BUCS wrap-up 2024/25: A season to remember
What. A. Year.
From squash to sprinting, karate to korfball, our University of Birmingham athletes have been absolutely flying across the 2024/25 BUCS season. Whether it’s lifting trophies, smashing PBs, or stepping onto podiums, you’ve repped the lion in style – and now it’s time to celebrate.
So grab a cuppa (or a protein shake) and take a look at the full round-up of an incredible year of sport at Birmingham.
Where we finished
We finished an outstanding sixth overall in the BUCS league table – a huge achievement reflecting the strength and depth across our teams and individuals. Across the season, our students racked up an impressive 516 wins, 412 losses, and 62 draws, with every result hard-earned and every performance showing the Birmingham spirit.
By the Numbers: A Record-Breaking BUCS Year
Alongside all the standout moments on and off the pitch, our final BUCS stats for the 2024/25 season are in – and they tell a powerful story of consistency, ambition and club-wide excellence:
6th in the overall BUCS rankings
3786.25 BUCS points earned across the year
21 BUCS league titles
5 BUCS Championship/Trophy titles from 5 finalists
6 BUCS Conference Cup wins from 9 finalists
While the official BUCS medal tally is still to be confirmed, one thing is clear – Birmingham athletes have been right at the heart of the action all year long.
None of this would be possible without the strength of our sporting community. With over 5,000 student-athlete members, 600 committee members, and 180 dedicated club coaches, this success reflects the incredible teamwork and commitment across the board.
March Madness – League Champions
We finished the league season with a bang, claiming titles across the board. In squash, we achieved a phenomenal clean sweep, with the Men’s 1s, Women’s 1s, Men’s 2s and Women’s 2s all crowned champions. Men’s Football 1s and Women’s Fencing 1s produced clutch performances when it mattered most to win their playoff matches, securing their places at the top level.
Ultimate Frisbee Women’s 1s added yet another accolade to their growing legacy, while our Hockey programme celebrated multiple league wins, including by the Men’s 4s, Men’s 5s, and Women’s 3s. The winning continued across Basketball, Tennis and Rugby, with our Men’s 1st teams and multiple 2s and 3s squads stepping up brilliantly. It’s safe to say that if there was silverware on offer this season, Birmingham was right there in the mix.
Event and tournament titles
Our teams didn’t just dominate in the league. They carried their form into knockout competitions and national finals too. National titles came home courtesy of our Men’s and Women’s Squash 1st teams, along with the Ultimate Frisbee Women’s 1s.
Fencing Women’s 1s and our Squash Men’s and Women’s 2s also picked up National Trophies, adding to an ever-growing collection. Conference Cups and Trophies came flooding in across Tennis, Hockey, Golf and Fencing, with Birmingham athletes and teams continuing to show that, whatever the competition, they rise to the occasion.
BUCS Nationals – Track, field and fighting spirit
February brought BUCS Nationals season, and once again Birmingham made its mark. In Cross Country, Jess Bailey and Tomer Tarrangano both took gold in the long-distance events, while Poppy Tank, Oliver Smart and others added valuable points and podium finishes to the Birmingham tally. The women’s short course race saw a dominant performance, delivering an almost unofficial podium sweep that made a huge statement.
In Karate, Dylan Bendall and Nick Teo both struck gold, helping the team finish second overall in the BUCS Karate Nationals. Across kata and kumite events, Birmingham athletes were right in the medal mix, showing fantastic spirit and skill.
Athletics Indoors – Running riot
At the BUCS Indoor Athletics Championships, Birmingham’s runners proved unstoppable. Ben Gardiner (800m) and Tommy Bridger (3000m) both claimed golds, with Alice Bates, Kimani Jack, and others picking up silver and bronze medals in highly competitive fields. Special mentions go to Ore Adepegba and Ellie Bushill for their podium finishes, continuing Birmingham’s strong tradition on the track.
Swimming and rowing – Making a splash
In the pool, Birmingham swimmers made waves all season long, with five gold medals secured across short and long course championships. Special shoutout to Ollie Morgan, who continues to lead by example with stellar performances. Across individual and relay events, dozens of swimmers reached finals, proving the programme’s growing strength.
Rowing also delivered fantastic results, with gold, silver, and bronze medals won at Fours Head and Eights Head. Birmingham also hosted a brilliant UIARS event in November, and our adaptive rowers picked up some impressive wins along the way.
Trampolining – we’re up there
Trampolining delivered more podium moments, with Andrew Stamp and Amy Darragh both securing first-place finishes. Birmingham athletes achieved top-three results across multiple levels, helping the women’s team to an impressive second-place finish overall.
Shoutouts from across campus
The achievements didn’t stop there. Ultimate Frisbee Women’s 1s claimed Division 1 Nationals indoors, while Samayara Panwar secured a silver medal in Badminton. Our Women’s Cricket team took silver in the Indoor Nationals, and Archery added seven regional medals to the medal haul. In Taekwondo, Bryce Rodgers made his mark with a podium finish at an A-Grade international event, once again proving that Birmingham talent travels well.
Still to come…
And it’s not quite over yet! We’re still looking forward to outdoor cricket, BUCS Cycling Road Race, Equestrian Regionals, BUCS Swimming Teams (April), Sprint Triathlon (May), Rowing Regatta (May) and the Korfball Shield. Eyes on the finish line – let’s end the year in style.
Final word
Whether you’ve brought home BUCS points, played in your very first fixture, or supported from the sidelines as a coach, physio or teammate — you’ve been part of something truly special this year. Every effort, every session, every performance has helped shape the story of 2024/25.
To all our athletes, coaches, strength and conditioning staff, physios and support teams — thank you. Your dedication, resilience and energy continue to raise the bar and define what it means to be part of sport at Birmingham.
Here’s to a strong finish to 2024/25 — and everything still to come.
