Societies, Sports and Leisure

Most students are keen to develop interests outside work, and in Clare there is plenty to choose from. The College has a strong musical tradition: the choir has achieved international acclaim, and there is an excellent college orchestra. Other kinds of music are also popular. The intimate atmosphere of the student common room in the Chapel crypt makes it a favourite venue for live music and DJ nights catering for a wide variety of musical tastes: live gigs, indie nights, Clare Jazz and Clare Blues.

There are over 30 societies active in Clare at present, loosely co-ordinated by the UCS, funded in part by small grants, which the UCS makes available out of its societies’ budget. These cover a very wide spectrum, from drama and film, to skiing and rock climbing, to environmental campaigning and equal opportunity issues. Naturally, much depends on the interests of current students, and it is always open to any UCS member to form their own society and to bid for funds from the UCS to support it.

Sport is also very well represented: there is a large and active boat club with a boathouse on the river. The sports field is ten minutes cycle ride away, and has excellent pitches for football, rugby, hockey and cricket as well as county-standard grass tennis courts. The College fields several men’s and women’s teams in almost all of these every year. Women’s football and rugby, and men’s hockey, maintain a particularly high standard.

Almost all of these sporting, arts and leisure interests can also be pursued at University level. Many students like to maintain a mix of College and university interests, so as to broaden their range of social contacts and to make the best use of the opportunities available during their time here.

Several of the College clubs and societies have websites of their own: for more details, follow this link.