Their regular Monday night training sessions at Eclipse Cheerleading, in King Edward Court, are fast, fun and full of energy.
Club founder and president Roberta Noon started the club in 2018, when she saw the university did not have a cheerleading club.
Universities in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington all had cheerleading clubs, Miss Noon said.
‘‘There was a lot of talent down here — it was just not being used.’’
The club began with about 15 members and now there were 25 members in a beginners team and a further 10 in an advanced team.
Last year the club took two teams to Auckland to participate in the Cheer Factor 2020 competition.
Despite this being their first time competing, both teams scored.
‘‘Our beginner team placed second and our advanced team placed first.’’
The teams are training to compete at Ministry of Cheer 2021, taking place in Wellington next month.
They will also be competing at Alpine Classic 2021, in Christchurch in October, Miss Noone said.
The club was open to any student to join, regardless of skill.
‘‘We always say that you don’t really need anything because we teach everything that you need’’.
‘‘If it piques your interest then we will take you,’’ Miss Noon said.
‘‘Some of our athletes are retired gymnasts, so they already have some of the tumbling skills, and some of them are dancers.’’
Whatever skills students came with, ‘‘we will make it work’’, she said.
A good routine included stunts ‘‘which is where we throw people in the air’’ as well as acrobatic tumbling, dance, synchronised moves and, of course, music.
Routines were about two and a-half minutes of ‘‘full-on cardio craziness’’, Miss Noon said.
