The next chapter for Team Durham. In conversation with Peter Kennedy

By Alfie Winter and Jennifer Bailey

Team Durham has once again had a very successful year in BUCS competition. In regional finals, Durham delivered an impressive set of performances, taking home eight gold and seven silver medals in total. Furthermore, Durham had ten teams competing on the BUCS Big Wednesday, with seven sides bringing home gold medals.  

Amongst the winning clubs was our American Football team, Durham Saints, who triumphed against the University of West England 14-6. It is therefore very fitting that club president, Peter Kennedy, as a proven winner, will be taking over from Sophie Underwood as Team Durham President next year.  

Following his election last term, we were keen to learn more about Peter’s journey to Team Durham President and his vision for the future of Durham sport. So, on what was comfortably the hottest day of the year, amid Durham’s early summer heatwave, we caught up with him to find out more. 

Peter began by discussing his motivations for running for Team Durham President, and what was immediately clear was how highly he values the impact of sport on people’s university experiences: “I just love sport and I have seen how it can change people’s lives”.  

It seemed that this sporting passion stemmed from two central influences: his success with Durham Saints and his degree in Sports and Exercise Science. Remarkably, Peter hadn’t played American football before university, insisting that in Durham “most [players] haven’t”. 

In fact, Peter was a competitive swimmer before coming to Durham but simply fancied moving away from the pool to try something different. From a newbie fresher to the club’s National Championship winning president, he insisted that his time with the Saints was hugely formative.  

The journey to success, however, has not been without its challenges. Joking that his bones possess “the structural integrity of a poppadom”, he revealed that he has been unlucky when it comes to broken bones during his time playing for the Saints. So unlucky, in fact, that his coach came up with this analogy just to describe him. Despite these setbacks, the injuries Peter sustained did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for sport. 

Unsurprisingly, Peter described the Saints’ National Championship victory as his best moment in Durham sport so far, emphasising that seeing all their collective effort coming to such an incredible culmination was “simply amazing”. 

Beyond the victories, Peter stressed the off-the-pitch lessons that he learned during his presidency of the club. His greatest takeaway was the “importance of team collaboration in a big team sport like American Football” where individuals are secondary to cohesiveness and strong team mentality.  

With regards to his degree, Peter suggested that the course breadth, covering psychology, physiology and much more allowed him to realise “the impact that sport can have on people’s lives”. It is therefore no surprise that his extensive credentials earned him the role.  

A highlight of his manifesto was his passion for “advancing the capabilities of Team Durham together”. A key part of that ambition is strengthening the relationship between Team Durham and college sport. Peter described Durham’s college system as “the greatest intramural system in the country” and praised the “amazing link” that already exists between the two structures through shared players, resources and opportunities. 

He was especially enthusiastic about outreach initiatives introduced in recent years. These include opportunities for students to experience sports that may not traditionally exist at college level, referencing events such as the upcoming Water Polo tournament and his predecessor’s women’s rugby initiative. Peter described these programmes as “incredible” examples of how Team Durham can expose more students to the benefits of sport. 

Peter also emphasised his commitment to positively impacting people’s lives through sport as other Presidents have done before him. In fact, Peter was keen to praise Sophie Underwood and added how he has been inspired by her after regularly collaborating throughout the year.  

Although he is still awaiting the official handover, Peter stressed that Sophie engaged with club captains “very well this year” through regular meetings with executive members. He felt that she “showed her care for everyone’s opinions” and this is a relationship that he is committed to continuing. 

Another area Peter is keen to develop is club sponsorship. He believes many clubs have yet to fully explore sponsorship opportunities and that greater commercial support could significantly strengthen club finances. While discussions with university staff have suggested that some aspects of his proposed online sponsorship system may prove difficult to implement as planned, Peter remains committed to finding new ways to connect clubs with potential sponsors.  

Meanwhile, he is also looking to propose joint strength and conditioning resources for clubs with “similar goals and ambitions” to make sure every Team Durham club member fully benefits from a strong S&C experience. 

On a more personal note, we also asked Peter to reflect on the moment he discovered he had been elected to become Team Durham’s next president. His first thought, he revealed, was “a lot of relief” after working so hard on his manifesto. That relief then quickly gave way to excitement as he began to realise the impact he could have on Durham sport. Celebrations followed with teammates, marking the beginning of what promises to be a busy year ahead.  

When asked what students can expect from his leadership, Peter’s answer is simple: “100% effort”. Having “lived and breathed” his presidency with the Saints, he is eager to bring the same commitment to every club within Team Durham. His parents, meanwhile, were delighted by the news, even if that means another year spent some 400 miles from home, family, and his part-time job as a swimming teacher.  

For Peter, however, the decision was still an easy one to make. Having experienced first-hand the opportunities that sport can provide, he is determined to ensure that as many Durham students as possible can do the same. If his passion for sport is anything to go by, Team Durham appears to be in safe hands. 

 Images by Peter Kennedy