York, Durham, Exeter

[GodessOfThunder]

These universities seem feature in a disproportionate amount of discussion on Mumsnet as institutions commenters see as desirable for their DC to attend. Obviously they are well regarded universities, but why do they attract more discussion here than other Russell group universities, especially those in northern and midlands post-industrial cities such as Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham and Birmingham?

A few possible reasons were suggested by DH:

• They enjoy an undue level of perceived prestige due to being in smaller old cities/towns like Oxbridge
• The Mumsnet user base is skewed towards the SE and biased against post-industrial cities. Mumsnetters are less likely to be familiar with them and hold “grim up north” perceptions.
• There is a “showing off” factor in starting threads and commenting that DC has applied for, or attends, these institutions - the same goes for the “Oxbridge support” threads, the like of which you never see for red bricks.

Does anyone agree, or are there other explanatory factors?

Not at state schools where I grew up, not do they play lacrosse in the LA where I live now.

@thing47 my sister played lacrosse at high school in the States. Boys don't play field hockey there (least not where I grew up), it was girls only and boys did ice hockey in the winter.

Bath and Loughborough are GB Swim Performance centres. So the olympic potential swimmers have their own set of coaches etc and Team Bath Uni have another set. There is also a Team Bath swim club for local kids.

Bobsleigh team and Pentathlon GB are also based at Bath.

My son has spent the last four weeks at Bath for preseason rugby. There are multiple academy players and it's extremely professional and hardcore. Definitely not for the lighthearted ! He's a fresher and his choice of Bath was definitely based on the course AND the rugby.

Lacrosse is big in Cheshire schools isn't it ?

Yes. It is.

I'm not sure Durham are the number one rated lacrosse team.

I think that honour goes to Nottingham - who have a squad full of GB players, thanks to their generous sports scholarships.

They beat Exeter in last year's championship final.... and IIRC won the prior year too.

My apologies @MidLifeCrisis007 Nottingham did indeed win the league (and cup) in the 2022/23 season. Durham topped the points table for the 2021/22 season.

I was amused to see a local advert for a dc sport called iceless hockey, which on reading seemed to be just field hockey.

I think the main university difference is how much money there is in college sports in the USA so there are large scholarships for sports.

Lacrosse evolved in Canada in terms of written rules. We played it at grammar school as pe teacher was in the GB lacrosse team. Difficult to find other schools to play against. It was played at DD2s school (where she went for 6th form). Girls in both cases. I’ve watched men play at Oxford uni years ago. A far cry from our fumbling attempts at school. Hugely frustrating to learn. If you put it in your cv, most would think you were posh.

I didn't even know my uni had a sports centre until I had to sit an exam there, so I'm a bit out of the loop! Wasn't a factor for DD. DS is high-level in an incredibly niche (but Olympic) sport and it might factor into his eventual decision!

One of my children did lacrosse at university and it wwas one of her major sports at school (actually two as one did mixed lacrosse although he had not done it at his fee paying school). Another one did a bit of polo (and took her horse to university for a year - not for polo, just to have it to ride near by). Four of them did a bit of skiing - but just university ski trips type of stuff.

Elite just means best of the best of any sports. I suppose you could be elite table football with a pint in hand as you play.

(There are plenty conservative voters at UK universities both in my day and now and that fact some on the left who are intolerant and not prepared to listen and lerarn from Tory views says more about the left than much else. We need to ensure students of all political views are allowed to express their views and feel valued for holding them).

and that fact some on the left who are intolerant and not prepared to listen and lerarn from Tory views says more about the left than much else.

😆😆😆

Oh @xenia. The Tories are destroying the UK with their greed and incompetence. It’s hard to take anyone who supports them seriously, never mind ‘value’ them.

Xenia you are rambling again. Time for bed

Any thoughts on why this is not updated and why UCL is so low?

Has UCL a greater number of overseas students who maybe don’t look to work in the uk? I have a feeling this data fluctuates a bit too.

Even Liz Truss managed to be a LibDem at Uni lol

😂

And look what she and her Tories pals have done to the country - don’t think any of them have a moral bone in their body!

Only extremely wealthy and privileged people who live in a bubble sheltered from the reality of what is happening in this country would vote Tory now.

Or not vote at all. Quite frankly our political classes are either inept and/or lacking in quality of thought. They cannot plan for the longer term so issue sound bites and have short term plans to win votes. They have no chance of solving problems. Any of them. Most of what you will hear in the next year on a range of topics won’t be doable or truthful.

True @TizerorFizz, but I won' be nailing my colours to a Tory mast - ever.

If you believe it won’t make any difference either way, just vote labour and we’ll thank you.

Are you a barrister @TizerorFizz? They all pretty much detest the Conservatives. Even the diehards who’ve stood for them are quitting the party.