Student unions clash with university sports clubs over drinking customs and tradition

The author recounts joining a university cricket society in 2021 and adopting the traditional “ones” - brown shoes, blue shirt, club tie and chinos - for weekly socials. Recent actions by student unions, such as Cardiff University's ban on that specific dress after alleged queue-pushing incidents, illustrate a broader push to suppress drinking culture, often framed by associations with extremist groups. While some clubs grapple with accommodating Muslim members by offering non-alcoholic alternatives, the author contends that universities need not dictate these solutions.

He warns that student-union oversight threatens the informal leadership development that sports societies foster, especially as union elections see low participation and unrepresentative leadership. Ultimately, the piece laments that decades-old traditions risk disappearing under the current cultural crackdown.