The 2025 Scottish Student Sport Conference, powered by Technogym, will take place on 11th-12th June at the University of Aberdeen.

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.

Following last year’s success, we’ll once again be opening up the first day of Conference to SGBs as we frame the vital role student sport plays across the Scottish sporting landscape.

The glad rags will be donned on Wednesday evening for our ever-popular SSS Awards Night. More information about categories and nominations will be released to institutions soon.

Thursday’s agenda will feature voices from across the SSS network, including institution-led best practice, and an industry-leading insight from our Headline Partners Technogym.

Secure your place here!

Pricing

SSS Members can take advantage of a reduced rate of £75 for a single day ticket, £75 for our awards evening, or for the biggest saving, our multi-day packages: two days for £145 or two days plus awards for £215.

Non-Members/SGBs can attend a single day for £85, with awards available for an additional £90. Multi-day options allow for a two day conference package of £165, or add the awards evening for a total cost of £250.

External Attendees can fill out the Typeform above, or contact SSS Business Manager Julia Stenhouse.

Accommodation

This year, accommodation will be available through our hosts the University of Aberdeen for a reduced event rate of £50 per person (bed & breakfast). You can book any rooms through the Conference sign-up form or by contacting Julia Stenhouse.

Rooms are individual occupancy in shared flats, consisting of communal kitchen and bathroom facilities.

Don’t fancy an early start on the Wednesday morning? You’re in luck because additional rooms are available the night before Conference! Just book alongside your Conference ticket.

Agenda

We’ll be announcing our first Conference 2025 speakers over April with the full agenda expected to be published in early May.

Any questions regarding Conference can be directed to People & Learning Coordinator Jo Foster.

Awards

The prestigious Scottish Student Sport Awards Dinner will take place on the evening of Wednesday 11th June where we’ll celebrate the students, staff, and volunteers that have made the season so successful.

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

Nominations are now open – find out more here.

The Student Active Wellbeing Report, in collaboration with BUCS and Sport England, is launched today with a clear message that there are huge benefits to being active across wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging, and what the future holds whilst studying.

Produced for the first time in five years, the report is based on a UK wide survey of students, with well over 1,000 Scottish respondents – 15% of the total group.

Download the report here

Commenting on the report, SSS Chief Operating Officer Stew Fowlie said:

“It’s clear that by investing in active campuses and organised activity, institutions can help their students to better physically, mentally, socially and academically – creating a sense of belonging that can otherwise be hard to find”.

The report paints a positive picture for the student sporting landscape in Scotland. 76% of Scottish respondents reported being part of a student sports club – the highest in the UK. This is further borne out by our annual club membership audit which continues to see strong growth in our members’ clubs.

Students engaging in both sports clubs and gym facilities reported better scores across a range of wellbeing metrics. Active students reported lower levels of an anxiety and were least likely to say that they felt lonely or excluded. Further data outlines that one key reason for this may be the sense of belonging built into sports clubs, and by extension, their institution.

The results of this survey highlight the need for an institutional approach to engaging the inactive and continuing to improve the experience of the engaged. 18% of respondents reported being inactive, yet were still compelled to complete a survey on physical activity. There is an onus on all of us to work better to engage inactive students in every institution.

The report also highlights that particular groups may be missing out on the benefits of being active. Across the UK, Asian and Black women, students from deprived areas, commuter students, and students with a health condition that has a major impact on their life are all less likely to be engaged on campus. This follows wider population trends and highlights the need for us to consider all demographics in creating positive student experiences through activity.

This is all work that is ongoing at SSS and we look forward to shaping this into the future. As best summarised by our COO:

“Regular activity must increasingly be seen not as a nice-to-have, but as a key priority within modern campus life. We therefore urge leaders in colleges and universities to place sport and active wellbeing at the centre of every student’s experience.”

Whilst tertiary education continues to respond to an ongoing and growing mental health crisis among its student and staff communities, being active continues to offer an evidence-based route to a brighter, more positive future for us all.

The report is available in full, here.

All members, partners and interested parties are invited to our webinar discussing the Scottish-specific data, taking place on Thursday 1st May, 15:00-16:00. Sign up here.

Last Wednesday our Men’s and Women’s Football Cup Finals were held at Heriot-Watt University’s Oriam facilities. Read more about the action in our match reports below from Anya Diggines, and check out the match replays on our YouTube.

Queens Park Shield: Edinburgh Napier 1 – 2 University of Stirling

The University of Stirling have lifted the Queens Park Shield once again after two years, following a dominant performance against Edinburgh Napier.

Both teams started strong, as Stirling pressured the Napier back line a couple of times in the opening minutes.

Thomas Vonk crossed the ball to Jay Burns who had a shot at goal, but it went high, and a powerful shot from Lewis Blane called Harris Miller into action.

10 minutes in and Stirling still looked dangerous at the edge of Napier’s box. Vonk had a clear header, but it came back off the bar, as Stirling looked desperate to score.

Stirling looked clinical, winning the corner and passing it short to Burns who had space to take a shot, but it went over the bar.

A minute later and Vonk was up for a challenge with Miller as it tipped over the keeper’s head and had to be cleared off the line by the Napier defence.

Stirling managed to get their break on the 20^th minute as Finn Moffett found himself clear of the defence, as he dribbled it round the keeper and slipped it into the back of the net.

Napier bounced back though as Brodie Watt got a break on the ball, but Blane matched his speed, covering him well and denying the equaliser.

The goal spurred Napier into action, as they weren’t letting Stirling get away with much more. Chances were thwarted early as Stirling had to try even harder to get their second.

Their closest chance for a second came as Blane managed to get the ball under the keeper and it looked like it was going in, but Napier’s Iestyn Harries made a crucial clearance off the line to deny the goal.

Heading into half-time the score remained 1-0.

The second half remained uneventful, as chances were few and far between with both sides struggling to keep possession of the ball.

Napier had a huge chance to equalise from a freekick in the 66^th minute, as a scramble in the box saw the ball ricocheted off the bar.

Napier then had another chance as Lucas Lockhart received the ball in the box and smashed it towards goal from close range, but Stirling’s Alex Sutherland made a huge save to keep Stirling in the lead.

It was Stirling that got the second goal of the afternoon though, as they doubled their lead on the 71^st minute with an incredible shot from distance by Burns as it fired into the back of the net.

Napier were keen to get their first of the afternoon, as Louis Holmes received the ball from a corner and sent it towards goal, but it went high.

Holmes received the ball again in the box from a freekick and made an excellent shot towards goal, but it was tipped over the bar by Sutherland.

A scuffle in the box after the corner was the end of their spat of chances, as Stirling looked to take control of the game again for the last ten minutes.

However, Napier got one back in the 88^th minute, with Liam Cairns finding space at the edge of the box and firing it into the top right corner.

Napier looked desperate to see this game into extra time and maybe penalties, but Stirling held up well to block any threats.

It ended 2-1 at full-time, with the University of Stirling getting their hands on the trophy once again.

#SheCanSheWill Cup Final: University of Edinburgh 1 – 2 University of St. Andrews

It was an all too familiar fixture as these teams faced each other again in the final of this competition for the third season in a row.

The University of Edinburgh looked to lift the cup for the first time against St Andrews. Meanwhile, St Andrews looked to retain their winning streak as they beat Edinburgh twice and the University of Stirling once in the last three cup finals.

Auburn Brenner for St Andrews got a massive chance in the first five minutes as she received the ball in the box and fired the ball towards goal, but it was huge save from the Edinburgh goalkeeper, Lara Sparrow, to deny St Andrews the first.

St Andrews then got a freekick on the edge of the box and Liva Helt sent it to the right but just too far as it smacked off the post, St Andrews looking hungry for that first goal.

Another huge chance for St Andrews came as Olivia Boscaccy got the space to get a shot away at the edge of the box but it just skimmed over the bar.

Edinburgh began to find their feet 25 minutes in as they made some great tackles to stop St Andrews from getting a break on the ball.

Some excellent link-up play allowed Edinburgh to get a chance at goal four minutes before the break as Emily Arthur had a go, but it was sent wide.

A minute later and it was another huge chance for Edinburgh as Kasha Gronowska Butz took a shot inside the box, but it was a great save from Rowan Blacklock.

Helt hit the woodwork again a minute before the break, as St Andrews couldn’t seem to find this first goal.

It remained goalless heading into the break.

The half-time talk looked to make all the difference for Edinburgh as they came out in the second half dominating the game.

Edinburgh’s Dana Perry got a go at goal in the opening seconds of the second half, but it was picked up by Blacklock.

St Andrews’ Adriana Bobenrieth then had a go at the near post, but it was saved by Sparrow who went to ground.

St Andrews came so close just before the hour mark as the ball smashed off the post once again, the ball was picked up on the rebound and fired at the goal again whilst Sparrow was still on the ground, calling the Edinburgh defence to clear the ball off the line as it remained 0-0 with 30 minutes to play.

St Andrews missed a huge chance as Elanhe Sherrell had an open goal but just couldn’t get the shot away before Edinburgh’s defence cleared the threat.

St Andrews finally broke the deadlock on the 69^th minute as Brenner got the ball in the back of the net from a tight angle.

Finding their rhythm after the first goal, St Andrews got their second just six minutes later as Holly Govan scored a sublime goal, sending the ball over the goalkeeper and into the net.

Edinburgh’s captain, Varghese, then looked like she got one back, but the referee was soon blowing his whistle as it was offside.

However, they did get one back in the 86^th minute as Butz scored a fantastic goal, getting the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net.

Edinburgh threw everything into getting that second goal in the closing minutes of the game, however they just couldn’t take anything from their chances.

St Andrews lifted the trophy for the fourth consecutive year after a strong, resilient performance.

The annual BUCS Scottish Conference Finals, held in St Andrews, was another great success. Despite the cold and coastal wind, this didn’t stop a jam-packed day with over 500 students participating, 9 sports, 21 fixtures, and many supporters cheering from the sidelines or on the bleachers. 

Hockey: 

The day kicked off at the hockey pitch, where Edinburgh 6s and Stirling 2s battled it out to win the ICG Women’s Trophy. It was a well-contested and close-call game that ended in a draw at the final whistle. The winner was decided through penalty strokes; Stirling edging Edinburgh 4-1, securing their trophy and title. 

The ICG Hockey Women’s Cup Final began shortly after, with Edinburgh 4s and St Andrews 2s. Another impressive athletic display, however saw Edinburgh fell short 3-1 against St Andrews. 

The men’s hockey fixtures were played in the afternoon; a nail-biting performance between St Andrews 3s v Aberdeen 2s, concluding in a penalty stroke shoot off. But yet again, the home side, St Andrews, raised the Hockey Men’s Trophy. 

Another St Andrews side returned to the hockey pitch alongside Strathclyde to declare the Hockey Men’s Cup title. Strathclyde 1s break St Andrews’ streak with a 2-0 win. 

Netball:

It was a westside derby with the University of Glasgow 5s facing Glasgow Caledonian 1s in the EY Netball Women’s Trophy but the girls in blue came up on top winning 50-32. Rachael Maclean of Glasgow Caledonian was awarded MVP. 

Strathclyde 2s and St Andrews 2s followed in a high scoring game, yet “Team Tech” pulled it out of the bag, leading 67 to 43 at full time. Strathclyde’s midcourt, Aina Jenkins-Garcia was crowned MVP.

Tennis: 

It was an East coast v West coast face off with Edinburgh 2s and Glasgow 2s walking onto the tennis courts – but who came out on top to declare the Teach First Tennis Women’s Cup Final title? After some intense moments, Edinburgh won the Cup and Daniella Scotland was named MVP. 

The Teach First Tennis Men’s Cup Final invited St Andrews 2s and Stirling 5s onto the court; an undoubtedly competitive rivalry! St Andrews sought revenge over the Stirling side after last year’s result, and worked their magic, affirming 6-0 and being crowned champions. St Andrews’ Timothy Moore received MVP.  

Despite the classic Scottish weather conditions, this didn’t stop Heriot-Watt and Stirling in the Teach First Tennis Fast Four Men’s Final. It was safe to say that this wasn’t only a battle for the title, but a fight for survival in the multi-directional freezing wind. Stirling carried victory over Heriot-Watt, 5-1. Mark Rutherford from Heriot-Watt was awarded MVP. 

Volleyball:

The Volleyball Women’s Cup Final was atmospheric to say the least with never a dull moment or a trickle of silence. A fierce Glasgow side faced a cool and collected St Andrews. However, the west coast warriors champion the sets in a 3-0 win!

The Volleyball Men’s Cup Final followed later in the afternoon, with Edinburgh 2s and Stirling 1s bringing the heat in an intense showdown. After some thrilling passages of play, Edinburgh lands on top 3-1. 

Basketball:

The BT Basketball Women’s Cup Final showcased a close and highly contested face-off between St Andrews and Glasgow. The Conference Finals host, edged the westside, 60-53, with Heather Ritchie (St Andrews) crowned MVP.

The fun-filled and busy day of competitive sport ended after an outstanding, high-scoring game between Aberdeen and Stirling in the BT Basketball Men’s Cup Final. Stirling secured the title for the third year in a row, leading 95 to Stirling’s 70 points.

Lacrosse:

Alongside the other outdoor sports, the Lacrosse Women’s Cup Final was hosted in a crossfire of high winds and frostbite-like conditions, yet Stirling and Dundee both gave phenomenal performances in a nail-biting fixture. At the final whistle, Dundee are titled champions after a close contested match ending in 12-10. Stirling’s Eilidh Montgomery was announced as MVP. 

Badminton:

The Badminton Mixed Cup welcomed Dundee and Glasgow Caledonian. After some fast-paced and impressive rallies, Dundee concluded the match-up, 9-3 and brought home the Cup. Hamish McAllister of Dundee was voted MVP. 

Football: 

Having only affiliated with Scottish Student Sport this year, it was great to see West College Scotland facing an experienced Heriot-Watt side in the ALDI Football Men’s Trophy. Heriot-Watt won 4-2 after extra time and Adam Kyle from the Edinburgh side was awarded MVP. 

Aberdeen and Edinburgh Napier followed in the ALDI Men’s Cup with the Knights confirming the win, 3-1. 

The University of Aberdeen returned to the pitch, meeting Stirling in the ALDI Football Women’s Cup Final. The “granite city” university claimed the title, winning 3-1. 

Rugby: 

The Rugby Men’s Trophy kicked off with Aberdeen 3s facing Heriot-Watt 3s. It was difficult to depict who was making more noise – the players or the abundance of supporters on the sidelines. The tension on and off the pitch was like no other but Heriot-Watt edged Aberdeen 31-29 at the final whistle. 

Another Conference Finals derby face-off saw Edinburgh 2s and Edinburgh Napier 1s battling it out for the Rugby Men’s Cup Final title. After a well-contested match, the University of Edinburgh claim the Cup after a 26-17 success. 

The Rugby Women’s Cup served excellent play and showcased incredible sporting moments to finish the rugby campaign with Edinburgh Napier 1 challenging Glasgow Caledonian 1s. However, Glasgow Caledonian won with an incredible distance, ending in 82-10 and Katie Lister awarded MVP. 

The 2025 BUCS Scottish Conference Finals displayed fantastic sporting moments and created everlasting memories. The event would not have been possible without the students, but the officials, volunteers, organisers, hosts and spectators as well – a huge thank you goes to all of you! We are excited to see what the future holds for Scottish student sport. 

By Alex Brattesani

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.