A Russell Group university cricket association has been suspended indefinitely over its initiation rituals described as “human torture”.
Cardiff University Men’s Cricket Association has been accused of shoving freshers’ heads into toilets and forcing wet socks into their mouths.
Other accusations included claims that new recruits were pressured to eat raw onions and “forced” to eat pints of beer and cider while they “drooled” and vomited from “a mixture of raw onion and alcohol.”
The incidents allegedly took place at a sports club and are said to have seen freshmen deemed “worthless”.
Cardiff University has now suspended the society as cricket practices are no longer held. It has also been claimed that the red and yellow blazers that make up the society’s uniforms are now banned.
The society has said it is shocked by the claims and is investigating the matter, but says it has yet to find any evidence that they are true.
The controversy came to light after members of various societies witnessed the appalling treatment of cricketers at an event at the Misfits nightclub.
One student who had been in the club said first-year recruits were subjected to “degrading” acts and “bullying” by “returning members of society”.
Misfits nightclub in Cardiff where fellow students were horrified by the treatment of new members of the Cardiff University Men’s Cricket Association
Another witness described it as “like watching a form of human torture”.
Fin, a student at the club, told The Cardiff Tab that the first years had to “eat raw onions” and get down on their knees in cricket whites without shoes.
Fin added that the floor was “wet and smelly”, with the new members “barefoot” and “having to put wet socks in their mouths”.
It was also reported that older students also threw pints at them.
Fin said: “One of my friends was in a guy’s way. He said, ‘sorry’ and then he had to take off his shoes and socks and then put the socks in his mouth.
The timer was then set for 10 minutes.
He added: “They didn’t enjoy it and obviously being in society means you have to do things you wouldn’t normally do, but it was just a bit too far. Like the floor was wet and smelly.
“They were barefoot and had to put wet socks in their mouths and they couldn’t even talk to the girls and if they did they got yelled at.”
He added: “Some of the cricketers looked quite uncomfortable, like snotting their drinks.”
Inside the Misfits, another student named Billie claimed that when she threw up in the toilet in her first year, an older member of the society came in and “pushed” her head into the toilet bowl.
The university has now suspended the society for the time being after it was claimed that students’ heads were forced down a toilet and forced to eat raw onions and down jackets
Billie said: “One of the boys was sick and one of the other members of the society put his head down (the toilet bowl) and held it.”
The cricket club said: “We are shocked and appalled by these allegations and are working closely with the Students’ Union to address these allegations.
“These allegations do not represent the ethos of the Cricket Club and anyone found guilty of these allegations will be punished accordingly.
“The club also wants to emphasize that these are claims, and have not yet found evidence of their accuracy.”
Misfits said: “We are not aware of any behavior such as ‘forcing a first year’s head into the Misfits toilet and flushing it for about 10 seconds’ and we do not condone such behavior in any way.
“This was not brought to our attention on the day and there was no behavior or problems with customers or staff during the day.
“The well-being of our customers and staff is a huge focus for us and as a team we spend a lot of time making sure people are safe and looked after so they can enjoy their evening safely.
– We would never allow any kind of bullying to happen at the venue.
“We have a long-standing relationship with Cardiff University Men’s Cricket Club and have been kind and respectful to our staff and the venue up until now.”
Cardiff Students’ Union said: “We are aware of the concerns raised about the conduct of members of the men’s cricket club and are working closely with the committee to review the allegations. The club has been suspended pending investigations.
‘Cardiff Students’ Union will not tolerate threatening or derogatory behavior of any kind. We expect all student clubs and societies to uphold our values of respect and inclusion at all times.
“Cardiff Students’ Union supports and trains hundreds of student group leaders each year who contribute positively to university life through safe, inclusive and engaging activities. If any activity falls below the expected standards, we take such matters seriously and deal with them in accordance with our disciplinary procedures.
Cardiff University said it condemned the alleged behavior and said: “We have zero tolerance” for initiations. Such behavior is not tolerated. We are working closely with our student union to investigate the matter and take necessary action against those involved.