Edinburgh University Orienteering club have honoured their 60th anniversary by welcoming current members and alumni to a weekend full of celebrations.
Recognised as the most accomplished university orienteering club in the United Kingdom, EUOC has a rich history of culture and success.
As the club approaches its 60th birthday, EUOC alumni organisation Auld Reekie Orienteering Society (AROS) hosted a weekend packed with social activities that over 80 people attended.
Friday night saw a football spectacle at Peffermill Playing Fields where EUOC faced AROS in a competitive 11 a-side match with EUOC taking a 2-1 win.
EUOC member Frank Townley’s match report highlighted his stand out moment of the game.
He said: “We were just clinging on. But then I was so happy to witness an Adel Taarabt esque wonder goal from Thomas (EUOC), going past 3 bodies and sticking it in the bottom corner. Very much against the run of play, sublime.”
Townley described EUOC’s elation to take a 3rd win against AROS despite the mismatch of numbers on the bench.
On Saturday, AROS hosted a 2×2 orienteering relay race which was won by a mixed EUOC and AROS team of Joel Atkinson and Sam Leitch.
The excitement of the relay was followed by a formal celebration at the Playfair Library with food, speeches, and a quiz about the club’s history.
Current EUOC captain Euan Tryner enjoyed the celebrations alongside his current and former teammates, as well as senior alumni who inspired the generations that followed.
He said: “Captaining EUOC is a real honour. The list of previous club captains is a list of legends. It also comes with the responsibility to preserve the club for future generations and ensure its legacy continues to grow.”
The club’s foundation remains strong, with club activity and member involvement developing each year.
The current captain said: “EUOC’s history makes the job easy for me because the club has been so well established and well run by previous members.”
Tryner recognises the importance of the AROS and how alumni involvement reinforces the strength of the culture that EUOC has developed over the years.
He said: “In the past couple of years AROS have really expanded their activities and recent graduates continue to support the organisation of EUOC activities. It is also great to see AROS representation in relay teams at major competitions.”
The rich 60-year history of EUOC success is set to continue as the club looks to extend their 11-year undefeated streak at BUCS, and top podiums across national competitions.
