This year's Corpus Challenge took on a new format, as the traditional clash with Corpus Christi College Oxford was cancelled. Our students were determined not to let their competitive spirit lapse, however, and rather than face their traditional rivals they organised a friendly matchup of MCR vs JCR students, which took place at Leckhampton on Sunday.

Opinions differ as to whether the highlight of the day was the nimble goalkeeping of the be-cassocked Chaplain or the reincarnation of Bene't the Bear, but it was a successful day all around. The students put on a stupendous bake sale and raised an impressive £1,600+ plus for humanitarian aid. Photos of the event can be found in this Flickr album.

MCR Social Secretary and Ethnic Minorities Officer Freddie Seghal gives us a roundup of the day:

Sunday 25 February saw the return of the newly-reconstituted Corpus Challenge at Leckhampton. This year’s Challenge was premised on the friendly, warm-hearted and thoroughly vicious rivalry between the JCR and the MCR. The two faced off in a dazzling variety of sports: the Usual Suspects of football, rugby, tennis etc. were supplemented by no-less dramatic matches of tiddlywinks and chess.

The most important feature of this year’s Challenge, however, was its accompaniment by a brilliant programme of fundraising for Oxfam’s Gaza Crisis Appeal, and JCR Ethnic Minorities Officer Ayesha Miah deserves every ounce of approbation for her efforts in putting together both the Challenge itself and the clothing sale, bake sale, raffle and ‘Sponge the Bear’* events that raised – in just one day – around £1,600 for the aforementioned cause. 

There ought also to be thanks to every member of the Challenge Subcommittee for their genuinely tireless work to this end. Many sleepless nights, prolonged meetings and breathless panics went into the organising of these events.

In recounting the 2024 Corpus Challenge, it would be remiss not to mention the hotly anticipated Fellows/Staff vs Students Football Match. This was the pièce de resistance of the day’s sporting events. Kudos go to the Revd Dr Matt Bullimore for his spirited goalkeeping on behalf of the Fellows. Matt arrived fresh from Sunday service and departed with perhaps the Anglican Communion’s muddiest cassock. Despite the steady hand of Access and Outreach Co-ordinator James Davies-Warner at the wheel of the Fellows and Staff, the Student Team, captained by Freddie Sehgal (m.2020), prevailed; the final scoreline was 4-2 in the Students favour with the brilliant Allaya Rasul (m.2023) emerging as Player of the Match.

*The ‘bear’ in question was, in fact, Corpus legend and JCR Class Act Officer Harley Chidley (m.2022).