Valiant Display from the St Andrews Medics in Dundee

The annual Scottish and Northern Irish Medical Sports tournament returned

As the great Gennaro Gattuso once said, “sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe […] not so good.” The passion for sport was well and truly on display this weekend in Dundee at the annual Scottish and Northern Irish Medics Sports (SNIMS) tournament.

The competition features medical students from each side of the Irish Sea, each taking part in a one-day tournament of sports, including rugby, hockey, football and many more. This year’s meeting was hosted by local rivals, Dundee.  

After picking up wins against Glasgow and Dundee last year, the rugby team was in high spirits going into the rugby competition. However, speaking with third-year medic, Max Morrell, revealed a sorrowful story for St Andrews’s chances of championing the SNIMS rugby trophy. 

“It was not an ideal day” for the St Andrews Medic Rugby team, Morrell told The Saint. After catastrophic injuries, the proposed fifteen-man squad were only able to field nine players, and a further two were injured during the first match. Morrell released his inner Darcey Graham, scoring the only try for Team Saints in a 24-7 loss against the host university. 

After a short trip to the Dundee hospital, the disheartened rugby players could not continue. Forfeiting their remaining fixtures, they finished just in time to watch the Scottish national team come tantalisingly close to beating the All Blacks for the first time in the afternoon.

The seven-a-side football competition was more successful for the spirited Saint Medics. After finishing top of their round robin group, there was a chance they could go all the way to the top.

Winning a penalty shootout against bitter rivals Edinburgh, the Bute footballers were knocked out by Glasgow University in the semi-final following some dubious refereeing decisions.

Captain Akhil Shaji was seething at the referee’s decision to accidentally call full time four minutes early, as well as numerous corner decisions going against the Saints. Didier Drogba’s famous outburst would be appropriate here after the Glasgow fans stormed the pitch, resulting in a failure to resume the remaining minutes of the match. 

Despite being one of the smallest (in terms of student body) universities involved in the competition, squad depth was no hindrance to St Andrews in other sports. The netball and hockey teams put on solid displays, and the tennis squad stole the headlines as they won their competition to claim SNIMS glory. 

At the end of a busy mid-term exam season for the medics, it was a great way to let off steam and socialise with their fellow future doctors. 

There is certainly unfinished business for the Bute medics at SNIMS, but they’ll have to wait until next year for the competition to return. No doubt it will be just as chaotic as this one. 

Image provided Bute Medical Society