David vs Goliath: a south coast university rivalry

Local rivalries are a curious phenomena. Born primarily out of geographical proximity, the hatred between opposing camps can verge from the jovial to the fiercely passionate. There can be other factors involved, too - factors that add extra spice to the already sizzling cauldron of dislike. Class wars. Sporting achievements. Academic pedigree. All of these contribute to the somewhat inherent nature of the standoff. And when it comes to Southampton Solent University and the University of Southampton, one can expect much of the same.

I’ve been at Solent for almost three years now and have only ever had sporadic encounters with ‘them lot up the road’. Not having been part of any University sports teams, I’ve had no personal experience of the sporting enmity between the two sides, even if friends have described the derby games as ‘unfriendly’. But I have discovered from my occasional meetings with students from the University of Southampton that there is an apathy between the two educational institutes.

It’s a rivalry so strong that nicknames have been coined by the opposing sides. Solent revel in their reference to Uni students as ‘V-Necks’ and the Uni doubtless have a similar choice nickname for Solent students. The V-Neck nickname stems from a class rivalry – the stereotypical Southampton Uni student seen to be privately educated, upper class and pompous. The belief is that Southampton Uni students look down on the Solent public - an article for their online paper Wessex Scene last year rudely described Solent students as the ‘Kaos rabble’.

However, it must be said that there certainly is a small element of an inferiority complex on the Solent side of things. Being only a recently established University, they fall under the considerable shadow of Southampton University’s long-standing reputation and accomplishment. It’s a hard old slog competing for acclaim when your neighbours are one of the most reputable universities in the country. But where Solent may fall behind in academic achievement, where else does the abhorrence come from?

Let’s examine it from a sporting perspective. Derby clashes between the two universities are the highlight of the sporting calendar. Many a Solent student has fond memories of the famous 2008 rugby varsity victory over the V-Necks – a win that sparked wild and vociferous celebrations from Solent fans in attendance. Third year student Tom Tainton has dined out on his last minute winning try in that game for almost two years now and he considers the derby to be of utmost importance to all Solent students. “It’s one of the games that everyone gets themselves up for. Beating the V-Necks is a special feeling and the players put in everything they possibly can, as I’m sure is the case across all the sports. Southampton take it just as seriously, I can assure you. I think they see losing to us as something of an embarrassment.”

But if sporting achievement is the yardstick by which bragging rights will be judged, then perhaps Southampton Uni still hold all the aces. Solent currently lie in 83rd place in the BUCS Overall Championship points table – a full 64 places behind their neighbours. The V-Necks have also enjoyed their fair share of derby success since that Varsity victory of ’08. The most recent Solent disappointment came from a rugby defeat administered by the Southampton University 3rd XV over the Solent firsts and relations were further strained by the dissolution of the previously merged American football team, the Southampton Stags. With the growing sense that the Uni are continually staring down their noses at their Solent counterparts, the rivalry isn’t set to go away anytime soon.

It’s an interesting subject. Southampton Uni is clearly the more established institution but the sense is that the power of this reputation may have gone to a few heads. The arrogant sneering of a number of their students towards Solent attendees has only served to cause further friction and their continual mocking of Solent’s recent history as an ‘institution’ and not a university is surely starting to get old. In a city that houses thousands of students there must be an element of the students being able to co-exist. I myself know some Southampton Uni students who live and socialise with Solent students. If this can be the case and the petty bickering can cease in these examples, it begs the question: why can’t we just all get along?

(Solent Speaker, 2010)