Team sports

If you are interested in team sports, we have an option for you

We are affiliated with the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS), the national governing body for Higher Education sport, which offers a wide range of inter-university leagues across hundreds of sports. University College Birmingham currently participates in men’s football, men’s rugby, men’s basketball, and Jiu Jitsu, with the view to introduce more sports for men and women, such as volleyball, badminton, and netball.

Our outdoor sports (football and rugby) are based at Avery Field, home of Bournville RFC and UCB partners. Training, usually on Monday evenings, and matches, Wednesday afternoons, take place on their all-weather 4G pitch. Our cricket team trains and plays at Aston Manor Cricket Club during the outdoor season, with indoor training through the autumn, winter, and spring terms.

Our indoor sports are based in our sports hall based at the Maltings halls of residence, with training taking place throughout the week, and matches taking place on Wednesday afternoon and evenings. Jiu Jitsu participate in two national events per year and two grading per year.

Basketball (men’s)
Our men’s team competes in Tier 4 of BUCS.
Cricket (men’s)
Our men's team compete in Tier 4 of BUCS for the outdoor league and hope to enter the BUCS indoor league in the 24/25 season.
Football (men’s)
Our men’s team competes in Tier 5 of BUCS, with a second team competing in the Birmingham FA Universities League*.
Jiu-Jitsu (mixed)
Jiu Jitsu have multiple gradings through the year, as well as competing in two national events.

Netball (women’s)
Our women’s team competes in Tier 7 of BUCS.
Rugby (men’s)
Our men’s team competes in Tier 5 of BUCS.
Volleyball (men’s and women’s)
Both men’s and women’s volleyball compete in BUCS - Tier 3 (men) and Tier 3 (women).
Each team will have weekly training with a professional coach, with competitive matches being held most Wednesday afternoons.

*subject to change in 24/25

Annual membership per team. The price includes:

BUCS and other league affiliation
Facility-hire for training and matches
Equipment
Branded match kit
Transport
Insurance
Professional coaching
Strength and Conditioning (once per week, HPC Moss House)
Sports Therapy (via SEM Clinic) at no charge

Register your interest

To register your interest (pre-enrolment), follow the link here, leave us your details and we’ll be in touch in September giving you all the details about taster sessions, trials and much more.

To register your interest (post-enrolment), follow the link here, or visit our Guild of Students.

Create your account (if not previously done)
Search for your sport from the society list.
See the details of the society, then add your interest to basket.
Go to your basket and checkout.

Your details will be added to the society lists and you will receive more details. Feel free to do this and attend any sessions organised by your society. To participate in training and matches in season (starting first week of October), you must have paid your membership fee, accepted your invite to the sport team canvas page, and completed your team agreement.

A calendar of events with the sports teams will be released when it is finalised during August.

Recreational Sports, Societies and Facilities

Additional recreational sports will be advertised at our Welcome Event in September. Other societies are available via our Guild of Students. Details can be found here.

Our fitness facilities are open for all students to join. Follow the link here to learn about our state-of-the-art gym at Moss House. For the latest updates, you can also follow the Gym on Instagram.

Individual athletes

BUCS offer various opportunities for individual athletes to compete in events throughout the year. Details can be found on the BUCS website.

If you compete in any individual events, don't hesitate to contact us directly so we can discuss dates and the entry processes. Please send your email to bucs@ucb.ac.uk.

Sporting Excellence Scholarships

If you are an 'Elite' or 'Talented' performer, you may be eligible to apply for a Sporting Excellence Scholarship. The university offers up to 6 Sporting Excellence Scholarships per year. For further details, click here.

Varsity

After a hiatus of 8 years, we were proud to rekindle Varsity with the University of Wolverhampton and Birmingham Newman University.

Varsity is a chance to showcase sports on a day of head-to-head competitions with our two partner universities across several sports. Held at the University of Wolverhampton, the full afternoon of sports, fun, and activities is a great end-of-season celebration for everyone involved.

Tickets will be on sale after the Christmas break – keep an eye on our socials for more information during the year.

Discover more

Guild of Students

Run by students, for students. As soon as you enrol at University College Birmingham, whatever level you are studying at, you automatically become a member of the Guild.

Accommodation

Our halls of accommodation, The Maltings, is located at the heart of Birmingham, close to our campuses and a wealth of shops, restaurants and bars.

Living in Birmingham

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Student support

Whether you need support with your learning, finances, health and wellbeing or other areas, our range of dedicated support services are here for you.

International students

Join our global community of more than 1,400 students from over 60 countries. Our international team will help make your application and arrival as smooth as possible.