Held at 12.30pm on Sunday November 30th at Poohsticks (a.k.a Crusoe) Bridge, Cambridge. Held as part of National Tree Week 2003.
Umpired by the Honorary Impartial Umpire of the Inter-Varsity Poohsticks Championships, Mr Mike Ridley.
Scored by Cpt. Katie Birkwood.
5 points were awarded for 1st place and 3 points for 2nd. No points were awarded for lost or sunken sticks: this state was declared by the umpire. The Team Round was not scored, and would only be counted in the event of a tie across all the other rounds.
Pembroke College Winnie-the-Pooh Society: Roz Currie (Cpt), Chess (Michelle Hart), Neil Roques, John-h Waters, Dunstan Roberts, Rachel Causier, Naath (Helen) Cousins.
King's College London: Alex Moss (Cpt), Sam Halford, Pete Wing, Jack Vickeridge (on loan from PCWtPS)
Round 1: 1st, Pembroke (Roz); 2nd, King's (Alex)
Round 2: 1st, Pembroke (Chess); LOST STICK, King's (Sam)
Round 3: 1st, King's (Pete); 2nd, Pembroke (Neil)
Round 4: 1st, Pembroke (John-h); 2nd, King's (Jack)
Round 5: 1st, Pembroke (Rachel C); 2nd, King's (Alex)
Round 6: 1st, Pembroke (Naath); 2nd, King's (Sam)
Round 7: 1st, Pembroke (Dunstan); LOST STICK, King's (Pete)
Round 8: 1st, Pembroke (Rachel C); SUNK STICK, King's (Jack)
Round 9: 1st, King's (Alex); SUNK STICK, Pembroke (Neil): "I see no sticks!"
Round 10: 1st, Pembroke Kinky Stick (Roz); 2nd, King's (Sam)
TEAM ROUND (played between Rounds 5 and 6): 1st, Kings; SUNK STICK, Pembroke
The final scores were:
One woke up on Sunday morning to ideal Poohsticks weather. The sky was blue, the air was crisp. Upon arrival at Poohsticks bridge, one could have been forgiven for thinking that the river was barely moving. However, a trial round between Cpt Katie and the President proved this not to be the case. In fact, the river had assumed an ideal pace for some very close rounds indeed.
The two teams assembled around 12.30pm, Mike Ridley and his wife having already arrived and spoken to the Nice People from Anglia TV who came to film the event. Crowds of spectators gathered at the steps of the Bridge to watch the fun begin.
Rounds in this match divided themselves quite clearly into two categories: close or mysterious. In more than one round, the winner was determined only by the length of stick dropped. In Championship Rules, one does, of course, count the winning stick as that one which Fully Emerges From the Bridge First; imagine the horror on teams' faces as their stick was sighted first, only to be pipped at the post by the opposers' shorter stick which cleared the bridge more quickly! Mysterious Rounds were created by the phenomenon (previously unknown at this bridge) of the Disappearing Stick: no-body knows where they went, but somehow they vanished!
After ten rounds, the clear winners were Pembroke College Winnie-the-Pooh Society, who were presented with the Winners' Mug by the Umpire.
A great day was had by all, and this event may well be repeated...