University sport - is this unusual?

[flickerer]

My DS started uni in September. He plays a team sport to a high level, and is on the "first team". There is a male 1st team and a female 1st team, and a social team. The club's social secretary organises regular social activities, but the 1st teams aren"t allowed to join in - they've been told the social group is a "safe space" for social players. Is this usual? It sounds odd to me.

Maybe they are worried about 'initiations'

No reason why that should be. It's not that kind of sport.

That sounds almost discriminatory to me.

The social aspects of a university sports club should be open to all members of said club.

I would be gently encouraging my DS to enquire why the 1sts are excluded

Is it in case they get injured and can't play on their actual team?

It seems like a crazy rule.

Do the social activities involve playing the sport? I can understand people wanting to play a sport socially without other much better players turning up and playing in a highly competitive way. But if it's something like a pub quiz night, I can't see why everyone can't join in.

It's pub nights etc. Sounds like it's being run by a control freak to me. Such a shame, as the sport is a big part of his life and should have been a good way to make new friends at uni.

Could be historically the first teams did their own thing and this was organised so others didn’t feel left out

At my son's uni the social teams socialise separately to the 1st-3rds. Also they socialise the same day as the match and the 1st-3rds could be miles away playing other unis.

Ist teams not playing the sport with the social team doesn't sound too odd but not being able to socialise together seems strange unless the teams have all historically socialised separately and there just isn't anyone organising the social events for the 1st teams. Sports social is the same night for all sports at DS's Uni - he and his GF play different sports and are both out for their related socials on the same night so often end up together at some point in the evening.

I agree with this, @flickerer sounds like one individual exceeding his or her remit to me. FWIW my DCs all played sport for their universities and also went on social evenings – they enjoyed the latter as much as the former tbh, and considered it all part of being a member of the club.

Wonder what the SU would think about some students being excluded from social activities purely on the basis that they were the best players? Suspect they might take a dim view.