sports, you must be a JCR member.

An introduction from the Sports and Societies Officer, Joe

Hi! My name is Joe and I am your Sports and Societies Officer (SSO) this year at Van Mildert. It is my job to ensure all the amazing sports and societies Mildert has to offer run smoothly and are open and accessible to all. From LGBTQ+ Society, Feather Theatre, Ultimate Frisbee and Football, plus a load more, we have a bit of something for everyone. However, if you have not seen anything that takes your fancy or you have other new ideas, do not shy away from letting me know! You can do this by following @teammildert on Instagram (I’d encourage you to do this anyways!), or email me. To all our new students, I look forward to seeing you at Mildert’s own ‘Freshtival’ during Fresher’s week, where you’ll be able to see what you can get up to in College!

Here’s the latest from our instagram account for sports and societies, @teammildert

Sports available at Van Mildert

Mildert Badminton is a friendly club that trains 3/4 times a week and caters to all levels, be that beginners or advanced players. We are the most successful badminton club in Durham and are keen to welcome new members to our team!
If you have any questions dm our instagram account @vmbadminton
Welcome to Van Mildert Basketball!! Basketball is one of Mildert's smaller communities, but we still make our voices heard on the court. We are open to all ability levels, whether you are competing for a Team Durham spot, or just starting out! We have a one-hour training session each week which we keep light with some scrimmages and other basketball games, and off the court we hope you'll join us for some chilled socials this year!
At the boat club we welcome people of all abilities including those that have never been in a boat before! It’s an exciting way to meet new people and keep fit. We offer both land and water training for our novices and more experienced rowers, with lots of opportunities to go to races throughout the year.
Mildert Cheer is Mildert's friendliest and most welcoming club! We are completely inclusive and welcome people of all abilities and genders, whether you have cheerleading experience or not. We compete in Durham's annual intercolegiate competition and perform at events such as Mildert Day, the MildArts Showcase and Mildert Charity Fashion Show. Last year we had just over 30 members across two teams. Mildert Cheer offers two types of activity: Pom, which is a style of dance (think Dallas Cowboy's Cheerleaders) and Stunt, which is where we lift (and sometimes throw!) someone into the air. Each team practices once a week for 1-2 hours at Mildert, although this increases closer to competitions and performances. We also love a social and welcome social members as our Social Secs have big plans for this year! We hope to see lots of you at the Freshtival and our taster sessions!
VMCC is a relatively large college cricket side with two teams. In which the A team is competitive and the B team is much more social. Net sessions will be held at Maiden castle once a week and there will be Indoor cricket matches on weekends during the Michaelmas/Epiphany terms and outdoor games during Easter term. The club will be running many more socials than the previous year, as well as potentially participating in some joint socials with other clubs.
College darts is the best way to spend every Monday night. We have 3 teams and are a club of over 20 members which is growing every year. Any darting ability is welcome, it is more important to have a great night with darts and drink in hand. As well as the matches against other colleges on a Monday, we hold regular socials and an end of year tour to somewhere in Europe. VMDC are the reigning league and cup champions in the Durham darts league, so there is no better club for throwing at the oche. 🎯
D Team darts is Mildert’s all female darts team and is all about having fun and building friendships in college. It’s a super social club with regular socials and friendly matches against other college teams which tend to be a lot of fun and a great way to meet new people outside of college! Whether you’ve thrown a dart before or not you are more than welcome to come along (we all learn as we go!). Whilst we can’t promise you we will win our matches we can promise a lot of fun nights! It’s a welcoming environment and a great way to get to know the girls in college. Plus we have the best stash in college (arguably Durham)! We can’t wait to meet you.
Van Mildert Football Club is open to all - whether you’ve played your whole life or never kicked a ball there’s a place for you in one of our 8 teams. If you are looking for higher quality football, this is also the club for you. With two of our teams in the top division of college football, and a floodlit win in 2024, we can confidently say VMAFC takes its sport seriously. There are matches every weekend, training once or twice a week, and socials every other week, giving you plenty of time to hone your skills and build up some camaraderie with the other boys. We hope to see as many of you as possible get stuck in and contribute to the quality and atmosphere of the club for years to come!
VMWFC is a friendly environment that welcomes all levels of footballing ability making it the perfect opportunity to try new things and meet new people, which university life is all about. With training, league matches, floodlit matches, summer tournaments, varsity and socials, VMWFC is a great way to socialise and immerse yourself in college community all while being active.
The VM futsal team plays five a side games every week. We have a regular core squad and some less regular, forming a squad size of around 10-15. It is very chill, any skill level is welcome! We've won the Prem League 3 times in a row and we hope to win a 4th. Last year we had a few training sessions but nothing regular. We did not have socials last year but we may implement this year, depending on how keen people are and availability!
Van Mildert Hockey Club has one of the largest and friendliest communities in college. The club welcomes everyone, from total beginners to those with lots of experience. Boasting A and B teams for both the men and women, weekly weekend fixtures are guaranteed for all those wishing to participate, with training sessions taking place on weekdays in the evenings. In these sessions we balance team drills with individual skills training, as well as matchplay to encourage friendly competition and fun for all. Both our men’s and women’s teams have had league wins in recent years and frequently reach the latter stages of the cup competition, where we hope to go all the way soon!
Please come and check us out at Freshtival, we’d love to tell you more about us! 🏑💛🖤
Mixed LAX is a pretty relaxed college sport. We play in the premier league and league two, entering two teams that are in no way based on ability. We pride ourselves on allowing whoever turns up the opportunity to play, getting everyone to have some time on the pitch. Our training schedule is not intense, but we will hopefully offer some more opportunities to train this year! Off the pitch, we’re a social club, with chilled, laid back socials being popular last year!
Van Mildert Netball Club is an extremely inclusive club, with teams ranging A-E, which means that those of all abilities are welcome. We have a strong sense of community after winning the Floodlit Cup last season, and we aim to build on that success alongside aiming to further our club’s presence as a social group. Whether you are looking for the chance to play some high-quality netball, or just make some new friends and join in on exciting socials, VMNC is the place for you! 🌟🐥
Padel is open to all abilities. It will act to complement Durham padel. There will be different events and tournaments throughout the year, internal and inter collegiate. We have a strong social scene with many exciting socials each term.
Van Mildert is home to the only snooker table in Durham and a champion pool team.
Whether you’ve a pro or have just played before at bars, come to trials to check out one of Mildert’s best facilities and play a trial game.
Being in a pool team means playing at college bars around Durham & free drinks!
Last year our freshers team went undefeated and won varsity.
Rounders takes place in the summer term and our team accepts players of all experience levels! We do not have training, instead opting for a ‘go big or go home’ strategy and a happy playing mindset.
As back to back Floodlit cup champions as well as a thriving B team, Mildert offers competitive rugby and a social side for all levels and abilities. Everyone is welcome whether you’re looking to help us 3 peat, play some social rugby, or keen for some off field activities.
Van Maidans women’s rugby team is a joint club between Van Mildert and St Aidan’s Colleges, which competes in the university’s collegiate league. We’re a really welcoming group, with players ranging from total beginners to those who’ve played for years, and the focus is on creating a supportive, inclusive team. We try to train regularly - once or twice a week- to build skills and fitness, but the main aim is to enjoy the game while still being competitive on the pitch. Matches against other colleges are always fun and full of energy. Alongside rugby, Maidans are well known for their strong social side, with regular themed and untamed socials allowing plenty of chances to get to know each other. It’s a great mix of rugby and community, making Maidans a team where everyone feels at welcome and at home.
With one social run a week of about 6-7km, at a completely social pace, we are very beginners friendly!! There will be a fixed day for this confirmed at the beginning of first term. More occasionally we offer a longer run, which will be more like 10-15km, followed by a cafe trip after. We’d like to encourage people to get involved in the college running events (especially college parkrun) but there are no competitive requirements! Also, if it is something you would like, we’ll be happy to write sessions/training plans!
Van Mildert College Squash offers a vibrant and inclusive environment for students to engage in this exciting sport. Whether you're a seasoned player or a complete beginner, the squash club provides opportunities for friendly matches, competitive play, skill development, and a good deal of socialising.
We have two 1-hour mixed training slots per week at the Racecourse courts with additional team matches (usually on weekends) against other colleges either at Maiden Castle or Racecourse. Training is relatively casual and caters to all, so feel free to come to every session or just the occasional one.
This year we have the opportunity for lots of gameplay with both a Women’s and Men’s team entered into the college top division fixture lists.
For more information see the Facebook Group ‘Van Mildert College Squash’ and/or vm_squash on Instagram.
Van Mildert Tennis Club (VMTC) offers a variety of opportunities, from competing at the highest collegiate level to just a friendly hit. We boast an A and B team, both in the top leagues, alongside two organised weekly sessions catered for all abilities.
Off the court we're just as active - with bi-weekly socials to keep the club connected and have fun.
Find us at Freshtival and we would love to meet you!
Ultimate Frisbee is a mixed gender non-contact 7v7 sport that's something of a mix between American football and netball but with a Frisbee. We train on Wednesdays (optional) and have a game most weekends. Most people playing at uni have never played the sport before so it's a super chill environment welcoming people of all abilities who want to try something new and have a runaround with some of the friendliest people Mildert has to offer!
This year we plan on only having one team but will go for two if we have enough signups so please come along!
Welcome to Van Mildert Volleyball 🦆🏐. Join us to play volleyball regardless of your previous experience or skill. We start the year with beginners sessions, then move onto weekly training sessions indoors and (weather dependent) more chilled outdoor sessions. We are a part of the college volleyball league with 3 teams so anyone can enjoy playing in competitive matches, or just in training! We have plenty of socials with plenty of funky themes and activities for everyone to enjoy throughout the entire year!
Dormant Sports still on the books (I.e. primed for revival!) include: Climbing, Golf, Table Tennis (of which we have a table in the JCR Well!). To find find out more about restarting any of these, or starting a completely new society, just speak to Joe, our Sports and Societies Officer during Freshers’ Week or see us at Freshers’ Fair!