You may have noticed our team being supported over the last few weeks by a new Communications Intern.

Meet Alex, a Masters student at Edinburgh Napier who is with SSS this semester. We sat down with her to learn about her sporting background, career goals, and whether her pizza topping of choice will reflect her Italian ancestry…

Tell us about your student sports background

I was a student at The University of Edinburgh and studied BSc Sport and Recreation Management at Moray House, graduating in the summer of 2024. In my first two years, I was a member of the Netball club and played for their second team. As part of the 2s, we reached the final of the Scottish Cup Quaich, played in Division 1 BUCS and CENA League A. I was also appointed social secretary in my second year and thoroughly enjoyed organising fun socials, setting up our annual ball, and meeting new people. In my last two years, I joined the tennis club as part of their development team and played socially.

In my second year, we were assigned to organise and run a sports event. My team and I created a Five-a-side charity football tournament called FitFives. The tournament was a great success, with over 80 people participating and raising £400 for our chosen charity, Conscious Edinburgh. I thoroughly enjoyed pursuing this project and loved seeing the result.

I am now pursuing a Masters in Sports Journalism at Edinburgh Napier University and am loving it! In addition to my Master’s, I am a writer for ENRG Sport and act as the U20s and Women’s Six Nations Correspondent. I am also a co-host of a tennis podcast with professional British tennis player Emily Appleton, “Courtside with Emily and Alex” (free to listen to on Spotify).

Do you have any sporting highlights?

There are quite a few, so it is challenging to pinpoint only a couple! I played competitive netball for many years, starting at the age of 8. Reaching Scottish Cup finals with my school team was always a highlight and core memory, but being selected for East of Scotland Development was brilliant—going on road trips and being undefeated for two years was amazing! Also, being part of the university’s team was a dream that I wanted to achieve for so long, and I loved being part of the squad!

I did however “retire” from netball in the summer of 2024 and pursued long distance running. As someone who was used to sprint and agility sessions, and would only be able to run a 5km max, this was a big step. I signed up for my first half marathon in Glasgow, October 2024, with low expectations and just wanted to complete it, thinking I wouldn’t do something like this again… I was wrong. I ran the race in 1:45:03 and I haven’t stopped running since. Glasgow 2024 was one of my top highlights!

Any exciting race plans emerging?

I have signed up for a few more Half Marathons; Inverness, Edinburgh and London Royal Parks… I’m sure I will squeeze a couple more in there. I also fancy conquering a few Munros and trying out pickleball.

What about work, outside of SSS?

After getting the chance to sit in the press box for the Scotland U20s rugby matches last month, I am excited to also be reporting on the Women’s Six Nations!

What is your ideal holiday destination?

I would love to explore New Zealand or Fiji.

Pineapple on pizza – yes or no?

Despite my Italian ancestry (sorry ancestors), I can be partial to pineapple on pizza but it wouldn’t be my top choice…

Wednesday 5th March sees BUCS Scottish Conference Finals return to the University of St. Andrews once again for one of our biggest days of student sport.

21 fixtures will be played across 9 sports, with 42 teams vying it out to be their Conference Cup or Trophy Champion for 24/25.

With over 500 students participating, we’re expecting a packed day of action so please do pay attention to the pre-event info below.

You can access the full pre-event info guide Pre-Event-Information-BUCSConfFinals_2025.

Looking for your pitch or sports hall? Here’s the Venue Map.

Stay up to date on the day! Follow us on Instagram for live updates.

For someone who “had no interest in taking part or having a career in sport” when he first stepped onto the University of Dundee campus in 2009, Keith Macleod has been on quite the journey.

A year as Sports Union President at Dundee was followed by nearly four years here at SSS as an Administrator and later Communications Coordinator. Since then, Keith has had roles back at the University of Dundee and as a Board Director of Scottish Volleyball, before settling into his current position as Engagement Manager at Scottish Hockey.  So what changed?

“The sporting provision at school in Edinburgh was pretty typical: football for boys, hockey for girls. Occasionally rugby was offered but that never appealed to me at the time! I did musical theatre for many years and was involved in dance, but at that time it was still an up-and-coming ‘sport’.

“The Sports Fair at Dundee changed everything. Suddenly you could see all these sports and clubs on offer, and actually speak to them. It was through that interaction that I signed up to Canoe: they seemed like really nice people, and the sport sounded quite cool – different from your traditional team sports.”

It was this emphasis on friendliness and inclusivity – a highlight of Keith’s time at Dundee – that showed that sport could be part of his student experience in a way that was never available before.

“I didn’t ‘officially’ come out as a gay man until university so there was always that kind of unspoken narrative through high school. Certainly, there wasn’t the realisation that some of the youngsters would be LGBTQI+ and everyone’s just trying to get by with the limited resources and education that was around at that time.

“It’s stark to think about it now. I left high school in 2008 and even then, in the final two years I could only tell you of one out and proud gay man in the school.

“From a sports perspective there just wasn’t the opportunity to try a multitude of different sports in what we would now consider safe environments for those of the LGBTQI+ community and for a lot of us, that was off-putting.

“Suddenly you find yourself going from that restrained environment to somewhere like Dundee which had a really unique and special culture about it. Everyone wanted to be your friend and make sure that you had the best experience possible in whatever you did.

“What stood out to me was there was never any deliberate malice or hate in the student sporting world. I was great friends with the football and rugby teams; sports at that time which you might think would have potentially more homophobic or hateful language within that setting.

“Yes, there’d occasionally be something said that would be classed as homophobic, but it was done in a naïve way, and they were always very apologetic afterwards. Looking back for me, it shows just how important the training and education we provide for clubs now is.

That brings us round to the present day where Keith has been determined to use his lived experiences to improve access and opportunity to sport at all ages. From his days as Sports Union President where he “tried to ensure everyone had the best experience they could, no matter what it took”, Keith has been at the forefront of campaigns and education across his various roles.

“I know we have to put resource into making sure that education and training is available for all clubs and sports. If we take our foot off the pedal or start to deviate, that’s where slip-ups happen and the hard work unravels.

“Just being visible and active in the space matters because growing up, I didn’t see LGBTQI+ staff in the way you do now. Being part of events like the Leap Sports Conference gives that opportunity to share your story, and it’s given me the confidence in myself to campaign for positive change.

“If I had a magic wand, it’s hard to say exactly what I’d change because we’re doing a lot of the right things already. At the end of the day, we have to remember that what sport has, and always has had, is the passion to welcome everyone, whether they do it rightly or wrongly.

“We want people to take part in sport, to be physically active, and get the enjoyment that we get from doing it. Bringing that together and providing that opportunity: that’s our superpower.”

Applications are being sought to host upcoming SSS Conference and Festive Gathering events in 2025-27.

Bringing together staff, elected student officers, partners and sponsors from across our Network, both events are highlights of the SSS calendar and have continued to grow year on year.

With the University of Aberdeen already confirmed as being hosts of Conference 2025, the tender process covers the following events:

• Festive Gathering 2025
• Conference 2026
• Festive Gathering 2026
• Conference 2027

Our Conference is a two day event and includes our annual Awards Dinner. Traditionally this takes place in the first two weeks of June. Festive Gathering is a one day event which we anticipate holding in the first week of December.

All SSS member universities and colleges are welcome to apply, and expressions of interest can be lodged for both events. There is an opportunity to register for a specific year, or be open to either date option.

With over 30 institutions now members of Scottish Student Sport, we’d love to see a range of applicants across the tender process.

Each tender document (linked at the bottom of this article) set out clear requirements for the event, and invite you to detail what your institution could bring as hosts of our Conference or Festive Gathering. Please note that approximate costs can be provided on request.

The deadline for both tenders is Friday 14th March 2025. All completed applications should be sent to the SSS Business Manager, Julia Stenhouse.

View the Conference tender here.

View the Festive Gathering tender here.

Scottish Student Sport are prepared for one of our biggest weekend in the competitions calendar as SS Games rolls into town.

Six sports will be spread across three cities with 1000 students set to compete, following a successful Judo Championships in St. Andrews last weekend.

Glasgow will play host to our Athletics, Aquatics and Karate Championships, while Table Tennis and Trampoline take centre-stage in Edinburgh. 3×3 and Wheelchair Basketball in Dundee. Unfortunately we have been forced to cancel our Boccia Championships at UHI Perth due to limited entries.

Bringing this event to life is no mean feat. Across the six sports, our staff team will be supported by upwards of 100 officials, venue staff, and our incredible volunteer base to make this a weekend to remember for all involved.

Athletics

Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow
Timetable & results here

Following a brief hiatus as the World Indoor Athletics Championships took place in Glasgow in 2024, we return to a revamped Emirates Arena for one of the highlights of the SSS competitive calendar.

As part of a limited calendar of indoor events, we always see an excellent standard on the track with junior and senior internationals in attendance. Will any athletes be going after some of the records on offer, including Laura Muir’s 1500m best from 2018?

University of Glasgow have held firm of the team competition for an astonishing 12 years. But with Edinburgh romping to victory at the Outdoor Championships, could it be time for a new name on the trophy?

Aquatics

Venue: Strathclyde Sport, Glasgow
Pre-event info here

The University of Strathclyde once again host the jewel in the crown of our aquatics programme and Scotland’s top student swimmers go head to head.

24 medal events will be run over the day, meaning that results at this event are likely to have a big bearing on SSS Medal Table – currently topped by the University of Edinburgh.

Who will emerge on top in Glasgow on Saturday? Led by our new Aquatics Chair Laura Shaw, we can’t wait to find out!

Basketball (3×3 & Wheelchair)

Venue: SpAH, University of Dundee
Pre-event info coming soon

In a new event to the schedule, we’re running 3×3 and wheelchair basketball disciplines at the University of Dundee’s SpAH facility.

The 3×3 festival will be run in a round-robin format to give teams plenty of time on the court, with the intriguing head to head being between UHI Perth and UHI Moray. Who will come out on top in the inter-college battle?

Elsewhere, wheelchair basketball makes a welcome return to the fold with students competing in their regions in a round-robin format.

Karate

Venue: Stevenson Building, University of Glasgow
Pre-event info here

Karate has a new host venue for 2025 with the University of Glasgow welcoming us into the Stevenson Building.

15 gold medals are on the line across various weight categories, with the competition expected to be fierce between the competing institutions.

After the success of Judo last weekend, we’re looking forward to another martial art bringing the flames at SS Games.

Table Tennis

Venue: St. Leonards, University of Edinburgh
Pre-event info here

Regularly one of the tightest days of competition we have, an action-packed day at the University of Edinburgh will see eight tables in almost constant use at the St. Leonard’s facility.

Trampoline

Venue: The Pleasance, University of Edinburgh
Pre-event info here

The Scottish Student Trampoline Open reaches its 40th year, with 2025 slowing no sign of slowing down.

Students from across the UK are entered in one of the country’s biggest trampoline events, taking place once again at the University of Edinburgh’s Pleasance facility.

With two full days of action – plus a full social calendar planned – trampoline is set once again to bring the SS Games weekend to life.

Female student coaches from across Scotland came together on Thursday to launch Coach Like a Girl: our new Women & Girls Coaching Project.

13 students from the group of over 30 on the programme joined us at the University of Edinburgh for an introductory session. Among them were students from a wide variety of sports who had travelled from as far as Aberdeen and Dumfries.

This new initiative, supported by Scottish Cycling and Scottish Rowing, was created by SSS to bring together and develop a heavily underrepresented group in Scottish sport through a series of masterclasses set to run throughout the academic year.

While 44% of students active across tertiary education identify as female, only around over 73% of coaches are male; limiting the opportunities for women and girls to benefit from female role models in sport.

During this introductory session, the cohort discussed what they wanted to get out of the programme, their own coaching experiences, and ended by coming up with a new name for the project.

The new name, Coach Like a Girl, draws on the themes of similar campaigns and showcases the personality behind this project’s participants. We aim to unveil some new branding for the project when the group next come together in January.

Commenting on the day, SSS Inclusion and Culture Coordinator Eilidh Gibson said:

“It was a genuine privilege to launch our coaching initiative yesterday in a room with the next generation of female coaches. Their energy, insights and immediate connection made it’s very clear that these women will be the trail blazers in Scottish sport over the coming few years.

“Jo [Foster, People & Learning Coordinator] and I are excited to build on what was discussed for the rest of the programme.”

This sentiment was shared among the participants. When asked to share their ‘key nuggets’ from the day, familiar themes emerged around being part of an inspiring, powerful group of sporty women and how this programme was a motivating factor for them to go out and dive into coaching. Above all, one participant stated that they were just proud to be part of this group.

The next session for the group will take place virtually in January with more sessions planned throughout the second semester.

Photos ©: Connie Chen