Executivesummary.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
Well, it all began in the sunshine at preseason on Monday 12 August, and as we reach the end of term 1, 19 weeks later, we reflect on a fantastic first term for Performance Sport at Bristol.
With our new Bristol Bears partnership launched - our first with a professional club - we have seen a new rugby structure implemented and it’s showing signs of great development already across the programmes.
Having two current players invited to Bears training for a month, was testament to what the partnership is going to bring, and the opportunity for those good enough to be looked at in that environment. The women's programme under Amber Reed goes from strength to strength as well, with only one defeat in term 1.
We currently sit 11th in BUCS after that competitive block of games, with so many of our teams battling in Premier and Super leagues against high-quality opposition, as well as some teams already being crowned league winners; both Water Polo first teams, so huge congratstothem.
The programme, which began with five weeks of pre-season, continued throughout the term with the services we have provided to students and the clubs. The strength and conditioning numbers have really grown this year and the engagement in new athlete system XPS has supported this for Will and the team.
With the new academic year structure, it's been a learning for us all about our programming and looking at how we manage the load for athletes and staff, to make sure we are competitive and healthy across the whole of the very long term 1.
This next January pre-season will be the first ever without the worry of exam pressures for the students; we can begin to prepare for term 2 in the correct way, and for the students being back with their friends, and teams, hopefully not scared to pop the heating on too!!
We recently said goodbye to our amazing nutritionist Milly Boorman, who had been with us for two years and made some huge improvements to the education of athletes in this space; we wish her well in her new role for Birmingham City Women's Football Club.
IN THE NEWS...
On top of the excitement and busyness of pre-season this summer, we saw the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games shine a spotlight on several current and alumni Bristol students. The whole division were proud to support the Team GB athletes, namely;
Alumni:
James Peters (Sailing 49er)
Dan Bethell (Para Badminton SL4)
Michael Taylor (Para Triathlon PTS4)
First-years:
Sally Kidson (Boccia BC3)
Funmi Oduwaiye (Shot put & Discus F64)
It was amazing to welcome Dan back to Dingle in October, to congratulate him, and get a cheeky glimpse of his medal...
Watch the interview (Instagram) with double silver Paralympic medallist Dan Bethell.
Thanks to all in the Sport, Exercise and Health division who contribute to Performance Sport and take pride and THANKS
effort in all that we deliver and support to the students. A huge year ahead in 2025, I hope you all had a magical Christmas and some well-earned time off.
L-R:MattPaine,MattBirch,UniversityViceChancellorandPresident:EvelynWelch,DanBethell, ChairoftheBoardofTrustees:JackBoyer,and BristolSUSportandStudentDevelopmentOfficer: EllaLovibond
Both images: University of Bristol
MATTHEW PAINE
AdustingofsnowadornstheMainPavilionat CoombeDingleSportsComplexon19November2024
BUCS.
With the new season blues in the air, 25 September saw the sand reach the bottom of the hourglass on pre-season and it was time to cut the ribbon on Bristol’s 2024/25 BUCS campaign. The dawn of the new season meant the chance for teams to take the reins, grasp the nettle and write their own sporting narratives. An opportunity to not just seize the day, but seize the season - not relinquishing from providing Team Bristol with more “I was there” moments.
The Bristol jersey was repped in 511 league fixtures before the Christmas break, amassing an impressive 246 victories (48%). The University crest also flew at numerous events across the UK, with fruitful finishes in Korfball, Pool, Sailing, Squash, Table Tennis, Taekwondo and Ultimate Frisbee competitions.
Silverware before Christmas? You heard that right! Both our women’s (in unbeaten fashion) and Open Water Polo first teams have been crowned Premier South league champions!
View the latest BUCS Points table
We start the new year in a handsome 11th in the overall BUCS Points table, within touching distance, and in the slipstream of, the ever-illustrious top 10. And as matches get going mid-month, our men’s cricket team will be looking to secure their name during the South Qualifier of the National Championship.
Term 2 means putting in the hard graft as the conclusion of the BUCS calendar looms. With the curtain falling on our Premier sides’ seasons as early as February, their attention will turn to the National Championship and Vase knockouts, with one eye on a spot at the prestigious BUCS Big Wednesday. For our regional teams, the 2025 period will be the ‘business’ end of the league season, as they bid for an appearance at Conference Cup Finals day.
As we all know, nothing is handed to you on a silver platter in BUCS; points and progression can’t be taken for granted. Lady Success isn’t always loyal and so, on the cusp of the season resuming, it’s still all to come and all to play for!
Strength& conditioning.
New season, new challenges...The 2024 season saw a new academic calendar implemented across the University, that offered opportunities for the S&C team to guide our respective teams through what has been a challenging, but successful, block of training and fixtures to date.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
August saw one of the most wellattended pre-seasons ever, with over 150 regular attendees training each day. All trained in skills, strength & conditioning and a team session four times per week, and were fed twice a day by the University’s catering provider, Source. Students were also educated on effective nutritional and psychological
habits by our expert multi-disciplinary team, Milly and Connor. Without a doubt, this four week block of training is the most important in our calendar, acting as a springboard into the season.
The following 10 weeks to Christmas were significant, with coaches working relentlessly to provide a hardworking, fun environment in which students have the tools to excel. Again, success lies within the numbers, with an average of 581 students attending the OWL (Olympic Weightlifting Gym) each week. Programming in this block has predominantly centred around keeping students fit to play their sports, with a number of clubs turning out to either train, or play, four times per week. For this reason, the monitoring of players’ work load, both mentally and physically has been a top priority.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The new academic timetable means students undertake their exams in early December, and we implement a period of rest and recovery thereafter. Recharging the physical and mental batteries over the festive and new year period is imperative if we are to expect similar levels of energy and commitment in term 2 as we saw in term 1.
The exciting opportunity from th timetable is that for the first time, able to run a January, one-week pre-season, copying the format August. Re-introducing sport aft winter vacation is always a cha This new addition will offer co contact time to increase the loa controlled environment, and attem decrease the risk of injury. A opportunity to prepare players the business end of the seas March.
WHAT’S NEW?
Our new partnership with Nutrition X is starting to bear fruit, with a number of infographics and discount codes being sent to students, and placed around the OWL. Implementing effective nutritional habits is massively important to our programme – especially with our busy cohort of students. We’ve made massive steps in this area over the last two years, with Milly’s contribution, and will continue to cement these learnings by encouraging positive habits in and around the gym environment.
THANK YOU
I speak on behalf of the S&C team when I say ‘thank you’ to all staff and students for your efforts in driving the University
of Bristol performance sports forward this term. We hope that students had a successful exam week, and look forward to seeing you all in early January.
Nutritionist Milly Boorman with a representative from performance partner Nutrition X
Performancepathway.
RECRUITMENT
Term 1 was the first full academic recruitment cycle of the role, so I was keen to make the most of visiting schools, clubs and academies to build links. In total, I visited 10 club and / or school environments,, which included Hereford Sixth Form College, Leander Rowing Club, Bristol Bears Academy and Gloucester Rugby Academy. These visits have helped us to shout about our offer at Bristol, build links and relationships, and hopefully recruit some very talented Dual Career athletes.
We have worked closely with the University’s Head of Undergraduate Recruitment to support talented athletes into the University. We are gaining traction with the importance of recruiting talented athletes, not just from a sporting perspective, but also academic, with talented athletes being wellrounded individuals, aspiring and, more often than not, high-achieving students. In the new year, we will be completing some in-house research comparing the academic success of our Scholars over the past eight years with their peers, to hopefully gain further evidence of this.
OFFERS & SCHOLARSHIPS
Following last year, and due to this
collaboration, we have increased the amount of Guaranteed Offers we are able to give out. We now have 50, of which eight are ringfenced for Widening Participation Students. Each sport has been given an allocation based on the size of their squad and I have been working closely with all Head Coaches on this process.
We are working hard to ensure that we can go into A-Level results day with as much certainty as possible regarding individuals getting their place, and between now and then, working to explore potential ‘Plan B’s.
In addition, our scholarship application process has just recently opened, and we are looking forward to starting this process – already an impressive list being put together of potential applicants. This will really ramp up in the new year as the UCAS window draws to a close.
HUMAN PERFORMANCE MSCI
A slight ‘fly in the ointment’ has been the potential sports course. This was unfortunately not taken further in the course planning process due to various factors; the main one being timing, with to the School of Anatomy (where the
course would sit) being merged into the School of Medicine.
The silver lining, however, was that course passed the pedagogical stagesand received good feedback on this aspect - so the concept of the course is still strong. We are going to re-evaluate in the coming months, once we have had a chance to reflect after the winter break, and before deciding next stages. Either way, we continue to grow and push the programme forwards.
THANKS
Thanks again for all your support and I hope you had a good break with friends and family.
Americanfootball.
CUDA MID-SEASON REVIEW
The Bristol Barracuda kicked off preseason with the yearly Give It A Go sessions, including our first ever Flag Football taster, which was about encouraging a more diverse range of students to join the team through the inclusion of the newest Olympic sport. In total, we had around 100 students try American Football for the first time, with the Epigram paper giving us (and our dedicated coaching staff of 18) a glowing review of our efforts.
During pre-season two players, defensive lineman Jamie Grimstone and linebacker Matt Grinham, made the GB Southern Kings squad, which is the regional replacement for the GB U19s programme The club wrapped up preseason with a scrimmage against UWE’s second team, giving most rookies their first proper match experience.
The season kicked off with our annual homecoming weekend, with the highest number of alumni attending to date. The weekend consisted of an alumni meal, golf & watching the first match of the season at Coombe Dingle versus the Bath Killer Bees. They were treated to a defensive battle, with a late interception by cornerback Nuraly Zhangaziyev being returned for a touchdown to give Cuda a
7-0 win. It was great to see such positive engagement with the alumni, and we hope to continue to improve the homecoming experience next year.
Cuda struggled in a couple of away matches in the next two weeks – the first a close loss away at Southampton; the highlight being an impressive kickoff return touchdown by running back Archie Calhaem. This was followed by a tough day out against the Bournemouth Bobcats - pre-season favourites - to win the Division. While it gave us some clear areas for improvement, it was an extremely valuable experience for the players.
The fourth of four games in as many weeks was at home versus Southampton during Storm Bert, with Cuda out for revenge. The weather made it a tough
Sideline after pick 6 Andy Watts Media
game for both sides, but we were able to come out victorious 7-0 thanks to another touchdown for Archie Calhaem. Despite the weather, the offense moved the ball well consistently and the defence played up to their usual high standard, coming up with turnovers in key moments.
The final game before the Christmas break was the biggest of the year – a ‘Friday Night Lights’ experience against the Swansea Titans. The committee worked really hard to make it a great event, with around 200 fans coming to watch (despite Storm Darragh). Those who made the effort enjoyed live commentary, mic’d up referees, a half time performance from the Bristol Jets cheerleading squad, and the most complete performance to date. Two rushing touchdowns from Archie were followed up by a big touchdown to rookie wide receiver Taran Hobby, with Cuda running out as 19–2 victors, leaving us 3-2 at the break. We’re now reviewing the season so far as we look to make a push for playoffs.
Off the pitch, we’ve been working hard on recruitment, with our Quarterback
Defence in action Martin Preedy
coach & Recruitment Lead Fen Trudgian and the committee’s Recruitment Officer, Sam Young, putting together an online session to U19 football athletes on ‘How to Succeed as a Student Athlete’. They shared a lot of tips on topics from S&C, nutrition and general guidance on stepping up from youth to BUCS football. The hope is that this will help us attract more athletes with prior experience to the programme.
It’s been a hectic first half of the year, but we’re excited to see what our athletes can do after the break!
JACOB WOOD
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH, AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Badminton.
SUMMARY FROM CLUB CAPTAIN BARNEY PRIDMORE
This term has been an incredibly successful one for the club, from start to finish. We have seen lots of BUCS matches, lots of local league matches, a re-introduction to our social coaching programme, and several tournament successes along the way.
Starting off in September, the Performance squad experienced some incredible coaching from Raj Popat, who has continued his work from last year. Our squad trials were bigger and better than ever, with more applications than ever before. Our captains dealt with this welcome challenge excellently and provided an exciting and inclusive series of sessions for prospective players We also saw the return of Intramural badminton, with 120 player sign ups, and the addition of a new advanced league.
In terms of tournament results, we have seen success in the Avon Senior Restricted from lots of players, as well as alumni, and throughout the term we have seen many medals from students across the national circuit. Bristol recently won NAMS Badminton (a Medical School competition), for the second year in a row, losing just two games in the whole tournament.
PERFORMANCE CAPTAIN’S SUMMARY
What a term it has been for our women so far! Both W1 and W2 teams are off to a stellar start, and there are only more good things to come…
Women’sfirstteam
Competing in the Southern Premiership Division again this year, the 1s are putting up one hell of a fight. We are sat 3rd in the table, tied on points with a very strong King’s College London team. Honourable mentions go to Serena Farrelly, being our superstar singles player who wins ‘best supporter’ in any room, and Juliet Wong, our first-year who has been so involved with the club, always with a smile on her face. With two matches to go and five wins under the belt, will W1s pip the opposition for 2nd on the podium, for the third year running?
Women’ssecondteam
In Western Tier 2B, our W2s are reigning top of the league. With complete
dominance so far, and eight players having a 100% win record(!), the 2s only have their eyes on promotion this year. Shout-out to Captain, Priya Basnet, who has led by example both on and off the court, and Siyang Chen, who I can always count on (especially to react to my messages in the group chat). After Christmas comes the challenge of Cardiff; our biggest rivals in the league, sitting close behind us, in 2nd place.
Men’sfirstteam
The M1s are doing great, with the points only dropped from a loss against Southampton and a draw against Cardiff during reading week (very winnable, had we a full team). We are eyeing-up promotion and it’s very much in our own hands if we beat Southampton at home and maintain good results against the other teams, in the remaining matches.
Men’ssecondteam
M2s have by far exceeded expectations. After promotion last year, we were hoping they would manage to stay up this year and, so far, they are doing more than just that. Before reading week, they were top of the table and are now sitting 3rd, still very safe from relegation. They have bagged some good results against Cardiff away (5-3) and Southampton, at home (4-4).
DEVELOPMENT SQUAD
The Development squad has had a strong start to the year, starting with the participation of 250 players in September’s trials. We adjusted the process from the previous year, expanding it from one round, to three. This provided both the coaching team and committee members more time to observe and assess each player’s performance, adequately and fairly.
In the local league, the women’s doubles team delivered an outstanding performance, winning nearly all of their matches. While the men didn’t achieve similarly optimistic results, they’ve shown great enthusiasm, enjoying their games and regularly attending our Thursday and Sunday sessions.
Overall, our twice-weekly training sessions are regularly filled, and most players have shown enthusiasm towards competitive play.
RAJ POPAT HEAD COACH, BADMINTON
Boat.
SUMMARY FROM CLUB CAPTAINS JAKE GREEN AND WILL SIMMONS
While, at Henley Royal Regatta, the club said goodbye to a handful of members, a majority of the Henley squads returned for the 2024/25 season, alongside a fresh intake of new students. This year, the club is looking to build on what was the most successful season in recent memory for UBBC.
As Club Captains, we have a simple goal for the season - to establish UBBC as one of the UK's foremost rowing universities. Last season, the men’s squad made a bid for being the secondbest British university crew, and the women made club history at the HRR (more on this, next). With this foundation to build on, we have high hopes for the club, and cannot wait to get stuck into racing when it comes around again.
On behalf of the club, we would like to say thank you very much to everybody who makes up, and supports, our community. The upwards trajectory that we find ourselves on would simply not have been possible without you, and we cannot wait to see you at events throughout the year.
HENLEY ROYAL REGATTA
This year’s HRR marked an impressive end to UBBC’s 2023/24 season. A particular highlight was the Women’s Island 8+, who became the first Bristol crew to qualify and win a round at HRR (narrowly missing out against Virginia University’s strong international team). The men’s Temple 8+ delivered a similarly commendable performance, securing a win over Dutch crew ‘Njord’ before bowing out to another Dutch team, ‘Laga.’ Additionally, our Nonesuch BC 8+ showed great determination in a competitive race against eventual finalists ‘De Hoop.’
We welcomed more than 130 supporters to our annual HRR drinks and pizza event at Henley Cricket Club, where we hosted an unforgettable naming ceremony for three new boats for UBBC. The club's new Women's Eight was named in honour of Tom Davies who, for the last two decades, has been a driving force behind UBBC's successful fundraising efforts. Tom reflected that the new boats represent "an opportunity for future generations, both in terms of rowing performance, and creating lifelong friendships".
We also welcomed the University’s Vice Chancellor Evelyn Welch, to our
community with the presentation of her very own UBBC blazer. Safe to say she left convinced there's no alumni group quite like ours!
GB TRIALS AND UOB HEAD RACE
NovemberGBTrials
Over the first weekend of November three of UBBC’s athletes attended GBRT trials in Boston, putting up some big results:
M1x:JakeBirch6thU23(22ndoverall)
M1x:JoeCunliffe8thU23(27thoverall)
W1x:IndiraOgunbiyi12thU21(59thoverall)
Jake and Joe were both invited to the GB Development / U23 training camp at Dorney lake and Bisham Abbey over the Christmas break. This puts them in a strong position for the rest of the season, and to make a GBRT U23 team.
The Head Race was a great success this month. With heavy rainfall and high river levels the week before, it seemed there was little chance the event would go ahead. However, with favourable weather and a significant clean-up effort put in by the club, the event was able to go ahead, albeit with reduced capacity.
This is a key competition for our crews to gauge where we sit among many of our local rivals, and to get a good gauge as to how our crews are performing ahead of the main racing season that will start in January. Results were:
Championship8+:2ndPlace
Intermediate8+:3rdPlace
Intermediate8+:7thPlace
ChampionshipW8+:3rdPlace
IntermediateW8+:2ndPlace
Special mention to our Head Race coordinator Kyle Sutherland, who organised a superb event with support from the whole club. This was the largest iteration of Head Race, with a record number of entries. It is testament to the club that the Head continues, not only to thrive, but to be run by students alone.
THANKS
A huge thanks to all our supporters, colleagues within Sport, Exercise and Health, The Fernside Trust, all our alumni and friends, and especially to the coaching team.
ED BLOOMFIELD HEAD COACH, ROWING
University of Bristol Head Race crews Above images: Aaron Sims
Aaron Sims
Cricket.
‘BEST IN THE WEST’ INDOOR SUCCESS
For the second year running, our men’s first team won their regional group to qualify for the South of England Championships on 12 January. Having only been the third year our men have entered the competition, we dominated our opponents to go undefeated, finishing the six-week tournament in tremendous style; bowling Cardiff Uni out for 75 and chasing it for no loss of wicket in a high-pressured winnertakes-all final.
With so much depth this year, we also entered a second team into the competition, to help develop some of our future stars.
Our women’s first team should also be extremely proud of themselves, finishing joint top of the table, though narrowly missing out on a trip to National Finals, to Cardiff Met University on Net Run Rate.
The commitment, talent and work ethic of the women this year has been second-to-none, and personally, I am so excited to see how far this group of players can go in this new-era of women’s cricket.
REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS
Kamran Dhariwal had an incredible summer for Hampshire 2nd XI, ending up as their second-highest run scorer.
The 19-year old, who is currently in his second year of Medicine, averaged 40.7 across the ECB White-Ball competitions.
‘Big Kam’ impressed the coaches so much that he was included in Hampshire’s Metro One Day Cup squad for three games in the summer. Although he didn’t get a chance to play, Kam has been invited to train with the first team this winter. There is no doubt there are big things on the horizon for our 6'5” superstar. After his successful summer, Kamran has become the first cricketer in recent years to join the University’s Scholarship Programme, where we’ll be supporting him on his journey as a Dual Career athlete.
In other news, we congratulate first-year Lily Greig as she represented Jersey (read the squad selection article on BBC Sport) at the ECN T10 tournament in Malaga before Christmas. Lily played against Spain, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria before heading to Gibraltar to play, and beat, the host team in an International T20 (read the match summary on BBC Sport).
This year we have also had the pleasure of welcoming first-years:
Annie Townsend, from the Southern Vipers Academy.
Cerys Griffiths, who made her Wales senior appearance last summer. Luka Woods, who made his International debut for Serbia last summer.
THE ROAD TO EUROPEAN GLORY
I’m pleased to share that our men’s 1st XI have been invited to this year’s European Club T20 tournament, in February. Held at the Desert Springs High-Performance Training facility, our lads will compete against teams from Ireland, Holland and Germany.
The lads will be channelling their efforts into fundraising over the next couple months, in order to mitigate as many of
the costs involved for the trip as possible. If any individual or business is willing to sponsor or help, please do reach out at chris.bolton@bristol.ac.uk.
2024/251stXIcaptains:
Men’s - Charlie Atkinson
Women’s - Sally Phelps
THANKS
As always, I’d like to thank everyone involved on the programme, and with particular thanks this term to our Assistant Coach Parikshith Shetty, and Lead S&C Coach Calum Conway.
CHRIS BOLTON HEAD COACH, CRICKET
Bristol first team with Cardiff Uni first team and Officials, after winning the Western League
Men’sfootball.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
Pre-season attendance was excellent with lots of players coming back to take advantage of an excellent four-week programme that included breakfast, lunch, snacks, as well as coaching sessions running alongside the S&C programme. This was, without a doubt, the best pre-season we have experienced to date. In addition, the programme included psychology and nutrition sessions, which supplemented the work being done on the training pitch. The club also had the added benefit of playing Saturday games in the Hellenic league, which added to the programme and helped the players buy into the whole package.
CLUB COMMITTEE CHANGES
The new committee was also at the fore of pre-season and new Club Captain, Tom Flint was extremely positive and instrumental in getting players involved, meaning we were well-prepared for the coming BUCS campaign. We had recruited a large number of ‘freshers’ to strengthen the club, and these players fitted in quickly. The committee had also purchased 16 GPS trackers which have been used to record the work load that the players are putting into training sessions, warm-ups and matches. These
have proven invaluable to monitor the players in a variety of ways.
BUCS SEASON SO FAR
Firstteam
The BUCS programme started on Wednesday 9 October with a home game versus newly-promoted Plymouth Marjon. The game was extremely tactical, with both sides trying to avoid losing their opener, and while Bristol opened the scoring with a really good goal, Marjon equalised late in the game. We later saw a tremendous home win (6-0) in the league against Hartpury 2s. The first team are now in 3rd after seven games, but still in the mix. We also beat Hartpury 2s in the first round of the Cup and are waiting to find out our second round opponents.
2s Captain James Topping drives into the heart of the 3s’ defence Tommy (@sxhaloe)
Secondandthirdteams
Only a few games have been played for these tier 2 sides, thus far, but in the derby the 2s came out winners by 3-2, in a close game. The 2s are currently 3rd and the 3s sit in 5th, with both teams having games in hand.
4s are lying 5th in Tier 3B, with games in hand, and should be able to move a place or two if results go their way.
The 5s in Tier 4B are also in 5th place with games in hand.
The 6s recorded an 18-0 league win at the end of term, against the Royal Agricultural College, moving them to top of Tier 6.
HELLENIC LEAGUE DIVISION 2 WEST
University of Bristol are currently 3rd in the Saturday league, but we can go top if we win our remaining fixture. This league is really important to us, as we are trying to gain entry into a Tier 7 league; to do that, we need to win this league. We have played six games so far winning four, losing one and drawing one - so it’s a case of everything to play for.
Oscar Black causes problems for 2s defence Tommy (@sxhaloe)
Men’sfutsal.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
Having lost a few key players at the end of last season makes the first team’s performances so far this season all the more outstanding. I see the development of this team, and recognise their growth in maturity and game management. We have been on a journey over the past three seasons. Futsal requires a high level of tactical understanding, so to achieve this within the restraints of a two-hour weekly training slot bears testament to the character of the players within the club. Recent results have shown the first team squad’s ability to weather the storm within games, and see-off teams in the final stages of matches - something which, in previous seasons, and in the early stages of this season, has been lacking.
1s defend a free kick in a BUCS match on the newly-refurbished futsal court at the University’s Indoor Sports Centre
The first team now holds two England U19 internationals - Josh Nathan and Alex Brickman. The rest of the squad, bar two exceptions, is built up of players who arrived at the University with no prior experience of the game. Students have shown incredible aptitude in learning to play at the highest level against predominantly sports-focused universities, some of whom have targeted futsal recruitment programmes.
The squad is benefitting from the continual growth of experienced players such as Basil Arnander, Seb Stanbridge and keeper Ollie Sturt, as well as firstyears Sam Malcolm, Alex Brickman and Erik Suimenbayev who bring previous futsal experience. Tottenham Academy goalkeeper Oliver Cannon continues to develop his game at the highest level, while Max Cuello-Wolffe has been an outstanding Club Captain in every regard.
A number of last year's second team have stepped up to the challenge of joining the first team in the BUCS Prem; Sean Dale, Jack Buttery and Joel Berman have shown humility and ‘coachability’ as their performance levels have jumped up a few gears, in a very short space of time.
BUCS SUMMARY
This season of the BUCS Prem South is very tightly-contested, with only three points separating five of six teams at the halfway point of the season. Bristol began the season with a historic win over Herts, who were league champions three seasons in a row. In 2021/22, we were on the receiving end of a 17-1 home defeat to Herts, despite Bristol going on to finish 2nd in the league that year. This season’s historic win shows how far the futsal club has come over the past three years.
2s after their last second winner in a dramatic 7-6 Cup tie against Winchester 1s
A 5-4 away defeat to newly-promoted St Mary’s - another very strong team - felt like points lost, but the return fixture brought a convincing 8-3 win.
The second half of the season needs three wins to finish strongly, with return fixtures against Bournemouth and Cardiff awaiting - two very strong sides, both of whom disappointingly took points off Bristol in our home ties (aided by some extraordinary refereeing decisions!).
The second team, under the stewardship of Dylan Flanagan and Nicholas Clarke, are beginning to find their feet, marked by a recent Cup victory over University of Winchester 1s - a last-second winner from Jack Buttery sealing a 7-6 win in a phenomenal comeback from 4-0 down.
Hockey.
MEN’S HOCKEY
The start of the 2024/25 season see both 1s and 2s start in newly-promoted leagues; The 1s gaining promotion into England Hockey National League Division 1 (South) for the second time in our history, and the 2s gaining promotion to West Premier for the first time in our history.
We started with a fantastic pre-season through August and September to prepare the boys well, going into what we knew would be highly challenging levels for us. It is fair to say that the season so far has had its up and downs but, as ever, we are encouraged by the attitude and application of this group of men, bringing everything they’ve got to meet the challenges head-on
M1s face M2s, Wednesday 13 November
SmifSports Photography
Our M1s faced Reading in the first game of the season - a team newly-relegated from the National Premier League. The boys were excited for the challenge and were certainly up for the battle, losing narrowly, 3-2. Further stand-out performances include picking up our first win at Dingle versus Canterbury, and winning away, in back-to-back fashion, against Old Loughtonians. These were extremely special moments for the boys who had worked so hard to get to where we are, and then again on the training ground to meet the challenge.
We went into the Christmas break on six points, with the team above us in reachable distance. Our BUCS season has proved to be one of consolidation for the M1s, going back into Tier 1 South with a completely new team, having bid farewell to eight graduates from our starting line-up last season. This has not held the boys back and we have stayed in the promotion race until the end, with some great results; an entertaining, high-quality, but ultimately frustrating draw versus Cardiff Met (3-3) - with our promotion rivals scoring a last minute winner - a convincing win over Southampton (4-0), and a highly competitive 2-0 win against our M2s have been our most complete performances of a season of fantastic efforts.
Promotion for the M2s brought a series of tough opening matches; we faced all four of the ‘top’ sides in the league in our first six matches, and at this stage of the season, all were ambitious for the next level. While this period didn’t bring any points for our very new squad, the boys have demonstrated their development, teamwork, attitude, fortitude and their ability. A particularly excellent performance away under the lights at (former National league side) Cheltenham, led to a narrow 3-2 loss, with Cheltenham stating that this was “one of the toughest matches of the season” to date.
Points have come courtesy of a highly satisfying win against rivals University of Exeter and an exciting (though frustrating) draw away at Taunton Vale. Consistency is now the key for the boys, as we look to capitalise on all our learnings in the second half of the season.
In BUCS, we’re enjoying our third season at Premier South level - itself a huge achievement for a second team. Once again, our new and inexperienced squad had to learn quickly for points, but an excellent performance to (comfortably) beat Southampton, plus an entertaining, and closely fought, draw against Bath
put us in the mix to stay at this level with two to go. We will be giving everything to get these boys where we want to be in their next three years at Bristol.
LADIES’ HOCKEY
The start of the 2024/25 season for L1s and L2s has been fantastic, with the L1s currently sitting towards the top of the table, on both weekends and BUCS, and the L2s also pushing that top end. The ladies have massively bought into the new, improved attitude towards games and training, which shows in their result. I’m excited for what the second half of the season has to bring for this talented group.
L1s pre-match high fives before facing Exeter
Our 1s started off the season extremely well playing nine games, winning seven, drawing 1, and losing 1. One stand-out performance was beating University of Exeter on a Saturday (3-1), when they SmifSports Photography
were previously unbeaten. The girls’ energy, focus and determination throughout the game was something I wish I could bottle up. The BUCS season, also in full flow, brought another fantastic game against Exeter 2s though we were unlucky, and drew (2-2). We still have Oxford and Cardiff Met to play, as well as the opportunity to win the league.
The 2s, meanwhile, had a tricky start to the season, with them playing in a different league, and against unfamiliar opposition. They are now settled in the league and the new players have found their stride, putting some really strong performances together. Stand-out performances for these ladies include winning 1-0 away at Exeter with only 12 players - showing the real character in the group - and holding on to beat Plymouth, 2-1.
This was a fantastic first half of the season for the girls; keep up the good work!
CHRIS WHITE HEAD COACH, HOCKEY
Netball.
PRE-SEASON SUMMARY
We returned for pre-season this year, earlier than ever and wow - what a way to start the year! Over the course of four weeks, the programme was meticulously planned, combining high-quality food, educational sessions, court sessions, and strength and conditioning training, delivered four times a week. The effort levels were outstanding, and the standard of play and commitment reached remarkable heights, setting the foundations for what has been another remarkable year, so far.
BUCS PREMIERSHIP SOUTH
This is the first team’s second season at the highest level and it has proven to be a challenging, yet inspiring, journey. Despite facing tough competition and losing every game, the team displayed unwavering determination and a fighting spirit that never faltered. Each player gave their all, and the camaraderie and resilience within the team were truly commendable. While the season will end in demotion, this outcome only fuels our desire to re-group and come back stronger next season. The lessons learned from these matches, both individually and as a team, will serve as the foundation for future growth. We remain optimistic about the road ahead
and are committed to turning our experiences into a successful comeback.
SECOND TEAM
This season has been nothing short of exceptional for the 2s, who remain unbeaten so far. The magnificent team effort, paired with outstanding leadership from the captains, has been instrumental in the team’s success. Their ability to lead by example and foster a spirit of unity and determination has been inspiring to witness.
With their sights set on going all the way in the Cup and securing promotion, the team is poised for even greater achievements. If they continue this incredible form, the sky's the limit for what they can accomplish.
Second team
NXT GEN/PATHWAY PLAYERS
Huge congratulations must go to these players who have successfully been selected to represent the following franchises.
Cardiff Dragons NXT Gen - Rachel Fairbairn
Team Bath NXT Gen – Phoebe Maslen
Team Bath U21 PDP – Amina James Team Bath U19s – Caitlin Brand.
Phoebe Maslen plays for Team Bath SmifSports Photography
Their enthusiasm, dedication, and willingness to embrace our values have enriched the club further, strengthening the foundation for the season ahead. Each team has started the season well, with some fantastic results and performances. Following a well-earned break, we look forward to returning for the first ever winter pre-season, to ready ourselves for the exciting second half of the season, with so many key fixtures still to play.
The club’s culture remains at the heart of everything we do, and it has been fantastic to see how seamlessly our freshers have settled in.
CHANTELLE WOPARA
CLUB
Fifth team
Rugby.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
This term marked the start of the Bristol Bears partnership for the club and what is by no means a secret, a 3-year plan to get both clubs to the top level of the university pyramid. This year is the preparation year; the ground work for the next two huge years. So far, I am pleased with the progress that has been made, with the committees and staff working closely together to ensure that all the process are in place.
The plan has to start from the bottom and that is in motion, with two big partnerships for the development linking with local clubs Gordano and Avonmouth to provide suitable playing opportunities outside of the BUCS environment. It has been a huge success with over 30 athletes playing in the committee and for the women’s section in particular, having eight students playing their first ever game of rugby. For the development group, we’ve also put on ‘Inner Warrior’ tournaments, friendlies against other universities and we’ve played games in our own Intramural league, in Bristol. This volume of rugby gives everyone the opportunity to play at the University, at any level, while also developing the players we have, to the prepare for the big years ahead.
This term has also seen the first ever UBRFC Saturday side start at the University, which was again developed as a way of offering the students an alternative to BUCS league; more flexibility, and cheaper rugby in the community. This has been a huge success; with nine games into the season the side have seen eight wins and one draw, to take them to the top of the table. Our students have also really enjoyed the hospitality from the community clubs, which are hosted - in true rugby fashion - with food and drink, post-game.
The top end of the club has also experienced notable changes with two brand new coaches joining the Performance squads; Dan Gaywood, who was previously our backs Lead
Rogan Thomson/Bristol Sport
L-R: Olly Slym, Dan Gaywood, Pat Lam, Matt Birch, Dave Ward, Amber Reed
Coach, has taken the Head Coach (Men’s Rugby) role - in a joint employment with Bristol Bears. This opportunity is providing Dan with vast experience, which only adds to our programme.
UBRFC
The men started the season extremely well, showing just how much talent we have in the ranks, but the end of term wasn’t as straightforward, with injuries hitting camp extremely hard. A couple of highlights were the 2s’ double win over UWE and the visit of UCLA, who played our prestigious Maroon side.
Tom Allan, 15 v UCLA for the Maroon XV
Photography
personal promotion-chasing strategy. Massive credit here must go to our new Head Coach, Amber Reed, and her Assistant, Holly Phillips, who have changed the way the club operates, along with its performance culture. Amber and Holly both play for Bristol Bears Women and this close link has enabled strong recruitment and resources for our programme.
THANKS
There is so much to look forward to this new year, with 7s, tours and Cup runs all to come. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone - particularly those in our Business Development (including the Marketing team), and Facilities & Operations teams - for all of your hard work and collaboration.
UBWRFC
The women’s side has had a great start to the campaign with three wins from nine, only losing to the very impressive Brunel who are well into their own
The one club-themed kit for the season
OLLY SLYM HEAD OF RUGBY
SmifSports
Rugby.
HEAD COACH REFLECTIONS: DAN GAYWOOD
Our 1s have had an interesting season so far, starting exceptionally well, gaining 16 points in their first four games, and were 2nd in the table, behind Brunel. However, several injuries to first team starters, coupled with the added pressure of exam season, caused results to dip in the last month.
Bristol 1s are currently sat 4th in the Premier 1 South, 6 points behind Bath 2s, who are in 2nd place. Our average points per game has shifted from 40 (the highest across BUCS leagues) to 22 points/game. We have had seven firstyears make a 1st XV debut so far this season, with another 15 making 2nd XV debuts.
So far, the newly-promoted 2nd XV is having a great season in Premier South 2, doing the ‘double’ over UWE and picking up some big results against Surrey (away) and Cardiff Met 3s (home).
The 2nd XV is currently sat 4th in the league, which was the target outcome for the season, given their recent promotion.
A huge highlight off the pitch was two of
our senior players - Cam Kinross and Gabe Mann - signing short-term contracts with Bristol Bears during the Premier Cup period in October. This indicates the great work behind the scenes to build the new partnership with Bears, and develop the University programme as a pathway into professional rugby. The partnership has also now allowed alignment with the men’s programme, having crossover in language, playbook, and coaching staff.
January marks the final block of league fixtures: Cardiff Met 2s (away), Hartpury 2s (home), Brunel 2s (away) and Bath 2s (home), before heading into the Premier Cup, which has become the focus for the 1st XV, and gives us an opportunity to compete with some of the best teams in the North; an exciting prospect.
HEAD COACH REFLECTIONS: AMBER REED
The Women’s 1s have had an exceptional start to the 2024/25 season, sitting in 1st place in the Premier South 1 league, with an impressive six wins from seven matches. The team is dominating on the scoreboard, averaging 39 points per game, while conceding only 15. The depth of the squad is evident, with 40 players representing the 1st XV and 36 in the 2nd XV, including 24 players
making their UBWRFC debuts and 5 players making their rugby debuts.
A significant highlight of this season is the exciting partnership with Bristol Bears. This collaboration has seen five University players join the programme for the start of the PWR Up series. Their addition to the squad has not only raised the standard of training, but has also provided invaluable experience and knowledge, contributing to the overall development of the team. The partnership has been a huge success, creating new opportunities for both players and coaching staff.
As we head into the latter part of the season, the team’s focus remains on maintaining their top position in the league and continuing their excellent form. With a squad brimming with talent, depth, and determination, there is a strong sense of optimism surrounding the remainder of the season. The team's ethos of hard work, discipline, and camaraderie remains at the core of their success, and they are ready for whatever challenges lie ahead.
(Below:) University of Bristol athletes ready to play for Bristol Bears Women
Bristol Sport / Dave Ward
Tennis.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
Returning on 19 August, this was the earliest ever start to a pre-season for us. Engagement was high both on the court and in the gym, and we kicked off the term with friendlies against Exeter, Cardiff Met and Birmingham, which set us up for a flying start to the season. With the most professional pre-season yet - daily training both on court and in the gym, a great food offer and regular education and meeting sessions - we were able to build on the positive culture of the previous season with returners and new additions to the squads.
SCHOLARS
This year welcomed our first Vice Chancellor’s Scholar since 2018, Jack Ritchie. Jack was joined in the tennis scholars group by seven Maroon Scholars. This has been a great development this year after only two Turbo Maroons last year and this strong group has helped push high standards within our sport. Those joining Jack this year are Victor Wiles, Leo Sassoon, Chandani Rathnam, Lottie Forsyth, Izzy Hope, India Henke and Dasha Kuzmina. As well as the additional support of Head Coach Skills and S&C sessions, these students have been financially supported by UBTC, who subsidised
their club membership.
Sassoon
and Tommy More
Both images: BUCS
COMPETITION
Our squads and teams were led brilliantly in term 1 by returning men’s captain Victor Wiles, alongside Alexander Stannard. On the women’s side, Ella Walker has returned for her third year of captaincy, alongside India Henke.
Lexie McDonald and Ella Walker (first team)
Leo
(Maroon Scholar)
(second team)
With three teams promoted to higher leagues following last year’s success, this term was always going to be difficult, but the players have been doing wonderfully and the teams are sitting in very good positions. We continue to have our goal of keeping the men’s 1s in Southern Prem and getting our women’s 1s to minimum, a playoff.
Resultsattheendofterm1:
M2s
M3s
M4s 2nd,WesternTier1 2nd,WesternTier2 4th,WesternTier2
M1s 5th,SouthernPrem National Cup TBC made National Trophy 2nd round into Conference Cup quarter finals into Conference Cup quarter finals
W2s
W3s 4th,WesternTier1 3rd,WesternTier2
W1s 1st,WesternTier1 made National Trophy 2nd round made National Trophy 2nd round with 1 game in hand
NationalPremierLeague(NPL)
NPL has been a great level of play for both men’s and women’s leagues, but very tough matches! The men unfortunately lost to a strong Cardiff Met team before Christmas, and the women have faced South Wales and Taunton, unfortunately also losing out in both fixtures. The men faced Farnham just
before Christmas, and both teams will continue the competition this termaiming to remain in Division 1.
BUCSDoublesChampionship
We sent four teams to the BUCS Doubles Finals this year; Lexie McDonald and Ella Walker and Chandani Rathnam and Izzy Hope paired up to compete in the last 32, and Leo Sassoon and Tommy More, plus Victor Wiles and Alexander Stannard paired up. The competition was fierce, but Victor and Stannard made it through the first round, which was a great achievement.
THANKS
There are so many people to thank for the hard work and support of our club; first and foremost, the students. Our squads have competed in 50 fixtures
Alexander Stannard and Victor Wiles (Captains, and men’s 1st team)
BUCS
this term, and nearly 300 individual matches for our University. It requires an incredible effort from them to be producing these sort of achievements. Special mention to our BUCS Captains named earlier for their outstanding leadership, as well as Club Captain Jamie Blunt for his brilliant management of the whole club.
Thank you to the Business Development team who help us with bookings, scheduling and marketing and communications. Will and Vicky in particular; your support has been brilliant.
A big thank you to the Multi-Disciplinary team; Milly with nutrition, and Connor with his Mental Skills training sessions. The S&C team have worked hard to personalise our programme; special mention to Samara who has made such a difference to engagement and students’ understanding of the link between the gym and on court - she has worked wonders!
Last thanks goes to those in the Tennis team working directly with our BUCS players. Max, Ravi, Ollie and Jason; we would not be achieving what we are without your work. We are doing everything we can to make sure we are helping them achieve the highest standards; you guys are the best team, thank you!
We are all looking forward to the continued success in Term 2 now, and are very proud of all of our players.
Women’s second team
Snow covers the 3G pitch at Coombe Dingle Sports Complex on
Women’s volleyball.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
It’s been a challenging start to the season for women’s first in the BUCS Premiership Division - a league heavily dominated by universities offering extensive volleyball programmes and scholarships for athletes. The team has experienced dramatic change this season, with a high turnover of players (including those in key positions) as well as the appointment of a new Head Coach.
I was overjoyed to see the first ever inclusion of volleyball into the University pre-season programme. In addition to giving us a head-start with season preparations, it was a valuable opportunity for me, as newly-appointed coach, to build relationships with current players, observe new talents and watch previous W2 players step up and
challenge for a position in this year’s team. I was excited by the showcase of talent and the professional approach that the University and club had towards volleyball - increasing my motivation towards the season ahead.
I consider myself an optimistic coach and I like to think that my belief in my players never faulters, even in the most challenging of scenarios. On basic principle, if I don’t believe in my players how can I ask them to believe in themselves? It has been a fight to get the team settled, organised, and competition-worthy however they have continuously showed great perseverance and commitment to the process, and we have reaped the benefits late on in the first half of the season.
Our first success came from winning our student Cup qualification tournament, going undefeated in four games and qualifying for the Student Cup Finals in February. At that point they’ll compete against the top 16 universities in the UK over two days, to lift the prestigious Student Cup trophy.
Shortly after that qualifier, we celebrated our first league win, closing out the autumn term with a 3 set-to-0 victory
First team Setter Nikoleta Efthyvoulou in action against Bournemouth University
over University of East London (UEL). In the final set, the girls showed their true tenacity, fighting back from a 15–21point deficit, in a race to 25 points, to win the set 25-23. A true culmination of their hard work and “never give up” mentality that they have demonstrated since stepping on the court, on day one.
LOOKING AHEAD
After the break we fight for the remaining two league games of the season, before battling the best in the BUCS North Premier. We also take on Cambridge ARU in the National Cup, a knockout competition for the best teams in the UK, before those Student Cup Finals in February.
I am excited to see what the remainder of the season brings and, as always, remain optimistic.
Coach Matt and the first team during a time-out against Bournemouth University
Women’s waterpolo.
TERM 1 REFLECTIONS
It would be fair to say that the Bristol women’s first team are the team to beat in this year’s BUCS Premier Division, as the ladies steamrolled their way to the league title with games to spare, last term.
Although the headlines have been taken by the players with international pedigree, who dominate the goalscoring charts, it’s been very pleasing to see a whole training squad of players contributing to the team’s success. We have welcomed back Katy Cutler from a season playing in Italy and she has been great at imparting her experience to the younger ladies in the squad.
The older profile of the team - with over 50% having been in the setup for more than three years now - has meant that training could begin at a higher intensity than in previous years. First-year students - of which three have made it into the first team squad - have been challenged to meet that standard, right from the outset. A closer relationship with City of Bristol Water Polo club has also facilitated a better standard of training and regular, valuable friendly fixtures.
With every BUCS Premier South league
game having been won by a comfortable margin, including satisfying away thrashings of rivals Cardiff and Oxford, the girls’ attentions now turn to the knockout stage of the season and the ultimate prize of being the best university team in the country.
In the second team, we have had over 20 women come and try the sport for the first time. The girls have thrown themselves into training and games with impressive commitment, and the results have shown a marked improvement from last year.
Women’s first team
Captain Hayley Evans, having never played the sport before coming to Bristol, has been influential in setting a welcoming and competitive team culture, which the ladies can thrive in. The second team, now at the halfway mark of their season, have plenty of promise for better fortunes throughout term 2.
Watch this space...
Women’s second team
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