Sport and Recreation
Taking part in any form of physical activity or recreational pursuit not only improves your fitness but also enhances your general wellbeing.
Research shows that exercise can boost your self-esteem and improve sleep quality and energy levels, as well as helping to reduce any feelings of stress. It is also a great way to meet people and make friends.
Both Kellogg and the University offer a wide range of sports and activities to help enhance your time in Oxford.
Kellogg has obtained membership of the gym and pool at the University Sports Centre on Iffley Road, which means students, Fellows and staff can enjoy free access. Before using it, you must first complete a membership form at the gym reception. Please remember to take your University card when registering.
Whether you want to compete in the Boat Race or simply try out the sport, there are plenty of opportunities.
Kellogg College has a close affiliation with Christ Church Boat Club providing Kellogg students (both men and women) with the opportunity to row during their time at Oxford. The Rowing programme is set up with experienced international level coaches, top-quality equipment and an all-inclusive training environment, whether you are a beginner or an experienced rower.
If you are interested in rowing and have any further questions, please contact the President of Christ Church Boat Club, Jacob Williams: jacob.williams@chch.ox.ac.uk
The season is structured as follows:
During Michaelmas term we provide two separate rowing streams – a Senior Programme, which is for rowers who have previous rowing experience, and a Novice Programme for those who have never rowed before.
The Senior Programme caters for a range of experience levels, from those who have graduated from the Novice Programme the previous year, to those with international rowing experience. The Senior Squad spends this term rowing together as one group and learning the technical and physical goals our program has set. This term also offers some great external race experiences such as the Head of the Charles in Boston (USA), and the Fours Head of the River in London.
The Novice Programme is for those who have never rowed (or have had very limited rowing experience). We offer a trial period for the first 2 weeks to see if rowing is for you. In this time you will row on the indoor rowing machines, the indoor tank and on the water. As we move through the term we start to set crews for the big Novice race of the year, the Christ Church Regatta. All novices compete in this regatta against all the other college novice crews. At the conclusion of this regatta, the novice and senior programme merge together, and we move into Hilary term as one big program.
Hilary and Trinity Terms are an exciting time in the rowing year. The focus races are the Torpids regatta at the beginning of March, and Summer Eights at the end of May. For these we set Men’s and Women’s crews to race the famous bumps race against other colleges. It is a huge inter-college rivalry and a great event to be a part of.
Our season fits into the three university terms of scheduled training. We offer holiday and summer rowing for those who are in Oxford and wish to continue in the break periods. Outstanding athletes are encouraged to compete in external summer regattas during May and June.
The Christ Church/Kellogg rowing programme is set up as an inclusive program for you as a student to be a part of while managing your tough academic requirements. There is the opportunity to help you through a more elite training program for those who are looking for something more serious; equally the club caters for more social rowing experiences as well.
The partnership ensures that everyone is treated equally and as one team; all students are given equal opportunities for training, crew selection and leadership roles within the squad. It is another great way to meet people at Oxford, who are not a part of your course or college life.
The Kellogg College Cricket Club (“The Cougars”) was established in 2022 to enable Kellogg members to play and enjoy cricket on sunny days, on the various college pitches across Oxford.
The club is open to all those associated with Kellogg: students, staff, fellows, research members and alumni. All genders are welcome. The club also welcomes all abilities – including those who have never played cricket before.
The team participates in the two main University inter-college cricket tournaments: the League (a points-style tournament) and Cuppers (a knock-out style tournament). Matches take place throughout Trinity term.
Training is friendly and casual, and takes place on weekend afternoons, at University Parks, which is only a 3-minute walk from College. The training sessions are catered to all abilities, and anyone is welcome to join – even if it’s just to enjoy a warm afternoon outdoors.
If you are interested in playing cricket with the College, you can contact the team captain, Tim Fraser (timothy.fraser@kellogg.ox.ac.uk), or email the Kellogg Sports Committee at sports@kellogg.ox.ac.uk The Club can also be found on Instagram at @kellogg_cricket
Kellogg has its own football team, which plays matches in the MCR League on Saturday mornings during Michaelmas and Hilary terms. Kellogg students also participate in intercollegiate cuppers tournaments.
If you are interested in joining the Kellogg MCR Football Team, you can contact Team Captain Jonas Schöne via their Facebook group or email the Kellogg Sports Committee at sports@kellogg.ox.ac.uk
The Kellogg Tennis Team was started in 2020 to provide Kellogg College members with the opportunity to exercise and develop their tennis skills in a social and friendly environment. The club holds its own team events and organises friendly matches with other colleges. The team has participated in Cuppers (the inter-college tennis tournament) since 2021, and made it to the semi-finals in 2022.
The club welcomes players of all abilities and holds lessons for beginners as well as refreshers sessions for those wanting to build on their existing skills. There are also regular social tennis sessions for those just wanting a friendly hit or match. Training sessions are held for more experienced players in the lead up to Cuppers in Trinity Term.
If you’re interested in joining, please contact Hong-Po Hsieh at hong-po.hsieh@kellogg.ox.ac.uk
The Oxford University Club, is a sport and social club for staff, postgraduate students and alumni. Membership is free for staff and postgraduate students.
If you would like to join the Club’s gym, which offers a schedule of exercise classes, at the time of writing this costs £65 per year. For more information, including how to join, please visit www.club.ox.ac.uk.