Student News Archives - Page 2 of 6 - University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness

Image of Netball girls in a circle with hands in the centre

2024 BUCS Conference Cups Finals

The University of Birmingham and Sport & Fitness was proud to host was proud to host the annual 2023-24 Midlands Conference Cup Finals and support all participants during this exciting time.

On Wednesday 6 March, the campus welcomed University teams from across the Midlands for a full day of finals. We accommodated a total of 34 finals fixtures across 14 different sports, making it a day to remember.

The action kicked off with lacrosse, hockey, badminton, basketball, and table tennis finals, all held at our Bournbrook pitches and Sport & Fitness facilities. From the first whistle to the last, every final witnessed a display of dedication and determination, as teams left nothing to chance on the pitches, courts, and tables.

The day saw triumphs for two University of Birmingham teams! Our Squash M3 and Fencing M1 teams beat their opponents in style, clinching the Conference Cup titles, demonstrating sheer skill, strategy, and teamwork.

A big shout-out to the volunteers and event staff who made the event a success, along with the spectators who generated a fantastic buzz across campus.

Sports hosted at UoB at the 2023-24 BUCS Midlands Conference Cup Finals:

Badminton
Basketball
Fencing
Football
Golf
Hockey
Lacrosse

Netball
Rugby League
Rugby Union
Squash
Table Tennis
Tennis
Volleyball

March 8, 2024March 8, 2024 Emilia Zwierz

Sports Awards glass trophies, with squash winning National Team of the Year.

Announcement Student News

Nominations now open for Sports Awards 2024

All 2023/24 students can now nominate individuals, clubs, coaches and recreational teams across 13 categories celebrating their sporting successes at this year’s University of Birmingham Sports Awards.

Open from 28 February, nominations are now open and will close on Thursday 28 March giving students one month to put forward nominees across a range of categories.

This year’s Sports Awards, taking place on the evening of Thursday 30 May at the Brammall Music Building, will recognise all levels of sporting achievements from our volunteers to our elite athlete scholars.

Categories include:

Campus League Team of the Year
The Campus League Team of the Year award aims to recognise and celebrate the teams that best embody the Campus League ethos of participation, good sportsmanship and enjoyment of the game.

NOMINATE HERE

Coach of the Year (non-student)
For an individual who is regarded as having made the most outstanding contribution to club sport through their role as a coach.

NOMINATE HERE

Coach of the Year (student)
This award aims to recognise current students who are regarded as having made the most outstanding contribution to club sport through their role as a coach, working closely with their club committee to direct the development of the club and support members’ personal and performance development.

NOMINATE HERE

Club of the Year
This award is based on the overall success of a club across a number of areas. This can include – but is not limited to – committee and/or performance achievements, developments and innovation within the club, member engagement and connection with the wider sporting community both in- and external to the university.

NOMINATE HERE

Full Blues
Awarded to those individuals that have competed internationally at a senior championship.

NOMINATE HERE

ED&I Award
This award acknowledges and celebrates the diversity and inclusion of sport within our clubs.

NOMINATE HERE

Half Blues
Awarded to those who have achieved either a BUCS individual medal or a BUCS Team Championship gold medal during the 2022-23 academic year.

NOMINATE HERE

National Team of the Year
Aims to recognise and highlight the stand-out successes of a select number of our University teams that compete on a national level within BUCS.

NOMINATE HERE

Outstanding Contribution
Celebrates outstanding contribution made by an individual towards the continued improvement of UoB Sport & Fitness and the instances in which they have gone beyond expectations.

NOMINATE HERE

Sport Colours
Sport Colours are non-performance-based and awarded to individuals based on a member’s contribution beyond their established role, going over and above for their club or for sport across the University.

NOMINATE HERE

Sports Person of the Year
This is the highest individual accolade awarded by the University of Birmingham, in recognition and celebration of the very highest sporting level.

NOMINATE HERE

Regional Team of the Year
Aims to celebrate the achievements of some of our stand out University teams that compete on a regional level within BUCS.

NOMINATE HERE

Volunteer of the Year
This Award recognises individuals who have committed themselves to a cause, activity, or event for the greater good of their club, University, or wider community.

NOMINATE HERE

With more than 200 people in attendance last year – including the Vice Chancellor and Principal of University of Birmingham Adam Tickell – we’re hoping to make this year’s event even bigger with a selection of arrival drinks, food options and post-event entertainment.

February 28, 2024March 7, 2024 Phil Warrington

Oliver Morgan standing in front of a Great Britain sign wearing a swim cap and goggles.

Events Student News

Brum success at BUCS National Championships

It was a weekend jam-packed with sport as University of Birmingham athletes across Athletics, Badminton, Climbing, Fencing, Karate and Swimming competed in this year’s BUCS National Championships.

Even mascot Rory the Lion returned to action in the annual 200m Danny Porter Foundation sprint, grabbing a silver medal amongst 16 representatives.

Hosted at Sheffield’s English Institute of Sport, the BUCS points rained in for Birmingham with medals, results and records falling across the three-day event.

Athletics completed a team 2nd place for the third year in a row with eight medals for Birmingham athletes. 15 of the athletes set personal best records, with the club securing its most top 8 positions across its most diverse events.

Didi Okoh (60m Ambulant), Kimani Jack (High Jump) and Tyler Bilyard (1500m) brough home gold for Brum, with Tom Bridger (3000m) and Cameron Bailey (400m) scooping silver. The Women’s Team 4x200m also finished second in their event.

Darian Moore (60m) and Zoe Hunter (1500m) completed the medal haul with Bronze finishes. Josh Woods (Triple Jump), Emilie Oakden (Pole Vault) and Orla Brennan (400m) just missed out on a medal with fourth places in their respective sports.

A record-breaking Swimming scooped six top four finishes, including four individual and two team events.

The Men’s and Women’s relay teams set club records finishing fourth and sixth in their respective 4 x 100m events. Para swimmer Lucy Jordan Caws won a silver medal with a season’s best in the 100m Butterfly.

EDCAP athlete Ollie Morgan set the pace with two Gold and two BUCS records in the 100m & 200m backstroke events.

Results from across the rest of our sports clubs across the weekend:

Fencing

Liam croft secured 3d place in Men’s Sabre.

Karate

Men’s Inter Kata – BRONZE – Harri Jordan
Women’s Novice Kata – GOLD – Katherine Galvin
Women’s Inter Kata (–70) – BRONZE – Roni Parnes
Men’s Novice Kumite (-70) – GOLD – Rajan Sidhu
Men’s Novice Kumite (+80) – BRONZE – Tom Harrison
Men’s Novice Kumite (-80) – BRONZE – Jack Maher
Women’s Novice Kumite (+63) – GOLD – Neha Nair
Women’s Senior Kumite (-50) – BRONZE – Lyra Cobb
Men’s Team Kumite – BRONZE
Overall Team Results – SILVER

Climbing

Men’s Individual 4th – Ian Davis
Men’s Team 4th Place
Women’s Team SILVER

February 26, 2024March 7, 2024 Phil Warrington

Fran Williams wearing her England netball dress, wearing a Goal Defence bib.

Student News

New year, same scholar success

New year, same sports scholar success

2024 started with a bang for our outstanding university scholarship athletes and alumni, who have broken in the new year with some incredible performances on the national and international stage, particularly in hockey, netball and cross-country.

Great Britain Men and Women Hockey squads embarked on the road to Paris 2024 after qualifying at the FIH Olympic Qualifiers.

In Spain, GB Women featuring current EDCAP scholar and social policy student Lily Walker as well as four alumni, Lily Owsley, Anna Toman, Amy Costello and goal-scorer Hannah French closely battled to secure their spot, beating Ireland 2-1, after losing 3-2 to Belgium in the semi-finals.

GB Men secured their spot after beating New Zealand 3-1 to reach the final in Muscat, Oman. The team featured talented alumni Nick Bandurak. Both teams will now prepare for the Olympic Games in just over six months’ time.

EDCAP scholarship athletes and current students Evie Wood, Alice Atkinson and Betsan Thomas have been named in the Women’s GB Elite Development Squad (GB EDP) for 2024, with fellow scholar Harvey Edwards being named as a reserve for the men’s squad.

The programme aims to help junior players smoothly transition to senior international hockey, providing those who have Olympic potential with the support they need. This is an amazing achievement for these players and shows real promise as they look to follow in the footsteps of those named above.

Sunday 28 January was a crucial but exciting day for England Netball as the England Roses played in the Vitality Netball Nations Cup Final in Leeds.

University of Birmingham alumni Fran Williams played in goal defence whilst captaining the team to the final, alongside fellow alumni Ellie Rattu. The Roses put in an incredible performance, but narrowly missed out on the win to the strong team Origin Australian Diamonds.

One week later, the Athletics club came home with a record-breaking medal haul of 13 medals at the BUCS Cross Country Championships. Not only this, but the team won 3 out of the total 4 for both team and individual titles – an exceptional achievement for the team.

Over a gruelling course, EDCAP Scholars Amelia Quirk and Will Barnicoat continued their success from the European Cross Country Championships in December and dominated the field in the Women and Men’s Long Course, bringing home 2 gold medals.

Will was closely followed by fellow scholar Tomer Tarragano and Oliver Smart, in a Birmingham 1-2-3, the first clean sweep on the Podium at BUCS Cross Country in history.

February 12, 2024February 12, 2024 Phil Warrington

University of Birmingham running at the BUCS Cross Country run.

Announcement Events Student News

Record breaking medal haul at BUCS Cross Country

Record-breaking BUCS Cross Country medal haul

University of Birmingham Athletics made history with the highest-ever medal haul by any institution at this weekend’s BUCS Cross Country Championships.

The record-breaking weekend saw the Athletics Club beat their 2022 record of ten medals thanks to eight individual medals and five team medals at Temple Newsam in Leeds.

To strengthen their dominance, Birmingham won three of the four team titles with three out of four individual wins available.

The team took its largest ever cohort with 150 competitors across the event supported by staff and alumni.

The Cross County Championships host four races across short and long distance for Men’s and Women’s competitors. In each race, there are individual medals and team medals at stake.

Birmingham post-graduate scholar and GB representative Amelia Quirk claimed her first-ever BUCS title in style, winning her race by a massive 36 seconds.

The Men’s Team completed the first-ever podium sweep at the Championships in BUCS history, with third-year sports scholar Will Barnicoat winning his first ever BUCS individual Gold.

His teammates Tomer Tarragano, a third-year Chemistry undergraduate, and Ollie Smart completed the podium with an unprecedented 1-2-3.

With the Long Distance results contributing to the University’s overall BUCS points, the Athletics Club bought home 72 points, bettering last year’s haul by 30 points.

Posting on Instagram, Luke Gunn, Head of Performance and Athletics, said: “I couldn’t be prouder of what we produced this weekend!

“This team has a culture where every athlete looks out for their teammates and coaches that continually go above and beyond to make sure each athlete has the best experience.

“This weekend was truly special and one I feel we will be talking about for many years to come!”

See a summary of the results below:

Men’s – Long
Will Barnicoat – GOLD
Tomer Tarragano- SILVER
Ollie Smart – BRONZE
Team – GOLD
+ Tyler Bilyard, Mike Ward & Noah Campion

Women’s – Long
Amelia Quirk – GOLD
Team – SILVER
+ Elisha Tait, Elsa Palmer & Kate Willis

Men’s – Short
Elliot Moran – SILVER
Sam Burkitt – BRONZE
Team – GOLD
+ Fin Ward & Ethan O’Shea

Women’s – Short
Charlotte Alexander – GOLD
Rosie Hamilton-James – SILVER
Team – GOLD
+ Rose Chesterfield
& Team – BRONZE
+ Freya Stapleton, Zoe Hunter & Hannah Seager

Next up, sports scholars Tomer Tarragano, Tyler Bilyard, Charlotte Alexander and Elsa Palmer will represent Great Britain at the World University Cross Country CHampions in Oman on 17 February, with the BUCS Indoor Championships taking place on 23-25 February in Sheffield.

February 5, 2024March 7, 2024 Phil Warrington

Announcement Student News

Sports Awards 2024 | Save the date this 30 May

Sports Awards 2024 | Save the date 30 May

The University of Birmingham Sport will celebrate the achievements of its 2023/24 sporting stars at this year’s coveted Sports Awards 2024 taking place on the evening of Thursday 30 May.

Returning once again to the decadence of the Brammall Music Building, athletes, coaches and students can now add the date to their sporting calendar ahead of the annual event.

This year sees 13 categories open for nominations, of which details will be announced in the coming weeks, with the full list of categories including:

Campus League Team of the Year
Coach of the Year (non-student)
Coach of the Year (student)
Club of the Year
Full Blues
Half Blues
National Team of the Year
Outstanding Contribution
ED&I Award
Sport Colours
Sports Person of the Year
Regional Team of the Year
Volunteer of the Year

The Sports Awards 2023 recognised all levels of sporting achievements from our volunteers to our elite athlete scholars.

Standouts included; Athletics scooping Club of the Year for their impressive BUCS points contribution; Hockey Women’s 4s named as Regional Team of the Year for their treble winning season; Cheerleading awarded with Outstanding Contribution supporting wider UOB events; and the Sailing Club acknowledged with the PRIDE Award helping to reduce cost barrier for its members.

Andy Allford, Director of Sport at University of Birmingham, said: “Sport remains a key part of student life for many during their time at Birmingham and it’s important we continue to take the time to celebrate achievements at every level.

“It’s always one of my favourite nights of the year and over the years, we’ve been able to widen the recognition and status of our sporting stars across the University. We’re already looking forward to reading through each nomination and coming together this May to celebrate in style.”

With a number of guest presenters from roles across the University, keep an eye out across University of Birmingham Sport social media channels and our weekly Sports Desk newsletter – which covers all our BUCS highlights each week – for further details.

January 31, 2024January 31, 2024 Phil Warrington

Image of sportswomen hugging after a match

Announcement Student News

Award-winning New Year for University of Birmingham Sport

University of Birmingham Sport and Sport & Fitness has been recognised by the national governing body for University sport for our excellence in increasing physical activity opportunities for members and students.

Awarded with the British Universities & Colleges Sports (BUCS) Physical Activity Excellence Award, this is a huge achievement that celebrates the world-class facilities, coaching and opportunities that sport provides across the campus.

With more than 60 University sports clubs, and welcoming professional athletes and recreational clubs and groups from around the world – such as the recent British Junior Open Squash 2024 event in January – Sport & Fitness continues to offer sporting opportunities for all abilities, all year round.

Sport & Fitness boasts outstanding facilities including two water-based synthetic pitches, all-weather and numerous grass pitches, ten netball/tennis courts, four indoor sports hall arenas, a climbing wall, 50m swimming pool and two-floor gym.

Across campus there is also an all-purpose Athletics Track and additional off-campus student-only gym.

The BUCS Physical Activity Excellence Award produces a sector standard for higher education institutions to achieve, that demonstrates good practice in increasing physical activity engagement across its population.

Chris Anthony, Head of Sport Development at the University of Birmingham, said: “It’s been great to be recognised for the breadth of work that Birmingham does and the opportunities available to our student, staff and community to become – and remain – active with us.”

With 17 current award holders across the UK, the University of Birmingham is now also eligible to apply for the esteemed ukactive Physical Activity Excellence Award later this year.

January 26, 2024January 26, 2024 Megan Jackson

Announcement Events Member News Student News

UoB to Host the 2023-24 BUCS Conference Finals

UoB to Host 2023-24 BUCS Conference Cup Finals

The University of Birmingham is proud and excited to announce that we have been selected by BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) to host the annual 2023-24 Midlands Conference Cup Finals.

Taking place on Wednesday 6 March, the day will see 14 sports hosted across our exceptional facilities, with the addition of Futsal taking place at Birmingham City University.

Having been selected from multiple institutions, we cannot wait to host this prestigious event for the first time, and provide our student-athletes with the opportunity to play a final on home soil!

Sports to be hosted at UoB at the 2023-24 BUCS Midlands Conference Cup Finals:

Badminton
Basketball
Fencing
Football
Golf
Hockey
Lacrosse

Netball
Rugby League
Rugby Union
Squash
Table Tennis
Tennis
Volleyball

Thanks and congratulations go to the wider UoB Sport team and departments that made this happen; from those that were responsible for creating and submitting the initial application, to those that have supported the idea since it was first mentioned.

We relish any and all opportunities to showcase the amazing work we do here at UoB, and the 2023-24 BUCS Midlands Conference Cup Finals will be no different!

See our full fixture timetable below:

Basketball (M)	Munrow Arena 1, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	12:00
Basketball (W)	Munrow Arena 1, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	14:30
Netball (W)	Munrow Arena 1, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	17:00
Netball (W)	Munrow Arena 1, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	19:30
Badminton (M)	Munrow Arena 3, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	12:00
Badminton (W)	Munrow Arena 3, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	12:00
Volleyball (M)	Munrow Arena 3, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	18:30
Volleyball (W)	Munrow Arena 3, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	15:00
Table Tennis (M)	Slater Hall, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	12:00
Table Tennis (W)	Slater Hall, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	16:00
Fencing (M)	Slater Hall, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	19:00
Fencing (W)	Slater Hall, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	19:00
Squash (M)	Squash Courts, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	14:30
Squash (W)	Squash Courts, Sport and Fitness, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT	14:30
Hockey (M)	Water based synthetics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	19:30
Hockey (W)	Water based synthetics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	17:00
Hockey (M)	Water based synthetics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	12:00
Hockey (W)	Water based synthetics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	14:30
Lacrosse (M)	Metchley Grass Pitches, 126 Metchley Ln, Birmingham B17 0JA	12:00
Lacrosse (W)	Bournbrook 3G, Bournbrook 3G, Birmingham B15 2GR	14:30
Football (M)	Metchley Grass Pitches, 126 Metchley Ln, Birmingham B17 0JA	14:30
Football (W)	Bournbrook 3G, Bournbrook 3G, Birmingham B15 2GR	14:30
Football (M)	Metchley Grass Pitches, 126 Metchley Ln, Birmingham B17 0JA	14:00
Rugby Union (M)	Bournbrook 3G, Bournbrook 3G, Birmingham B15 2GR	19:30
Rugby Union (W)	Bournbrook 3G, Bournbrook 3G, Birmingham B15 2GR	17:00
Rugby Union (M)	Metchley Grass Pitches, 126 Metchley Ln, Birmingham B17 0JA	14:00
Rugby Union (M)	Metchley Grass Pitches, 126 Metchley Ln, Birmingham B17 0JA	14:00
Tennis (M)	Tennis Courts, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	11:00
Tennis (W)	Tennis Courts, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	11:00
Tennis (M)	Tennis Courts, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	14:00
Tennis (W)	Tennis Courts, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT	14:00
Golf (Mixed)	Edgbaston Golf Club, 25 Church Rd, Birmingham B15 3TB	09:30
Futsal (M)	Doug Ellis, BCU	16:15
Futsal (W)	Doug Ellis, BCU	19:30

December 19, 2023February 29, 2024 Helen Waters

Will Barnicoat running through the finish line, covered in mud.

Announcement Member News Student News

Scholars Stun During Action-Packed Weekend

Whilst the majority of us are winding down for Christmas, our incredible University performance athletes continue to compete and succeed, both on international and domestic stages.

The weekend of 9-10 December especially saw a huge number of UoB student-athletes shine, spearheaded by third year Mechanical Engineering student and Elite Scholar Will Barnicoat.

Will (pictured above and on the left below, credit: Clay Shaw 2023) produced a perfectly executed race through the mud at the European Cross Country Championships in Brussels to claim his second consecutive title and significantly contribute to British Athletics’ most successful outing at the event ever, despite moving up an age category.

Will said: “It feels surreal to have claimed a gold medal in a new age category, I honestly couldn’t believe it when I crossed the line. It feels great to have set it in stone that I can turn up to major events and collect medals on a regular basis.”

“My preparation in the lead up to the race was great and the UoB EDCAP scholarship programme has played a key role in my progression and success throughout. From S+C and Physiotherapy to Performance Lifestyle and Nutrition, it’s really helped me get to where I am now.”

In addition to Will’s individual gold, all four of the UoB representatives (Tomer Tarragano, Amelia Quirk (pictured left) and Zoe Hunter) came home with a Team Gold in the U23 Men’s, Senior Women’s and U20 Women’s categories respectively.

This can only mean extremely exciting things ahead of the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Cross Country Championships in February 2024, where the UoB Athletics Club will be looking to retain their Women’s Team title and go one better than their Men’s Team Silver from 2023.

On the other side of Europe in Bucharest, the British Swimming team – featuring triple British Champion Ollie Morgan – made history at the European Short Course Championships, as they finished top of the medal table for the first time.

Coached by the University’s very own Head of Swimming Gary Humpage, Ollie added to British Swimming’s impressive medal tally by claiming his first international medal – and the first of its kind for the University too – in the 4×50 Medley Relay, where the Great Britain team finished second.

With the addition of making the final of the 50m Backstroke and only narrowly missing out on spots in both the 100 and 200 finals, as well as continuing to improve on his personal best times across all three distances, the event provided a fitting conclusion to an absolutely phenomenal year of performances and progression for Ollie.

Ollie says: “It was amazing to be a part of another medley relay team, this time at a short course competition, which isn’t the strongest part of my competitive season. I was able to pull off a great swim and it fills me with pride to be a part of a record-breaking British Swimming team, as well as to get my hands on my first piece of international silverware!”

Whilst Ollie awaits the results of his nominations for the 2023 Propulsion Swimming ‘British Breakthrough Swimmer’ and ‘Most Improved British Swimmer’ awards, we already can’t wait to see what 2024 has in store for him!

University Elite Scholars Evie Wood (pictured below left) and Alice Atkinson competed for England at the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup in Chile, where they narrowly missed out on retaining their place on the podium from 2022. The team placed 4^th after losing to Germany in the bronze medal match.

The University of Birmingham’s affiliation to success on the international hockey stage remains as strong as ever, as honourable mentions must also go to current Social Policy student and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lily Walker, who despite being selected to play alongside Evie and Alice at the Junior World Cup, instead played in Argentina as part of the Great Britain Senior Women’s squad in the first round of the 2023-24 FIH Pro League.

Lily played alongside alumna Lily Owsley (pictured below right) who achieved her 100^th GB Cap during the series – a phenomenal feat for the 29-year-old UoB Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences graduate. The Argentina Pro League also saw fellow alumnus Nick Bandurak achieve his 50^th combined cap.

Medals and podium places were also won on the domestic stages across the same weekend by a handful of the University’s high-performing student-athletes.

At the BUCS Individual Squash Championships, the University of Birmingham and its Squash Club were delighted to have 2 atop the men’s podium. Moustafa El Sirty (below left) claimed his debut BUCS title after producing quite the comeback in the final, whilst Will Salter (below right) emphatically won the bronze medal. Hana Ismail placed a fine fourth in the Women’s competition.

Fellow scholar and last year’s BUCS Individuals champion Elliot Morris-Devred was absent from the tournament as he competes for Wales at the WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championships, currently ongoing in Tauranga, New Zealand. Wales have currently qualified top of their group for the quarter finals after commanding victories against the host nation, Republic of Korea and, most recently, Czech Republic.

We had three scholarship representatives present at the British Senior and Junior Judo Championships, all of whom came away with medals.

First year Biological Sciences student Summer Shaw (pictured second from the left below) was crowned the champion in both the junior and senior -48kg competitions, whilst fellow scholars Lachlan Moorhead and Ben Levy won the silver medals in the senior -81kg and junior -73kg categories respectively.

To conclude an incredible array of performances and results from just one single weekend, at the British Rowing Indoor Championships – an event that was hosted in Birmingham in conjunction with FitFest 2023 and saw numerous British and World Rowing Records broken – the University’s very own Katie Mole made the home crowd proud as she claimed the Women’s 2000m gold.

After such a high volume of success in a relatively short amount of time, recognition and applause must go not only to the athletes themselves, but their coaches and the University practitioners and personnel that provide tailored and unwavering support throughout all aspects of our student-athletes’ lives.

December 14, 2023March 7, 2024 Helen Waters

Evie Wood on the floor in her goalkeeping kit, with her hockey stick in the air.

Member News Student News

Five Minutes With: Evie Wood

Third year Geology student and UoB Elite Sport Scholar Evie Wood is no stranger to the international hockey stage. A long-time member of the Great Britain Elite Development Programme (GB EDP) and having starred in the 2022 England squad that secured a historic bronze medal at the 2022 Junior World Cup, Evie has returned to the squad for this year’s FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup, this time as Co-Captain. First year sport scholar Alice Atkinson (pictured with Evie below) also features in the squad.

We caught up with Evie before she travelled to Chile for the tournament – where England have qualified for the quarter-finals after topping their pool – to find out what it is about international hockey that she enjoys so much, how she prepared for the tournament before travelling and what she believes sets Birmingham apart from other universities.

Q: Last year you were part of the history-making, bronze medal-winning England squad at the Junior World Cup. This year, you’ve been named as Co-Captain. What are you most excited about this year’s tournament?

Firstly, I’m really excited to play in Santiago. The venue looks amazing and I haven’t been to Chile before so looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere and culture there.

Secondly, in tournaments such as the Junior World Cup you come across teams from all continents. In our pool we play New Zealand, Japan and USA which are all teams we rarely get to play, so it’s an exciting challenge to compete against these different styles of hockey.

Q: What do you love most about playing international hockey?

I love both the performance aspect and the travel that comes with international hockey. Playing high level, pressured games is exciting, and to be able to play these games all around the world is what makes it different to your club games.

Q: How – if at all – has your training regime changed over the last couple of months, in preparation for travelling to Chile?

On pitch, we have been training weekly with the England U21 squad. In August, we also played in a Four Nations tournament in Germany where we competed against the German, Indian and Spanish U21 squads.

Since Chile will be much warmer than England in December, we have been prepping off pitch in the heat chamber (pictured below) and sauna at the University to get some heat acclimation in before we arrive.

Q: How do you cope with balancing elite-level hockey and international competition, alongside your academic studies?

I’m currently in my third year at UoB studying Geology. I decided to split my third year (complete it over two years instead of one) which has given me more time to train and focus on the Junior World Cup, whilst also completing my degree alongside this. Over the last two years, my lecturers have been really accommodating of my hockey commitments and I have had regular meetings with both my academic tutors and the Scholarships Team at Birmingham to help me manage both work and hockey load.

Q: How has the EDCAP programme supported your development as an elite-level hockey player?

The range and the level of support we can access through the UoB EDCAP scholarship programme, I believe, is unmatched and has made a huge impact on my development as an athlete. Having strength and conditioning coaching three times a week, along with physiotherapy, nutrition and lifestyle support available helps me become a more well-rounded athlete both on and off the pitch.

Q: Why would you recommend UoB to aspiring hockey players?

The most important thing for me is the team culture and I feel that the whole hockey club at Birmingham creates an environment where everyone feels welcome. This alongside the amazing facilities and the high level of coaching is what I believe sets Birmingham apart from other universities.

Q: Looking ahead, what is next on the cards for you after the Junior World Cup has finished?

After the Junior World Cup I’ll no longer be eligible for the U21s, so I am looking forward to developing within the GB EDP environment and then senior squad trials at the end of next year.

What They Said…

“As part of her preparations for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup in Santiago (Chile), where temperatures regularly exceed 30 degrees Celsius, EDCAP scholar and Goalkeeper Evie Wood followed a heat acclimation protocol, drawn up by myself and fellow UoB Sport Physiologist Dan Lothian.

Evie completed weekly bike sessions in the University’s environmental “heat” chamber, supplemented with regular post-exercise sauna bathing as a practical alternative, allowing her to maintain her usual hockey-specific training alongside this.

Exposure to these environments drives a number of key physiological and thermoregulatory responses, resulting in a lower core temperature, heart rate and perception of effort, as well as an increased sweat rate and thermal comfort, to name but a few. All of this meant that Evie was well-equipped and ready to take on that Chilean heat!”

– Dave Sheldon, UoB Sport Physiology Lead (left)

December 5, 2023March 7, 2024 Helen Waters

Student News

2024 BUCS Conference Cups Finals

Sports hosted at UoB at the 2023-24 BUCS Midlands Conference Cup Finals:

Nominations now open for Sports Awards 2024

Brum success at BUCS National Championships

New year, same sports scholar success

Record-breaking BUCS Cross Country medal haul

Sports Awards 2024 | Save the date 30 May

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What They Said…

Sport & FitnessUniversity of BirminghamEdgbaston BirminghamB15 2TT

Classes

Pool

Active Club

Gym Group Training

Social Sport

Climbing Wall

Level Up Workshops

Sport

Performance Sport

Scholarships

Volunteering

Social Sport

Campus League

Pool

Sport & Fitness Gym

Tiverton Gym

Classes

Squash

Indoor Sports

Outdoor Sports

Active Club

Raymond Priestly Centre

Junior

Climbing Wall

Facility Hire

Sport & Fitness
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT