Sports, Arts and Recreation
Taking part in any form of physical, creative or recreational activity is good for your brain, your body and your general well-being.
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.
Early morning row on the river
Kellogg is highly supportive of students who seek to enrich their experience here by undertaking sporting or recreational activities beyond their academic curriculum. Many students participate in intercollegiate cuppers tournaments in a range of individual and team disciplines throughout the year, and through both the College and the University you can find many opportunities to take part in your favourite sport or form of exercise.
Students enjoy a creative break in the garden with Artist in Residence, Joy Richardson
If you feel like a more relaxing recreational activity, there is a croquet set stored at Reception which is available for student use, and a College punt, kept on the river at the Cherwell Boathouse. And if music, literature or the arts are more your thing to relax and have fun, you’ll find plenty of options to enjoy those at Kellogg too.
We offer some financial support to help students cover the costs associated with membership of University sports teams, alongside funding for sports equipment purchases for use by Kellogg students. We also encourage students to set up their own teams and societies and can offer financial help towards this. Applications for funds are made to the Sports and Recreation Committee.
Contact sports@kellogg.ox.ac.uk to find out more about any of the opportunities listed below.
Sport at Oxford University caters for a wide range of abilities, from beginner to elite, part time and full time. There are over 85 recognised University-wide sports clubs for you to join in addition to College clubs and teams. The larger, more established clubs will most regularly recruit members with prior experience and conduct trials at the beginning of Michaelmas term; however, many clubs are open to all members of the University. Further details on specific clubs and Oxford sport in general can be found online, using the Oxford University sport website: www.sport.ox.ac.uk
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.
The University Club, is a sport and social club for staff, postgraduate students and alumni. Membership is free for staff and postgraduate students.
The gym at the University Club (which is separate from the University’s Iffley Road Sports Centre) has recently been renovated and now boasts a collection of new machines, providing you with a top-notch fitness experience. For more information, including how to join, please visit gym and sports at the University Club.
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.
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.
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.
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.
College members may make use of the College punt moored at the Cherwell Boat House free of charge! It is available for bookings from April to mid-October.
For full details and booking information, see our College punt webpage.
The College has a grand piano, which has a rich tone, available in the Dining Hall for use by College members. For more information about using the grand piano, please contact Reception, enquiries@kellogg.ox.ac.uk.
Through our Artist in Residence programme, we have brought internationally renowned artists, writers and directors into College to meet with students, share their talents and encourage creativity. Artists in Residence currently include Kenneth Lonergan, Brian Cox and Joy Richardson.
The Oxford Players, a drama club established by a Kellogg student gave its first performance in Trinity Term 2025, and a new College choir is set to launch in Michaelmas Term 2025.
We are delighted to be a higher education partner in the Royal Literary Fund Fellowship scheme, which brings talented professional writers into College to support our students in developing their writing skills. The principal aim of the Fellow’s work is to foster good writing practice across all disciplines. Meet our Writers in Residence.
We also create many opportunities for students to explore and develop their writing skills through the Centre for Creative Writing, which convenes regular seminars and facilitates the annual Creative Writing Competition for Kellogg students.
The Short Book Book Club is an informal and friendly book club that meets once a term, in 9th Week, to discuss books which are all under 200 pages in length. The Book Club also meets at the end of the Summer Long Vacation to discuss a longer book enjoyed over the holiday. All members are welcome to join in.