On Wednesday 15 April, we hosted our annual Varsity match back on home ground at the Sports Training Village. With over 4,000 spectators from Bath and Cardiff Met, and 780 athletes competing across the day, the village was buzzing both inside and out. The weather gave us a true April experience, with sunshine, showers and even a couple of rainbows. This year was especially cruical after last years defeat which broke our winning streak and were absolutely delighted to have regained the Varsity Champion title.
Across the day, 27 fixtures took place, showcasing a wide range of sports from badminton and volleyball to water polo, wheelchair basketball, and rugby. The event provided an true celebration of sport, brought together with energetic dance and cheer performances. The level of sporting talent on display was impressive throughout, with several closely contested matches creating an electric atmosphere among spectators. The final score saw Bath win with a 84 - 46 victory over Cardiff Met, with Bath confirmed as overall winners even before the final fixtures got underway.
View the full results View the full fixtures
One of the standout moments of the day was the much‑anticipated Mascot Race, where Duck Norris went head‑to‑head with Archie the Archer. This year, Duck Norris clearly had a point to prove after last years defeat and nothing was going to stop him reaching the finish line first. He sped to victory in front of a packed crowd of blue and gold during the athletics leaving Archie lagging behind with no puff left.
Spectators soaked up the action with a cider in hand, watching on our huge outdoor screen in the Fan Zone, a brand‑new addition for this year. We also had vending machines this year so students could pour their own drinks, there are likely to be some sore heads today!
Huge thanks to Bath Student Media, who were out in force capturing all the action and keeping the crowds entertained. CampusTV streamed matches live which you can watch back below, while BathTime provided live blogging throughout the day. URB added to the atmosphere with DJs and commentators throughout the event. It was a real collective effort that added so much to the day. Thank you to everyone involved, both in the planning stages and on the day itself!
Read the Live BathTime Blog
Watch the CampusTV live steams
Cardiff Met TV
Cardiff Met also provided a contiounous live stream, following games live and reporting back from the studio in Cardiff.
We’d like to take a moment to thank all of our incredible student volunteers who supported the event. As always, we couldn’t do it without you. Particular thanks go to Backstage, who work tirelessly to provide all the sound, lighting, power and more.
We’re so proud of all our athletes who gave it their all, as well as our incredible performers - Bath Jets, Salsa, Dance Soc and Burban Dance Society who kept the crowd entertained throughout the day.
Finally, a huge thank you to all the staff at The SU and at Cardiff Met who work so hard to bring events like this together, and to the team at the Sports Training Village for working with us to make the event possible, so much work goes into an event like this and we're so thankful. We can't wait for the next one!
View photos on Facebook
We will be continually adding photos as they come in over the next few days on our Facebook Page so keep an eye out!
Varsity 2026 - Over and out!