ULU Fencing hosts the following competitions:

The London Team Trophy | The UL Novice Team Shield

Below are the trophies we award within the club.

The Peter Diamond Cup

The Match between London, Oxford and Cambridge Universities used to be fenced as a warm up for the Varsity match. Pitching their fencers against the might of the combined London Universities often ended in defeat and in recent years it has been agreed to fence a combined Oxbridge team for a more competitive match.

In 2004 University of London decided to formalise this annual contest with the purchase and naming of a trophy.

The cup is named after Peter Diamond, a man whose face and name may be unfamiliar but whose work is nothing short of infamous. Although he originally trained as an actor, Peter soon moved into the field of stunts and fight direction for film, television and theatre. He worked on over 1000 productions during his illustrious career, working for every film and TV Company in the UK and becoming one of Hollywood's most sought after stunt co-ordinators. He collaborated with Bob Anderson on numerous films and is responsible for some of the most memorable pieces of swashbuckling action in cinema history. Highlights of his amazing career include stunt and sword work on the Highlander films, The Princess Bride, The Mask of Zorro, The Three Musketeers, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the original Star Wars trilogy.

Sadly Peter passed away in 2004 after suffering a stroke while driving back from the set of Heartbeat, the TV series he had been associated with for 10 years.

As the man whose work first inspired many of our fencers to pick up swords we felt it a fitting tribute to name the trophy after him. And thus the Diamond Cup was born.

Bob Anderson with the Cup

The Verdon Trophy

The Verdon Trophy is an annual award presented to the highest achieving beginner of the year. All beginners who join the club are eligible. Emphasis is given to overall achievement within the club during the academic year.

The trophy was named after Peter Verdon, who rejuvinated the club as President during 2002-2003 and served as club coach from 2003 through 2009. During this period Peter inspired countless novices to fall in love with fencing thanks to his boundless enthusiasm for the sport and its history. More than just a coach, Peter's other initiatives at the club included tours of The Wallace Collection armouries and his guided visits to the sites of famous London duels.

In searching for a trophy that fully embodies the sprit of the club, Peter eventually lighted upon a Champagne bucket and thus the trophy provides a practical as well as ceremonial function.

Peter Verdon presenting the Trophy

The Izotov Cup

The Izotov Cup is an award given to the club’s best fencer over all three weapons, as decided at the club championship at the end of the Spring term.

First presented in 2007, the cup is named after Maxim Izotov, the man known to many as ‘The Mad Russian’. During his time at ULU, Maxim dominated in all three weapons and helped raise the profile of the club through a string of excellent results, including silver medals at the BUSA Individual Championships, LIUF and the Invicta Open. He was also instrumental in setting up ULU’s BUSA League teams, and the backbone of the Men’s 1sts for 3 years.

His most lasting legacy however is the competitive spirit and belief he helped instil in the club’s fencers, whether leading by example with tireless efforts on the piste or offering handy words of advice to anyone who didn’t run away. The cup stands as a challenge to all the club’s members: emulate the efforts and dedication of The Mad Russian and success will surely follow.

Max Izotov being presented with the Izotov Cup