BUCS Update - Competitive Sport at NTU

Fixtures for the 2020/2021 Winter league programme will now take place between January and April 2021.

Fixtures move to January 2021

Following an announcement from the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), it has been confirmed that fixtures for the 2020/2021 Winter league programme will now take place between January and April 2021. BUCS have also confirmed that there will be no promotion and relegation at the end of the 2020/21 season, with the final league standings from 2019/20 being used to form the leagues for 2021/22.

This decision is a result of an extensive consultation process undertaken by the BUCS Office, of which NTU Sport has had significant involvement. We are fully supportive of the decision made by the BUCS Executive due to the uncertainty of the current situation..

Opportunities for our athletes

This change will provide significant opportunities to offer our athletes an extensive pre-season programme through Term 1 allowing us to have even more focus on individual athlete development. The lack of promotion and relegation during the season gives our teams an increased ability and confidence to play with freedom and expression, and gives our 1st year students, an increased opportunity to experience BUCS competition.

Scholarships

All students who have received a sport scholarship offer will have this scholarship honoured in the 2020/21 academic year.

FAQs

What will the BUCS programme at NTU Sport look like for 2020-21?

The exact detail of what the 2020/21 sporting programme will look like is not yet available. However as guidance becomes clearer, we will be working to ensure we have programmes in place which allow our students to return to their sporting programmes as soon as feasibly possible. If regulations allow, we will also look to offer as many pre-season fixtures/competitions as is viable during Term 1.

When will BUCS release their calendar of events?

BUCS have also outlined that they plan to release the full calendar of their event based sports programmes which covers over 120 events, including sports such as Athletics, Canoeing and Swimming by Friday 28 August 2020. Term 1 dates are being included within this planning, should the regulations at the time allow BUCS to be able to offer these safely and appropriately. Once we receive more information we will communicate through the relevant members of NTU Sport staff.

What involvement will NTU have in the shaping of the programme next year?

NTU Sport will continue to play a full role in consultation with BUCS in regards to the Return To Play programme, and we will provide updates as and when available.

Further Questions

If you have any further questions, please contact your Head of Sport, Sport Development Officer or Performance Sport Manager chris.campbell@ntu.ac.uk