En Garde! A Fantastic Year for DU Fencing

Durham University Fencing Club has a long-standing reputation for being one of the leading programmes in British University Sport, and is currently the #1 University Fencing Club in the country. The team train out of the purpose-built fencing salle at The Sport and Wellbeing Park, coached by lead performance coach, Laszlo Jakab. 

2022 was no outlier, with a string of top-tier performances from Durham's athletes, in both BUCS and non-BUCS competitions, to securing the reigning title of #1 BUCS point scorer for fencing, and awarded Club of the Year at the Palatinate Dinner 2022. 

The efforts of the team as a collective and as individual performers have soared strength to strength, deserving of a 2021-2022 round-up. 

BUCS Team Performances

The Men's first team were the overall winners of the 2022 BUCS National Championships for the 5th time in a row, as well as winning the BUCS Premier North League. The second team won the 2022 BUCS National Trophy for the first time ever, in addition to winning the BUCS Northern League 1. The Men's third team were awarded silver at the Northern Conference Cup, and came in second in BUCS Northern League 1 behind the second team. The trilogy of the second, third and fourth team consistently beat other universities' first teams over the season, as well as the second and third team occupying the top two positions in the highest league they can compete in. 

Individual Performances

With too many successes to go into detail on, below is a breakdown of the team's performances competing in individual events whilst representing Durham University Fencing. 

• Mike Maclennan – Bronze at BUCS Individual Men’s Epee
• Jamie Briggs – Bronze at BUCS Individual Men’s Foil
• Jacob Forey-Miller – Bronze at BUCS Individual Men’s Foil
• Lorenzo Roma – Gold at BUCS Individual Men’s Sabre
• Barney Halliwell – Silver at Senior Nationals Men’s Sabre
• Josh Waddell – Silver at Senior Nationals Men’s Wheelchair Epee
• Mike MacLennan – Bronze at the Moulton Men’s Junior Epee BRC
• Barney Halliwell – Silver at Birmingham International Open Men’s Sabre
• Ollie Nash – Gold at Paris X-Systra Men’s Foil
• Sam Wilson – Gold at the Lancaster Open Men’s Foil
• Jacob Forey-Miller – Bronze at the Lancaster Open men’s Foil
• Barney Halliwell – Silver at the Hamlet Open men’s Sabre
• Bertie Holdsworth and Darcy Holdsworth – Bronze at the Hamlet Open Men’s Sabre
• Darcy Holdsworth – Gold at Junior Nationals Men’s Sabre

Congratulations to Durham University fencing on an incredible year of performances, we wish you the best of luck for 2022-2023's academic year.