Students across Scotland’s Colleges and Universities will be able to enjoy a Summer of Sport thanks to a significant investment in tertiary education from sportscotland.

SSS have been successful in securing funding on behalf of the tertiary education to support free and low-cost opportunities for young people to get active as part of the national Summer of Sport programme.

The sector-wide bid means we will now distribute funds directly to Scottish institutions to support specific projects with successful bids set to be announced in the coming weeks.

The fund is part of an £18 million cash injection from the Scottish Government designed to help communities celebrate an incredible Summer of Sport, which will include the FIFA World Cup and a home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. A total of £1.75 million was allocated to National Partners with SSS bidding from this pot.

Helping students celebrate an incredible few months of sporting activity, we will also support projects covering the transitional period of students returning to campus, helping maintain the momentum of this summer.

Commenting, SSS COO Stew Fowlie said:

“The Summer of Sport campaign is a wonderful development and I am delighted that SSS has been recognised as a key national partner in delivering the campaign.

“Significant funding secured by SSS will support a brilliant variety of projects, linking campuses and communities across Scotland. This will help provide opportunities for many many hundreds of folk that otherwise might not have had the chance to get active – with extra effort being taken to keep them going into 2027 and beyond.”

About the 2026 Summer of Sport:

The 2026 Summer of Sport will provide children and young people across Scotland the opportunity to get active in their local communities through events and activities hosted by schools, clubs, sporting bodies and local authorities. Free and low-cost opportunities will be provided with investment from the Scottish Government and delivered by sportscotland, as the excitement of the FIFA World Cup, Commonwealth Games and more inspires a generation to get involved in sport and physical activity.

The Summer of Sport forms part of a wider £20 million Scottish Government investment in sport and physical activity across Scotland, including:

• £15 million for the Summer of Sport, providing free and low-cost sport and activities for children and young people.
• A universal learn-to-swim offer for every primary school child in Scotland, that will continue beyond 2026, backed by initial year-one investment of £2 million.
• A £2 million ‘Celebration of Football’ fund, aligned with the FIFA World Cup, using the power of Scotland’s national game to change lives through football.
• A £1 million ‘Health in the Community’ campaign targeting areas with low activity levels to become and stay active.

Scottish Student Sport are delighted to reveal the clubs, athletes, coaches and volunteers shortlisted for the 2025/26 SSS Awards.

A total of 20 athletes, coaches, volunteers, clubs and teams are nominated across six awards with the event taking place on Wednesday 11th June at Hotel du Vin, St. Andrews.

From Olympians to BUCS-dominating teams to committed volunteers, the shortlist represents the true scale and impact that student sport has in Scotland.

Our membership is well represented with a total of ten institutions fielding successful nominations; the University of Edinburgh leading the way with four. The College sector is represented by a nomination apiece for West College Scotland and North East Scotland College.

Two additional awards will be presented on the evening: the Honorary President’s Medal for outstanding commitment to student sport in Scotland, and the Dr. Rob Macpherson Award which will be presented to our SSS volunteer of the year.

Over the next two weeks we’ll be talking more about each of our shortlisted nominees on our social media so be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to hear about everything they’ve achieved this year.

Coach of the Year

• Rachel Cremin (University of Strathclyde) – Netball
• Scott MacAulay (University of Stirling) – Tennis
• Mat Trodden (University of Edinburgh) – Swimming

Female Athlete of the Year

• Angharad Evans (University of Stirling) – Swimming
• Megan Keith (University of Edinburgh) – Athletics
• Toni Shaw (University of Aberdeen) – Swimming

Male Athlete of the Year

• Neil Simpson (University of Aberdeen) – Snowsports
• Barney Stewart (Heriot-Watt University) – Football
• Judd Sundelson (University of St. Andrews) – Golf

Volunteer of the Year

• Madeleine Bell (University of Edinburgh) – Karate
• Finlay MacCallum (Robert Gordon University) – Climbing
• Sibylle Reboul (University of St. Andrews) – Rugby
• Ethan Thomson (North East Scotland College) – Basketball

Club of the Year

• University of Aberdeen Weightlifting Club
• University of Glasgow Ski & Snowboard Club
• University of St. Andrews Tennis Club

Team of the Year

• University of Edinburgh Hockey Men’s 1’s
• University of Glasgow Lacrosse Men’s 1’s
• University of Stirling Tennis Men’s 1’s
• West College Scotland Football Men’s 1’s

Dr. Rob Macpherson Award (SSS Volunteer of the Year)

• To be revealed on the night

SSS Honorary President’s Medal

• To be revealed on the night

The 2026 Scottish Student Sport Conference, powered by Technogym, will take place on 10th – 11th June at the University of St. Andrews.

Always a highlight of the SSS calendar, the conference brings together our community to network, share best practice, and celebrate the success of student sport.

On the Wednesday evening we’ll all come together for the ever-popular SSS Awards Night. More information about categories and nominations will be released to institutions in due course.

Online ticket sales are now closed but anyone still interested in attending should contact SSS Business Manager Julia Stenhouse-Walton.

Accommodation

This year, accommodation will be available through our hosts the University of St. Andrews for a reduced event rate of £90 per person. You can book any rooms through the Conference sign-up form or by contacting Julia Stenhouse-Walton.

Rooms will be double beds with en-suite and includes a buffet breakfast.

Please note that we’re running low on availability for accommodation so book ASAP to avoid disappointment!

Agenda

June 10th – Connecting the Wider Scottish Sport Sector

June 11th – Member Collaboration In Action

Awards

The prestigious Scottish Student Sport Awards Dinner will take place on the evening of Wednesday 10th June where we’ll celebrate the students, staff, and volunteers that have made the season so successful.

This year we’re delighted to be hosting our Awards at the iconic Hotel du Vin in St. Andrews and we hope you will join us.

Tickets include a welcome drink, wine, and a three course dinner and can be purchased either separately, or in our discounted Conference package.

View this year’s shortlists here!

Through research conducted by recent placement student Anna Bole, SSS has been exploring the realities students face when trying to balance academic commitments with participation in university sport with a particular focus on Wednesday afternoons.

The study combined survey responses from student sports club members alongside insight from University sabbatical officers across Scotland. While exploratory in nature, the findings highlighted consistent challenges around academic flexibility and participation in student sport.

The research found that:

• 84% of students reported missing academic commitments in order to participate in fixtures
• 50% had chosen not to play fixtures because of academic pressures
• 64% believed more could be done to support students balancing sport and study
• 25% experienced weekly clashes between academic and sporting commitments

The findings also highlighted the inconsistent nature of support across institutions. In many cases, flexibility for sporting commitments depended on informal conversations with individual academic staff rather than a clear or consistent institutional approach.

Students described the pressure of balancing competing priorities, with many highlighting the impact this had on their enjoyment of sport and wider student experience

Whilst this research focused on universities, informal conversations across our colleges suggests similar barriers to competition, participation and a complex balancing act for students.

For many students, Wednesday afternoons are about far more than competition. They provide opportunities to build friendships, strengthen belonging, develop leadership skills and engage more fully in university life.

The research also raises wider questions beyond sport, including how institutions support participation in volunteering, societies and the broader student experience.

As conversations continue across the sector, the work highlights the importance of creating environments where students do not have to choose between their studies and the opportunities that help them thrive personally, socially and academically.

As this work moves into its next phase, expanding the research across the wider membership will help build a clearer understanding of student experiences across the sector. Through continued collaboration with institutions, students and partners, SSS hopes to support meaningful conversations around academic flexibility, participation and the role sport plays in creating positive and connected student experiences.

A huge thank you must also go to Anna, for her work in leading and shaping this research. Through her thoughtful approach, engagement and commitment to bringing her own experiences to the wider sector, Anna has played a significant role in helping bring these important conversations to the forefront of the sector.

Want to hear more? Anna will be part of our Conference 2026 line-up!

Update – 27/05/26: we have been overwhelmed by the number of responses we have received! Notes of interest are now closed for this group.

Do you want to help shape the future of student-led sport research in Scotland?

Scottish Student Sport is establishing a new Research Advisory Group to support us in connecting student research more directly with the needs of the sport sector.

Each year, students at all levels across Scotland produce high-quality research on a broad range of topics from participation to inclusion, from psychology to coaching.

Too often, student research and sector insight exist in parallel. This initiative aims to bring them together—creating a shared space where academic expertise and practitioner experience directly inform one another, shaping research that is both rigorous, relevant and student delivered.

We are looking for a small group of academics and practitioners who are motivated to work at this intersection to form part of our first advisory group.

As part of the groups initiation, it will aim:

• Co-develop and refine the overall approach, vision and aims of the programme
• Identify and agree priority areas aligned to both academic and sector interests
• Shape the principles for governance, ethics and student experience
• Inform how partnerships between institutions and the sport sector operate
• Contribute to the design of a model that is both sustainable and scalable

We are particularly keen to hear from:

• Academics involved in student research or dissertation supervision
• Practitioners working in sport perf development, participation, inclusion, or policy

If you are interested in being part of this work, please get in touch with our Head of Development, Jordan Dawson.

Over 100 staff and students came together in Edinburgh last week for the second annual ESOL (English as a Second Language) Football College Cup.

Hosted by a group of Active Campus Coordinators, the event provided opportunities for eight ESOL departments to come together, engaging students outside of the classroom.

Historically underrepresented in organised sport, events like this provide a key avenue to engage with minority groups in Scotland’s colleges with a love of football bringing students together.

This tournament provided a useful warm-up for many of these players who will be participating at our College National Finals, held at Oriam on Wednesday 29th April.

On the day Dundee & Angus College took the win in their first tournament appearance, beating UHI Perth in the Final. Emad Abdulrahman (West College Scotland) was named Player of the Tournament while Shazyar Rasouli (Forth Valley College) and Mustafa Ibrahim Abdullah (Edinburgh College) picked up Goal and Goalie of the Tournament respectively.

More importantly, this tournament provides an opportunity for ESOL students to connect and engage when many are still settling into the country. Across the tournament there were stories of individuals who had travelled to Scotland together and were finally meeting again having been separated on arrival.

The talent on show was evident. Participating players included students who competed for Team Scotland in the Homeless World Cup while there was a real emphasis on participation across the college teams.

Our thanks to the Project Group of Grant Sutherland (Glasgow Kelvin College), Natalie Dott (Glasgow Clyde College), Savannah Antoine (West College Scotland) and Xsara Murray (Edinburgh College) for their time dedicated to growing the ESOL football programme. Its growth in the last 12 months is clearly evident with the amount of sport on show.

The Active Campus Coordinators involved hope this event will continue to grow with more colleges joining in coming years, alongside regional projects to provide further support such as that seen in Glasgow. What’s for sure is that there is plenty more to come!

Scottish Student Rugby returns with a first Men’s National Squad fixture since 2019 later this month, against Newcastle Red Bulls Students.

Bringing together some of the best student players in Scotland, the programme provides an opportunity for players to be challenged and develop whilst experience a high-performance environment.

The fixture, taking place on Wednesday 29th April at Kingston Park, kicks off at 18:30 with tickets available for just £5 (free for u18s) here.

The return of a National Squad programme has been led by volunteers from across the student game in Scotland who have been keen to provide an opportunity that complements the existing performance pathway, giving players sitting just outside traditional systems a chance to be seen, gain exposure and push themselves.

With this year’s fixture acting as a pilot, it is hoped that an expanded programme can be introduced in the future, including the reintroduction of a Women’s National Squad. Programmes like this are reliant on committed volunteers and any individuals who would like to support a possible squad in the fixture are encouraged to contact SSS Rugby Lead Ruairidh Campbell.

The squad to travel to Newcastle will be led by University of St. Andrews Director of Rugby David Morris, who said:

“I am incredibly passionate about University and College rugby and the student athlete experience. The return of the Scottish Student Rugby programme is very important in showcasing the talent within our system. It is a representative programme and it matters that everyone involved reflects their journey and community with pride.”

David Morris has a wealth of experience in student rugby having previously been Director of Rugby at Loughborough University, coaching the side to a BUCS Championship, victory over England U20s, and progression into National League 1.

He will be supported by Bob McKillop (University of Stirling) and Dave Hampton (Heriot-Watt University) who each bring strong knowledge of the Scottish pathway and player development environments.

Bob McKillop, who coached the Scotland Club XV alongside head coach roles at the University of Stirling and Heriot’s this season, commented:

“There’s a huge amount of potential in the student game. Bringing this programme back gives players a chance to connect into something and push themselves in a different environment.”

Dave Hampton added:

“The student game is full of talent and ambition. This programme is a great way to give players a real insight into high-performance rugby and help them prepare for the next step in their development.”

Coordinating the programme’s revival is Lewis Skinner (University of Glasgow), who highlighted the volunteer effort behind it:

“I’m hopeful this programme can grow into something that complements the performance pathway and gives players a real opportunity to develop. Every single person involved is volunteering their time because they believe in the student game, and I want to thank everyone who has helped make this happen. We are also grateful to Newcastle Red Bulls for their support with this fixture.”

There is strong evidence that the student game can produce great players with over 200 athletes progressing from BUCS leagues into professional pathways in the last decade. This programme intends to provide a structured step for the next generation, providing opportunities for players, coaches and support staff to gain experience in a high-performance environment.

Over 70 players were nominated by coaches and captains from across Scotland’s universities and colleges. A trial squad will convene for the first time next week before a final squad is announced in the build-up to the game.

Their opposition, Newcastle Red Bulls Students, will be made up of players from the Universities of Durham, Newcastle and Northumbria. As some of the top rugby-performing universities in England, the team will provide quality opposition for our side.

The squad will be one of a number to play under the Scottish Student Sport (SSS) name this season. Ruairidh Campbell, SSS Rugby Lead said:

“It’s exciting to see our Rugby National Squad take shape. This year we will have National Squad activity across six sports and the return of rugby to the fold is a welcome addition.

We are indebted to our volunteers who have spearheaded this initiative, and our members for supporting the activity. We hope a successful pilot this month will pave the way for a sustainable programme moving forward, providing opportunities for students in Scotland.”