The Edinburgh Women’s Fencing team do not lose often, but they fell hard a year ago. Their seven-year streak of winning the National Championship was broken when they lost to Durham in a tight quarter-final. This year, they are back at it in full force and are determined to reclaim their spot at the very top of British fencing. Obstacle number one — a semi-final against the University of Birmingham.
Birmingham arrive late to the match after having first gone to the wrong place — a mistake anyone who has been to St Leonards Land can relate to. The Edinburgh team has, in the meantime, warmed up by running some quick laps and throwing a ball around to fine tune their hand-eye coordination. In the neighbouring studio, we can hear the distinct thudding of gymnastics and a few stray ping pong balls bear witness to the multitude of sports practiced at St Leonards. The match finally commences with the first of many shouts of “en garde, ready, fence!”
Edinburgh are dominant in the first round, taking the ‘foil’ leg of the match with a comfortable 45-15. I learn that the scores from all three rounds are accumulated at the end, and the team with the highest total score wins the match.
Off to one side stands creative writer Jack MacGregor, gleefully watching the bouts unfold and occasionally scribbling down notes in an oversized notebook. Jack is writing a play about a complicated female fencer and uses these university competitions as a chance to act as a fly on the wall and observe fencers in their natural environment. Foil — coming soon to a Fringe near you.
After foil comes the ‘sabre’ round. Irena Waszyrowska, biochemistry student and President of the fencing club, watches her teammates narrowly lose 39-45 against a selection of skilful Birmingham fencers to the sound of slashing metal and the buzz of the scoring box. Irena has fenced for five years after being introduced to the sport through a taster session at her school.
Controlling the livestream through a tablet and muttering about inconsistent refereeing is William, a fencer in the men’s team. He recounts how the women’s team beat Oxford to reach the semis and begrudgingly admits the men’s side were cut to pieces by the same opponents. He is confident the women can reach the final and get back to their winning ways — they are the pride of Edinburgh fencing.
William knows fencing is seen by many as posh and admits the equipment and entry fees can cost a penny or two. He is adamant, however, that the people he has encountered in the sport come from all backgrounds and the niche nature of the sport fosters a tight-knit community.
As Irena prepares for the third and final ‘epee’ round, she is well aware that the magic number is twenty-two. Twenty-two touches and the team secure their spot in the decisive Loughborough final. She tries not to think about the winning number too much at the start of the round, but admits that when the scores get close, it is impossible to ignore the bigger picture. We hear the gymnasts from next door pack it up and a “five, six, seven, eight” hints at a dance troop moving in. I ask if she is feeling confident and she smiles nervously: “Not yet, but it will come.”
When Edinburgh land the vital twenty-second hit on their Birmingham opponent, the studio erupts in cheers and cries of relief. Edinburgh have managed to restore their standard of excellence and reach yet another final.
Last year’s champions Nottingham get the better of Durham in the other semi-final and will have to prepare themselves to meet a surging Edinburgh down in the Midlands. The final is on Wednesday, 25 March at 14:30 and can be watched live on the BUCS YouTube channel. I expected to go to the semis to see a round or two, but got caught up in the drama and was stuck in place for the entire match. I can guarantee anyone who tunes in to the big final will be as drawn in as I.
Image by Mark Chan for The Student.