The annual Blues Awards took place on Wednesday 1 May 2024 at the Pump Rooms. This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Blues Awards.
Please click here to view the 2024 Blues Award booklet and you can view some individual photos taken when they're available on the night by checking out The SU Bath Facebook Page
It was a truly wonderful evening celebrating sporting achievements across the year and an amazing chance to recognise how much talent we have here at Bath.
Sport Officer Abbie proudly commented that, ‘to emphasise the scale of student sport, this year saw our biggest membership yet with over 8,300 total affiliations to sports clubs, and a further 1,200 students participating in our free social and recreational activities within the Students' Union. As I am sure you will agree, these are impressive numbers and just shows the strength and value of the sporting offer across all audiences.’
The night began with a drink's reception and a chance for students to mingle together before moving onto the awards ceremony.
Winners
The night began with the Ribbon Award, which is awarded to students who have consistently represented the University over a two or three year period. This was awarded to Melody Batt, Jamie Cubitt, Erin Goodchild, Ellie Linton (Cheerleading) and Vincent Cavailhes, Jesse Doorgeest and Axel Slijepcevic (Motorsports).
The Colour Award is given to students who have consistently represented the University of a two or three year period in BUCS sport. This was awarded to:
George Craven, Hassan Hammad (American Football), Isabella Fry, Rachel Stevens (Association Football and Futsal), Adam Shephard (Badminton), Torin Jenkins (Basketball), Kai Pheasant, Brennan Sykes, Emma Wilkes (Climbing), Ned Dreamer (Fencing), Will Lancaster (Golf), George Adshead, Ellie Allsop, Charly Archer, Lily Badaway, Rory Brown, Tom Chamberlain, Elliot Clarke, Alyssia Dockerty, Anna Doherty, James Edwards, Alicia Fairman, Zoe Fassone, Rosie Firth, Katie Foster, Thomas Gilmour, Ella Godfrey, Sara Gotham-Pardo, Sam Highman, Oliver Hill, Dylan Holland, Ruby Jarman, James Lander, Sam Mackenzie, Oliver Mcarthur, Saty Mishra, Anna Padt, Will Quirk, Scott Reed, Alexander Renwick, Howard Richards, Olivia Smith, Zac Stickland, Emilia Thomlinson, Tabitha Tinniswood, Edward Tomlinson, Alex Weaver, Liam White, Annie Wilson (Hockey), Farouk Attia, Adam Deaney, Arya Mukherjee, Maria Petrou (Karate), Emily Cole, Larissa Gaunt, Katerina Daniela Goold, Benedict Hall, Thomas Hills, Louise Kiely, Ellie Livingstone, James Parret (Lacrosse), Molly Robb (Netball), Thomas Berry, Anya Cooper, Lucy Dodd, Dominic Goulder-Perks, Megan Hance, Gabriela Louro, Mairead McErlean, Bethan Thomas, Abbie Watkin (Rugby Union), Jake Crawshaw, Mert Sark, Daniel Watkinson (Table Tennis), Dominique-Lea Bonelli-Bean, Nia Cameron, Jisoo Kim, Yuen Yau Jovia Leung, Moniqa Nielsen, Rudolf Peli, Paul Soelinger (Volleyball).
The Honorary Colour awards are given to students who have made a valuable contribution to the administration and development of a sport or recreation in the University or British Universities, either within a club or SU Sport as a whole. This was awarded to:
Megan Goff, Hayden Morris (Association Football and Futsal), Adam Shepherd (Badminton), Kyra Trinity Kentopp (Basketball), Luca Volentir (Fencing), Ellie Allsop, Luke Cunningham, Liam White (Hockey), Axel Slijepcevic (Motorsports), Max Covill, John Taylor, Mairead McErlean (Rugby Union), Jasmine Dean, Jisoo Kim, Camille Kok, Helin Ozer (Volleyball).
The Half Blue is awarded to students with junior international representation or podium finishes in BUCS while competing for a University first team. This was awarded to:
MCarys Batiste, Cara Collins, Harry Jones (Badminton), Will Lancaster, Kobe Wesson (Golf), Alex Jenkins, Adam Vosper (Judo), Isabella Sale (Lacrosse), Poppy Tydeman (Netball), Lewis Blakeborough, Ismail Hussain, Sam Slocombe (Taekwondo), Emils Limanans, Alexander Mosey, Fletcher Stevenson (Water Polo).
Full Blues are awarded to students who have competed for a University 1st team for two years along with two years’ representation at international level. This was awarded to:
Justin Davies (Athletics) - Justin has progressed consistently throughout his time at the University. Justin holds a deep passion for the athletics team. To demonstrate this, he was kit secretary last year, and this year he is the Male Track & Field Captain.
Justin has been running since he was young, and he experienced success before starting university. This includes earning a silver medal at the English Schools’ Championships. Since he joined the University of Bath, he has medalled at BUCS three times, represented Great Britain twice, earned a World Student Championships silver medal, become the England 800m Champion, and earned a bronze medal at the British Indoor Championships.
Louise Sadler (Fencing) - Louise has represented the Women’s 1 Fencing Team for BUCS during the second (2021/22) and fourth year (2023/24) of her degree.
She has been selected for Senior internationals and represented GB at 6 World Cups with a season’s best in Switzerland in March 2022 with 32nd. Louise took bronze at the Welsh National Championships and team gold and was selected to represent Wales at the 2022 Commonwealths. During her year abroad, Louise competed for GB, coming 32nd in Switzerland in October 2022 and two other Senior World Cups. This year, Louise is reigning British U23 Champion and 2x British National Team Champion (2022 & 23). In October, Louise represented GB in the European Cup of Club Champions, where the team came 12th. She represented GB on the U23 European circuit and fenced for Wales in the 2023 Senior Five Nations.
Nat O’Dwyer (Hockey) – In his 4 years at Bath Nat has been an integral part of the 1st XI Hockey team and prides himself on leading by example but also supporting his team mates to succeed too. This year, Nat and the team secured some impressive victories in the National BUCS league and narrowly missed out on securing a national semi-final place!
Away from University, Nat is proud to represent Wales Hockey and his list of achievements include representing Wales at Futures Cup, u18 level, u19 level, u21 Level and u23 Level, securing a bronze medal at the European II u21 tournament in Czech. Further international recognition includes test matches against Scotland U23’s and England U23’s, as well as Canada U23's, all taking place prior to the U21 European Championships. At the U21 European Championships, Nat and his team secured a commendable 3rd place finish to secure a bronze medal.
Sophie Kelly (Netball) - This is Sophie’s second year being part of the Netball 1st team and most often the starting player at GA. Last year the team reached the final of BUCS, playing against Loughborough in the final on Big BUCS Wednesday, and they finished 2nd. This season they have finished 2nd in the Southern Premier League. Sophie is a dedicated BUCS athlete and plays as many games as they can alongside other playing commitments.
Sophie is currently in her 2nd Super League season with the Team Bath SL netball squad where she has been named in the SL team of the week twice. This year Sophie represented England U21 at the Europe Netball Championships where the team won gold, and she gained 3 more international caps after playing against Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Currently Sophie has 10 U17 and U21 England caps after playing in a U17 Europe netball championship and two U21 Europe Netball championships, where the team won gold and were unbeaten in all competitions.
Hannah Passmore (Netball) - Hannah's impressive netball journey includes representing England at the U21 level, leading her university squad as 1st team captain, and excelling at the Superleague level for the past five years, helping Bath secure 2nd and 3rd place finishes as well as securing a starting seven position at Cardiff Dragons.
Hannah's illustrious career includes representing England at the U21 level against formidable opponents such as Wales and Scotland. Additionally, her role as 1st team captain for the university squad has shown her outstanding leadership qualities, guiding her teammates with passion and integrity all the way to the semi-finals. Moreover, Hannah's performance at the Superleague level over the past five years is a testament to her unwavering commitment and relentless pursuit of excellence. She has continued to push herself to new heights, earning herself a starting seven place in her new team at Cardiff Dragons, but having also contributed to Bath's commendable finishes at 2nd and 3rd.
Jayda Pechova (Netball) - In her early days at the University of Bath, Jayda embarked on a remarkable journey by enrolling in the esteemed Future Roses Programme. This decision propelled her into the realm of international netball, where she proudly represented England in the prestigious Fast5 World Championship. Simultaneously, she showcased her talents as a formidable member of the 1st team in BUCS 1, achieving a commendable second-place finish. Her prowess extended to the Superleague, where she made significant contributions to Team Bath, leaving a lasting impact on the squad.
After re-signing, she continued to elevate Team Bath in the Superleague, solidifying her position as a key player. Her exceptional skills earned her selection for the esteemed Full Roses Programme, leading to notable appearances in the New Zealand Series. She further distinguished herself during the South Africa Series, playing a pivotal role in securing victories for her team.
Cameron Brooker (Swimming) - Cam joined the University of Bath and the ‘Elite’ Bath Performance Centre for swimming as British National Junior Champion in the 200m Backstroke. Since joining the University, Cam’s swimming career has excelled. He made multiple finals at the Olympic Trials in April 2021 and subsequently was selected for UK Sports ‘World Class Programme’. At the British Championships (2023) he was selected for his first Senior GB team at the World Aquatics Championships, whilst juggling the difficult academic demands of 3rd year Mechanical Engineering, and subsequently the European Short Course Championships where he placed 6th in December of 2023.
During his time at university, he has shown the upmost commitment to university teams - having represented the BUCS team at every possible Short Course and Long Course BUCS tournament - amassing a total of 21 medals for the University across these competitions. This feat includes 4 individual national titles, 3 of which were at the recent ‘Short Course Championships 2023/24’, where he went on to win 4 more medals (2 silver & 2 bronze) to medal 7 times out of 7 events.
Leah Crisp (Swimming) - Leah joined the university and British swimming performance centre in 2020 to study economics and mathematics and continue to build on her successful junior swimming career, hoping to break into the senior international scene. In her 3rd year Leah began to make strides towards her goals, achieving her first personal bests in the pool at the 2022 BUCS short course nationals, alongside winning a gold and 2 silvers and breaking a BUCS record in the 800m freestyle.
In March 2023 she competed in her first senior 10km race at a European cup, finishing 14th. She then built on this and qualified to represent Great Britain at the 2023 World Aquatics championships in July 2023. That summer she finished 24th at the World championships, just 4 months after her first senior international open water race. In December she then qualified to represent Great Britain at her second world aquatics championships being held in February 2024, with this race doubling up as the Olympics qualifier, with everyone competing to get their nation a quota spot to race in the 10km marathon swim at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In that high stakes race she produced her best performance yet, finished 17th and only 23 seconds behind the winner after almost 2 hours of racing. This was enough to secure Great Britain the continental quota spot for the Olympics, qualifying Leah for her first Olympic games.
Sebastian Hart (Ultimate Frisbee) - Throughout his time at the University of Bath, Sebastian has made sure to dedicate a large amount of his time to developing the Ultimate Frisbee Club. He became the men's captain in his second year and led the Men’s 1 through a successful season that saw them finish in the Top 8 teams at outdoor nationals, winning indoor regionals and attending the indoor nationals. In his final year he was successfully nominated as coach and has continued to spend large amounts of time helping to coach players completely new to the sport into confident players, as well as also playing for the Men’s 1 winning the BUCS league and finishing 4th in indoor nationals.
Separately Sebastian has been involved in high-level competitive ultimate in the club and GB setups. He competed for the Great Britain Under-24 Men’s team at the 2023 World Under-24 Ultimate Championships. He also played Senior Club Ultimate at one of the highest ranked clubs in Europe travelling to play tournaments around Europe and recently won the UK national championships and competed at the European Club championships, finishing the top 6 clubs in Europe.
Honorary Blue is awarded to any person who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of University Sport or who has medalled at a World Championships, World Cups or Commonwealth Games and uses the University of Bath as their main training base. This was awarded to:
Charlie Brown (Modern Pentathlon) - Sports Management and Coaching student Charlie has been training and studying at the University of Bath since September 2021, when he first joined the elite Pentathlon GB squad at their National Training Centre. He won mixed relay gold at the Junior World Championships the following year before enjoying a breakthrough season on the senior circuit in 2023.
He teamed up with Kerenza Bryson to win mixed relay gold in only his third World Cup, then won men’s team gold with Joe Choong and Myles Pillage at June’s European Games in Poland. Charlie was also selected in the Pentathlon GB squad for the ‘home’ UIPM Pentathlon World Championships at the University of Bath in August, where he reached the men’s final and won men’s team silver with Choong and Pillage. Supported by the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS), Charlie has deferred the final year of his Sports Management and Coaching degree as he bids to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Kerenza Bryson (Modern Pentathlon) - Kerenza earned Team GB a quota place for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games when she won a brilliant bronze in the women’s final at the 2023 UIPM Pentathlon World Championships, staged at the University of Bath. She also won women’s team silver with Olivia Green and Jess Varley. It was the second time Kerenza had won a medal while competing on home turf at Bath, having claimed mixed relay gold with Myles Pillage at the 2019 European Championships.
Kerenza, enjoyed an excellent season during 2023 and placed in the top six in every international competition she entered. This included double gold at the UIPM World Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria where she won the women’s individual race and the mixed relay with Charlie Brown.
Jamie Cubitt (SU Sport Exec) - Jamie picked up cheerleading during his first year at university having attended a taster session and subsequently attending try-outs where he was selected for the Level 2 Cyclone squad. Since then, Jamie has competed at Uni National Competitions as part of both the Cyclone and Group Stunt teams.
Jamie has also held the position of Exec Treasurer on the Sports Exec Committee for the academic years 22/23 & 23/24. In this capacity, he has attended monthly Sports Exec Committee meetings supporting the Sports Officer and SU Sport Team, voicing the views of sports clubs. Every week during semester time for the last two years he has visited the SU Activities Office to approve all 52 club's expenditure as well as going in outside of his regular slot for urgent authorisations.
He has assisted the SU Sports team with the running of Rugby at the Rec, wearing mascot costume (Duck Norris) in the half term competition (22/23) and the following year with the prize giveaway. He has also been the mascot at Varsity 22/23 and Freshers Week Sports Day. Both years he helped the SU on the SU Sport stand at the FW Sport Day, assisting freshers with general SU Sport questions and signposting them to the right clubs of interest.
Robert Preston (SU Sport Exec) - Rob has been elected for two years on the SU Sport Executive committee supporting the SU Sport staff as well as the Sport Officer in their duties to represent students. He has voiced the views of the student body in monthly committee meetings in which they make decisions about the direction about sport at Bath. Each week for two years he has had a set slot to go into the SU Activities Office and do approvals for all the Sports clubs in the SU. Rob endeavours to ensure a smooth process both on the side of clubs and the Finance Team and therefore often go in on an ad hoc basis or answer queries and approvals out of hours.
As part of his role on Exec in 21-22 and this year (23-24) he has helped with: the organisation and sourcing of inflatables for Varsity, supported the SU Sport team on the day of Varsity, assisted with the planning and running of Snowball, attended the Sports fair during fresher’s week to be on the information point, helped organise Speed Dating for sport and refereed an interhalls football event. Alongside SU staff, he has had input into new procedures for payment approvals to aid the Finance team better track spending and ensure that clubs are following budgets.
Kate Shortman (Artistic Swimming)- Artistic swimmer Kate began studying International Management and Modern Languages at the University of Bath a month after representing Team GB at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. She is supported by a Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholarship.
During the past 12 months she has made history for British Swimming at successive World Aquatics Championships. At the 2023 event in Japan, Kate became the first-ever British artistic swimmer to win a World Championships medal when she claimed bronze in the Women’s Solo Free discipline.
The 2024 competition in Doha saw Kate and partner Izzy Thorpe win silver in the Women’s Duet Technical – Britain’s first-ever World Championships medal in a Duet event. They followed that up three days later with bronze in the Duet Free discipline, securing qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Louis Treays (Touch Rugby) - As a key player in the first team during the 2021-2022 University Touch Championship, Louis showcased his exceptional skills, contributing significantly to Bath's overall victory. Demonstrating both talent and dedication, Louis continues to represent the University first team in the ongoing 2023-2024 season, serving as a role model and coach.
Beyond university competitions, Louis has proudly represented England on the international stage, achieving gold medals at the European Championships in 2022 and 2023. His outstanding performance and leadership qualities were further highlighted when he captained the team during the 2023 European Championship. Louis' contributions extend to the global arena, having competed for England in 2023 during their tour to Australia and currently preparing for the prestigious 2024 Touch World Cup hosted in Nottingham.
Louis' impressive track record includes multiple appearances at the National level, representing his region with distinction and securing silver and gold medals in successive years (2021, 2022, 2023).
Ian White (Services to Sport) - Throughout his five years as Vice Chancellor, Ian has been a constant and enthusiastic champion and advocate for the importance of sport at the University in all its aspects. He has celebrated the myriad achievements of student athletes and written numerous letters of congratulations to those who have achieved at national or international level. He is equally passionate about students enjoying an active lifestyle and regularly highlights the impressive level of student sporting engagement at the University and the benefits in terms of health and engagement that this brings.
During his tenure, he has guided two significant projects to achieve formal approval, namely a £4m plus investment to develop a 3G pitch and multi-use games area on campus and a £2m refurbishment of the Sulis Club which will significantly improve student and community experience on that site. Both projects have been desired and worked on by Student Officers, The SU and DSDR staff over many years but have only come to fruition thanks to Ian’s leadership and advocacy.
These two major projects will provide a fitting sporting legacy for Ian and, together with his passion for student sport at all levels, make him a thoroughly deserving recipient of an Honorary Blue.
The Gethin John Bevan Club Member of the Year acknowledges that SU Sports clubs would not function without a substantial input from student volunteers. This year’s winner was:
Luke Cunningham - Luke has been without doubt the most dedicated, committed, and hard-working Chair the club has seen in recent years. His passion for the sport, participation, social activity, and charity has seen him thrive in the role. He has taken feedback from all members, coaches and captains and put all his efforts into improving the experience of each one of the 312 hockey members.
Examples of his brilliant leadership this year include his determination to add a 7th Ladies team and a Bath Active session, the recruitment of a new M2s coach, the introduction of Open Pre-Season in September and the organisation of the Showcase matches against Loughborough and the upcoming Derby Day against Bristol. On top of this, Luke has been instrumental in progressing club culture and making socials more inclusive.
The SU Sport Volunteer Coach of the Year recognises the significant impact to sport made through coaching by student volunteers. It recognises that such volunteers give a substantial amount of time to improve the coaching provisions within their clubs. This year’s award recognised Briony Smith, from Association Football and Futsal.
Briony Smith - Briony has committed herself wholeheartedly to the development of women's football at the university while simultaneously pursuing her full-time degree. Briony has strived to make a significant impact on the university's sporting landscape through coaching the Women's 3s Football Team. Despite the demanding nature of academic pursuits, Briony has consistently dedicated a substantial amount of time to coaching the team. Coaching at least twice a week, with additional time devoted to game arrangements and individual player development.
Briony’s dedication, achievements, and ongoing commitment to personal and professional development epitomise the qualities sought after for the Volunteer Coach of the Year Award, particularly in the context of her contributions to the Women's 3s Football Team.
The David VandeLinde Prize recognises sporting accomplishment, leadership and academic success. This year’s winner was Rory Brown, from Hockey.
Rory Brown - Rory has had an incredibly successful 3 years in the University of Bath Men's 1st XI, culminating in being made Captain in this, his final year. With age group representation with Ireland to his name, Rory's knowledge and experience has been extremely valuable throughout his time with the squad, but particularly in his leadership role. He has a brilliantly positive influence on all those who cross his path. He is a competitor, fierce and passionate and astute on the pitch. He also plays with intelligence, is an outstanding communicator and reads the game superbly, all qualities of a truly excellent player.
Rory has done all this outstanding work while balancing his full-time undergraduate studies. He is on-track to secure a 1st class degree in Management, having completed a highly competitive placement in the automobile industry.
He has had a positive influence on all who come across him, has led the team by example throughout, and made a genuinely huge impact on hockey at Bath, all while managing and flourishing in his academic studies.
The Martyn Hedges Award is the highest accolade that is awarded by the University of Bath Blues Committee and the recipient must have demonstrated more than simply aptitude at a given sport. It is presented in memory of the original Sports Scholar at Bath, Martyn Hedges, who was an exceptionally talented Canoeist at the University from 1976 to 1982. His list of achievements is remarkable yet does not reflect his value to the University. He was totally dedicated to the Canoe Club, even following his graduation. He was selected to represent Great Britain at the Barcelona Olympics but was tragically killed in a car accident shortly before departure. This award is made to those who have made a significant contribution to furthering the progress of others within their sport over a period of time. They will have excellent knowledge of their sport and will probably have reached a recognised level as a player or coach. It recognises outstanding individuals whose commitment and enthusiasm has been exceptional. This year’s winner are Caroline Searle and Bryn Vaile.
Caroline Searle and Bryn Vaile - Caroline and Bryn have made outstanding contributions to the sporting landscape and environment at Bath over many decades, helping to create the facilities and services that the University proudly offers today.
Caroline, an alumna of the University who won a Full Blue for Tennis, founded Matchtight Ltd in 1992. Bryn Vaile, an Olympic Gold medallist in Sailing from the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, joined in 1993 and they returned to Bath in 1996 to take on the contract for the Department of Sports Development and Recreation's marketing, communications and press office, a role they served with distinction through to their semi-retirement in 2022.
Their collective knowledge and experience of sport and major events contributed to the University hosting the Youth Olympics, the creation of the Team Bath brand, the successful bid for Lottery funding and subsequent building of the Sports Training Village, the creation and successes of the Super League Netball programme, National Governing Bodies choosing Bath as their base for performance training, the hosting of the European and World Modern Pentathlon Championships, and thousands of students accessing and benefiting from sport and physical activity over the years.
The impact on sport at Bath that Caroline and Bryn had over a quarter of a century of dedicated and passionate service has been fundamental to Bath’s position today as a leading environment for student sport, a UK Sport-accredited Elite Training Centre, and a beacon of activity to the South-West community.
The BUCS Team of the Year Award is only open to the 1st team of any sport and will be presented purely on the level of performance and achievement during the season.
Mixed Golf 1st Team – 1st Place -The BUCS Golf 1st Team made history by reaching the BUCS National Finals for the first time ever in the university's golfing history in late April of 2023. This remarkable feat demonstrates the excellent talent, dedication, and teamwork within the team.
In the 2023/2024 BUCS league, the team have aimed to replicate last year’s pioneering performance. Despite losing many of last year's squad, the team have rallied to better their previous best points tally, finishing tied 1st in the Premiership South league and earning yet another National Finals appearance for the second year running.
The team's dedication to excellence and their hunger for success is evident with excellent standards shown in both training and away from the golf course. They embody the spirit of sportsmanship and competition in all matches, making them deserving candidates for the Team of the Year award.
Men’s Water Polo 1st Team – 2nd Place - Throughout the season, the team remained steadfast, consisting of a mix of first-year, second year, and final-year players, all united in their pursuit of league victory. Despite a disheartening loss in the opening game, the team rallied, embarking on a remarkable nine-game winning streak and achieving one of their most impressive goal differentials in recent memory.
While falling short of the league title is disappointing, securing nine wins out of ten matches and amassing a goal difference of 83 would typically ensure championship glory
Men’s Football 1st Team – 3rd Place - The men’s football first team have had a strong year. Unbeaten at home and only suffering two defeats in the league. They have a strong group of players who perform on and off the pitch maintaining high standards, representing the club and the university extremely well.
Having won BUCS south last year and finishing 3rd this year whilst also getting through to the quarter finals, the men’s football first team largely goes under the radar. They are an exceptional group of players who are great representatives of the whole club.
The Club of the Year award recognises the success and substantial achievements clubs can attain when they function effectively as a whole. For the first time, the award this year was presented with a cash prize- 1st place was awarded £1000, 2nd place was awarded £500 and 3rd place was awarded £250.
Hockey Club – 1st Place -With over 300 members across 8 BUCS teams, 5 Rec teams, 2 Mixed Teams, Hockey is always a club with a brilliant atmosphere.
This year has seen immense success on the pitch for the Hockey Club, with at least 2 promotions (at the time of writing), courtesy of the awesome Ladies 2's and Ladies 4's, as well as 6 ongoing cup runs, ranging from both the 1st teams down to the Ladies 5s! As well as these big wins, with goals and celebrations aplenty, Hockey have hugely increased the levels of participation and quality of coaching this year, thanks to a superb team of volunteers in Captaincy, Coaching and Committee roles. The introduction of a 7th Ladies team and a new Bath Active beginner's session prove the popularity of the club and the interest in joining the fun!
Equally, the club has had a tremendous year off the pitch. Socials have been more inclusive, fun, and better attended than ever, and you are sure to see a huge Hockey turnout at the SU's Score event almost every week. The Showcase matches against Loughborough were a major highlight, in collaboration with CampusTV, URB and Cheerleading. Fundraising efforts, and in particular the Movember campaign which saw Hockey raise over £2500 also stand out as a factor that has made this year such a special one for the Hockey club!
Rugby Union Club – 2nd Place- The Rugby Union Club has had one if it's most successful years to date. For a second year running, the Women's 1st XV finished top of their league, winning every game. In addition, the Men's 2nd XV finished 2nd in the league, which is their highest position ever in Premier 1 South. Further successes across the club included the Men's 3rd XV staying unbeaten until February and the Men's 1st XV with an almighty victory over Cardiff Met at the Rec in front of 7000 spectators.
The Rugby Club went above and beyond all expectations for Movember this year, raising over £16,000, which is more than the whole University has ever raised and placed them 6th in the country for sports clubs. The month was filled with fantastic fundraising events, from a Movember Ball to a charity rugby match against Bath Spa. They were able to impress the university with a 60-hour continuous cycle on the parade, raising several thousand pounds alone. Most importantly, and appreciated by the wider community, they produced several clips of members of the club opening up about their experiences of mental health, it was a touching tribute to a phenomenal movement and reached an enormous audience across social media.
It has been an outstanding year for the rugby club, with huge successes on and off the pitch - full credit must go to the commitment, hard work and dedication of the committee.
Netball Club – 3rd Place- The netball club has a community of over 300 members this season and is working hard to continue finding ways to increase performance and participation to be inclusive to as many students at the university as possible.
The club hosts 4 BUCS teams, competing in, and consistently dominating the Premier, Wester Tier 1 and Western Tier 2 divisions. These BUCS teams also take part in the Western Conference Cup, National Trophy, and National Championships, with the 1st and 2nd teams both making the finals on Big BUCS Wednesday last season and hoping to replicate that this year.
The club has both several international and Superleague representatives, in addition to many students representing Team Bath in the National Performance League. The 2023/24 season saw the creation of 2 new competitive teams, the Bath Tubs, and Bath Ducks who now compete in the Moonraker League based in Devises.
Many of the netball club members are a part of the recreational side of the club which runs every Sunday afternoon. The sessions are led to encourage those who may have not engaged in sport since leaving school to get involved and play netball, with several fun games and regular opportunities to meet new students. The 2023/24 season has also seen the introduction of friendly recreational matches against other universities which has been a great success.
Sports Personality of the Year is an award that recognises a student who has contributed significantly to student sport during their time at University, and encapsulates the spirit of University sport. ‘Positive contribution’ may take many forms, including performance, service, and participation. Candidates may have achieved outstanding levels of performance, represented the University in a number of sports, or had significant input into a team, both on and off the pitch. This was awarded to Jamie Cubitt.
Jamie Cubitt -Jamie picked up cheerleading during his first year at university where he was selected for the Level 2 Cyclone squad. Since then, Jamie has competed at Uni National Competitions as part of both the Cyclone and Group Stunt teams. Jamie has held the position of Exec Treasurer on the Sports Exec Committee for the academic years 22/23 & 23/24. Attending Sports Exec meetings, and every week during semester time for the last two years he has visited the SU Activities Office to approve all 52 club's expenditure. He has assisted the SU Sports team with the running of SU events and ran training for committees and incoming chairs and treasurers. He has extensively attended Sports Exec Committee meetings supporting the Sports Officer and SU Sport Team and voicing the views of sports clubs and students.
We had an amazing evening celebrating the successes of so many dedicated and talented athletes and individuals! Sports Officer Abbie commented, ‘The 50th Anniversary was extremely successful, a great celebration of this cohorts’ leaders. It’s been a delight to be your Sport Officer this year, massive congrats to all the Awards Winners’.
We wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who came along to show support, with special thanks to the continued support of Matrix who have sponsored this event and made it possible. And of course - a massive congratulations to all our winners!