Welcome to the West Country, home to combine harvesters, cider and chivalry. Of course, there is much more than this to our beloved city but combine the three and you may begin to appreciate the fine art of Bristolian sporting heritage. Not for the faint hearted, Bristol is notorious for being a merciless away fixture. Steeped in torrential rain, strong winds and a home crowd that if you could understand, you would wish you hadn’t. So, as the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, join them! Endearing West Country custodians are more than accommodating to the outsider and will happily drink with anyone who wears their colours and shrieks “Stone him!” every time the opposition winger touches the ball.

Ruggers:
Guinness Premiership team Bristol Rugby play at The Memorial Stadium on Filton Avenue where student tickets are available from as little as £12. The Cornish pasties are to die for and two pint cups mean you don’t have to miss a second of the action.

Footers:
The Robins (Bristol City) fly the football flag for the city at present, scaling the heights of The Championship. Last season, a single goal prevented them from giving the city a top-flight football team as they lost to Hull City in the Play-Off Final. Student tickets are available from £10. League One Bristol Rovers share The Memorial ground with Bristol Rugby at present, although there are plans for a new stadium on the site in Summer 2009. Rovers reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup last season and after some indifferent results will be looking for revenge over fierce rivals Swindon Town.

Crickers:
The County Ground, home to Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is located in Ashley Down, just off Gloucester Road. The ground that once hosted W. G. Grace, Courtney Walsh and Jack Russell is also often on the international circuit so keep an eye out for when Eng-er-land are in town.

Rowers:
Bristol has a strong rowing tradition and the Varsity Boat Race is one of the Harbourside’s many calendar highlights. Alongside the estuary also runs the infamous River Avon Trail, beautiful for a walk, run or cycle.

Runners:
The Bristol Half-Marathon runs every year in September and is a great day out for all. The course that stretches out to Shirehampton along the never-ending Portway is remarkably flat considering how undulating Bristol can be.

Bristol City Council boasts three leisure centres and five sports centres that all offer heavily reduced student membership fees and great, modern facilities. Both the universities too have their own very decent gyms.

But if none of this takes your fancy, you can always hop over to Gloucestershire for a good old bit of cheese rolling. Arrrgh!

Tom Pountney