Resources Archives - Scottish Student Sport

Friday 14th June 2024

Read about the eight worthy winners of our 2024 SSS Awards, handed out at a ceremony on Wednesday evening at the Stirling Court Hotel.

Aonghus Sellar collecting the Dr Rob Macpherson Quaich from Dave Baker of Decathlon UK on stage

The annual Scottish Student Sports Awards took place on Wednesday 12th June at Stirling Court Hotel, where eight deserving recipients were rewarded for their commitment over the season.

The awards up for grabs on Wednesday night celebrated everyone from our top performing athletes and clubs, through to our hard working volunteers and the coaches delivering success on the student stage.

Thank you to everyone who helped the night run so smoothly. Particular thanks must go to Decathlon who supplied a range of exciting prizes for our winners. The successful recipients of the two man tent were the talk of the night!

Here’Fs who walked away with the awards on Wednesday.

Coach of the Year: Dean Robertson (University of Stirling)

Under Dean’s guidance, the UoS Golf Club have achieved remarkable national and international success in the past 12 months. His golfers have delivered consistent podium finishes across all SSS Golf competitions (men’s, women’s & team), and delivered team league success in both the Conference Cup and BUCS Championship.

This athletes also achieved top three finishes in the R&A Student Tour, while Dean has been appointed as the GB&I Captain for the Walker Cup later this year – setting a new benchmark for student golf at the highest level in the amateur game.

Also shortlisted:

Mat Trodden (University of Edinburgh, swimming)
Stuart Milne (University of St. Andrews, football)

Club of the Year: University of St. Andrews Tennis Club

With a record 400+ members, Saints Tennis combined performance and participation by achieving the highest number of BUCS points in the institution while simultaneously running a very successful recreational programme.

Tennis Scotland’s 2x University of the Year delivered over 16 hours of weekly sessions, including adding new pickleball and other racket sports to their offering. Outside of the univeristy, they launched three community outreach and workforce development project, including their Tennis for Girls initiatives which introduces tennis to new female junior players, and their parents.

Also shortlisted:

University of Dundee Dance Club
University of Aberdeen Futsal Club
University of Stirling Men’s Rugby Club

Team of the Year: University of Edinburgh Women’s Orienteering

It’s been a year of domination for UoE’s female orienteerers. They secured the top six teams at the Scottish Student Orienteering Championships, and lifted their 10th consecutive BUCS title. Such was their strength, they won 56 out of the 60 BUCS points available in women’s orienteering this year! Five individuals were selected to represent GB at the FISU World Orienteering Championships.

Outside of student sport, their athletes enjoyed multiple podium finishes at the British Orienteering Championships, and six athletes have been selected to compete in international competition.

Also shortlisted:

University of Strathclyde Women’s Water Polo 1’s
University of St. Andrews Women’s Football

Male Athlete of the Year: Charlie Aldridge (University of Edinburgh)

Reigning Male Athlete of the Year Charlie made it a second successive title on Wednesday and it’s no surprise seeing his list of accolades this season.

The now professional XC rider competed in four rounds of the 2023 UCI World Cup and picked up European bronze at U23 level.

His crowning moment, however, came when he collected a first rainbow jersey by winning the 2023 UCI World Championships, competing at home in the Tweed Valley.

Also shortlisted:

Ben Sandilands (SRUC, athletics)
Greg Lobban (Heriot-Watt University, squash)

Female Athlete of the Year: Megan Keith (University of Edinburgh)

2023/24 has been a real breakthrough year for Megan. At age grade level, she won two European Golds, with British and European records falling along the way. In the XC season, here 1 min 23 winning margin was more than double the Championship’s best ever.

After getting her first taste of senior track competition at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, this week Megan stormed to Bronze at the European Championships in Rome over the 10k. Later this summer she’ll make her Olympics debut.

Also shortlisted:

Katie Shanahan (University of Stirling, swimming)
Faye Rogers (University of Aberdeen, swimming)

Volunteer of the Year: Tom Stewart (University of St. Andrews)

There aren’t many jobs Tom doesn’t do in the footballing world at Saints Sport. This year he took on the roles of United Colleges Amateur Football Manager, Receational Coach, Sunday Leagues Coordinator, 2nd Team Player/Coach, and Club Vice-President.

He led twice weekly rec training sessions, and created a club buddy scheme for new members. Supporting athletes at every level of the sport has been his passion, which saw Tom develop a pathway for lover team players to progress across multiple squads.

His popular Sunday league and 6-a-side matches boosted participation, and also supported multiple charity initiatives with over £4.5k raised. His week-in-week-out dedication is unrivaled and his passion for the club and sport is clear for all to see.

Also shortlisted:

Gary Caldwell (University of Stirling, football)
Alyth Allen (University of Glasgow)

Honorary President’s Medal: Ross Simpson

Ross had dedicated over 15 years of his career to developing student sport at every level.

From his time as Sports Union President at Heriot-Watt University, Ross was a SUS/SSS staff member for six years before moving down the stairs of 48 Pleasance to University of Edinburgh Sport, where over a nine year tenure was instrumental in the great expansion of EUSU.

Ross has taken on many additional responsibilities including being an SSS Executive Committee Member, sitting on various BUCS Committees, helping lead the Volunteer Zambia programme, and having key FISU involvements at the World University Games in 2019 and 2024.

Dr Rob Macpherson Award: Aonghus Sellar (SS Football)

The Dr. Rob Macpherson Award is a special one for SSS – honouring a remarkable man, while celebrating the incredible work that volunteers do to keep our sports and events running throughout the year.

Our recipient for this year has been instrumental in reshaping the image and success of SS Football’s digital presence. Aonghus has put tireless work into reporting on student activities from across Scotland, and doing in-depth research into the history of our competitions to reach a new generation.

Despite being in a new full-time role, Aonghus has no hesitation about using holidays to support, and this season he attended all Conference Finals, plus our Men’s and Women’s Football Finals – even though they took place on separate days!

Aonghus has been a consistent and enthusiastic communicator with the clubs and as he steps up to the Chair role for 2024/25, we can’t wait to see what he has planned to help grow the sport over the coming year.

Also shortlisted:

Kirsten Mullen (SS Athletics)
Sandy Bond (SS Cycling)

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Thursday 4th April 2024

The 99th Scottish Student Golf Championship event took place at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth. Here’s a summary of the competition.

Moray Golf Club hosted the 99th Scottish Student Golf Championship and the Golf Team Championship from the 24th to the 29th of March 2024. Despite some challenging weather conditions, players turned up in good spirits and excellent golf was on show throughout the week.

The first 3 days of the event took place under a stroke play format, meaning players are scored individually and compete against the whole field. There were 75 participants in the men’s competition. The first day took place on the new course, and saw UHI’s Taylor Kerr score the best round with an impressive 67.

The second day provided more bitter, turbulent conditions on the new course in Lossiemouth, but thankfully players were able to remain dry throughout. After the second round had finished, a cut took place meaning only the 38 best-scoring players would make it to day three where play would switch to the old course.

Due to adverse weather conditions, only one round was played on the final day instead of the planned two. Despite Kerr scoring his worst round on the final day (73), his performances in the first two days were just enough to see him be crowned winner. Kerr finished the competition on 3 under par, narrowly beating out Ben Brookes and Jerry Fang of Stirling University who both finished on -2.

There was also a team element involved in stroke play, Universities/Colleges were able to submit a team of three or four players, with the three best scores counting for each round. This resulted in a victory for the University of Stirling. Thanks to the team of Will Coxon, Ross Laird, Ben Brookes, and Alexander Farmer.

14 competitors entered the women’s stroke play competition, representing a wide range of institutions. Lorna McClymont, from the University of Stirling, entered the competition with high expectations and she proved herself on the very first day. Scoring 69 on the old course, which was the best of any player.

McClymont continued her strong play on day 2 when the players switched to the new course. Her score of 68 was only matched by the University of St. Andrew’s Lucy Jamieson. This gave McClymont a three-shot lead on the chasing pack entering the final day.

Although she was unable to repeat her score of 69 from round 1, McClymont still scored a solid 72 back on the old course. Meaning she was an exceptional -12 overall for the competition and the winner of women’s stroke play.

Regarding the team element for women’s stroke play, the groups were slightly different. Teams were made up of two or three members from their institutions and the two best scores from each round were taken. The University of St Andrews came out on top thanks to quality golf from Lucy Jamieson, Megan Ashley, and Eilidh Monk.

The second half of the competition took place under match play rules, meaning players play directly against an opponent, competing to win individual holes. In the men’s side of this event, teams were made up of eight players and one substitute. Five teams entered: Stirling 1s, 2s, and 3s, the University of Strathclyde, and the University of Stirling. A strong three days of golf from Stirling 1s resulted in silverware.

Women’s match play was a head-to-head format where the players compete individually. The final of the match play was an all-Stirling University affair. Lorna McClymont continued her form from earlier in the week. This resulted in her facing Ellie Docherty, a native of Moray Golf Club, in the final. Docherty showed outstanding technique in the final and took the victory on her home turf.

Thank you to all the staff and volunteers at Moray Golf Club, who were incredible hosts as always.

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Monday 26th June 2023

Scottish Student Trampoline champion disability sport through fundraising and new disability inclusive competition categories!

The Scottish Student Trampoline development group have championed disability sport within trampoline and beyond this year, raising money for Beeslack All Stars Disability Sports Club and striving to ensure everyone had a place at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open.

Jordan, Lynne, Hollie and, Cait pictured from left to right

Through a number of fundraising events throughout the year the Trampoline development group raised funds to support Beeslack All Stars and the incredible work they do in providing young people with opportunities to participate in sport. Beeslack All Stars DSC are a grass-roots multi-ability, multi-sports, club linked with Scottish Disability Sport. They provide sporting opportunities for children and young adults with additional support needs and their siblings. At All Stars, everyone can try out new sports together, promoting improved physical and mental health, whilst developing their social and emotional skills, communication and confidence. All Stars also guide their members to pathways into SDS competitions, the Special Olympics, and have even had members go onto the Paralympics!

SST also worked hard to make their own events more inclusive, adding a disability category at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open for the first time ever!

Hollie Fullerton, SS Trampoline Chair said:

Representatives from Beeslack All Stars at the SS trampoline open handing out medals

Representatives from Beeslack All Stars presenting medals at the Scottish Student Trampoline Open

“Our donations will allow them to fund their staffing, take on new members, and purchase specialist equipment. They are also local to SSTO, training just outside of Edinburgh. The work they are doing is a total lifeline for the families they support and they are heavily involved in their local and wider community.

We selected All Stars as our partner charity this year to celebrate and champion inclusion in sport which is especially prominent since it is our first year offering a disability category within SST.”

The SST development group raised money through their social bands, donating the profits back to All Stars. Through the generosity of the Scottish Student Sport Trampoline Community, £975 has been donated to Beeslack All Stars.

Every club that attended the Scottish Student Trampoline Open purchased social bands so they are all to thank for this generous donation.

If you would like to learn more about Scottish Student Sports’ wider inclusion and diversity work then please get in contact with Inclusion & Culture Coordinator Eilidh Paterson.

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Tuesday 25th April 2023

It’s Awards Season again!! We are now accepting nominations for the 2022/23 SSS Awards! Read on for more information on the different award categories, the nomination process and where the winners will be crowned.

We are delighted to announce that the SSS 2022/23 Awards are officially open!

The Awards

We are accepting individual nominations in the following five categories:

Female Athlete of the Year- Aimed at high-performance female student-athletes, whether or not they compete for their college or university. This will be awarded to a female individual for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022 – April 2023) while making a tangible contribution to the institution.
Male Athlete of the Year- Aimed at high-performance male student-athletes, whether or not they compete for their college or university. This will be awarded to a male individual for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022- April 2023) while making a tangible contribution to the institution.
Volunteer of the Year- Aimed at students and non-students who volunteer at a local level. This is not aimed at volunteers primarily in a SSS role (please see Dr Rob MacPherson Award); coaches (see Coach of the Year); paid staff going the extra mile (see Honorary President’s Medal). This will be awarded to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to student sport at a local level during the 2022-23 year. The contribution may be in many forms such as exceptional active or administrative services to a club, college, or university; as a faithful club servant, committee member, leader; official; or purely down to their love of sport. Volunteers purely in a coaching capacity should be nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
Coach of the Year- Aimed at those who coach student sport/student-athletes at any level of performance. They may be either volunteer coaches or paid coaches. Not aimed at professional coaches based in Higher Education for whom student-athletes are not the main focus. This award will be given to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to student sport by coaching during the 2022-23 season. Good quality coaching; innovative ideas; dedication to the sport; and a drive to continually improve their own skills are features of an outstanding coach.
Honorary President’s Medal- Aimed at any individual who has made an extraordinary contribution to/lasting impact on student sport at a local, regional or national level. Nominees should be regarded as wonderful examples/ advocates of student sport and their behaviour should resonate with the above SSS values.

We are accepting group nominations in the following two categories:

Club of the Year- Aimed at the all-round best performing Club, on and off the field of play. Not aimed at clubs that have had a successful competition year only. This will be awarded to a club that can demonstrate impact in the 2022-23 season. Increasing memberships, upping participation, innovative projects, developing volunteers, promoting the role of officials; fundraising, community links and involvement in institutional activity are just certain elements that would demonstrate excellence.
Team of the Year- Aimed at the most successful, high-performing student teams in the country, whether within SSS/BUCS competition or further afield. Not aimed at a team that performs to the fullest of its potential in the lower levels of competition e.g. a third team that has a 100% season is still unlikely to win this award. This will be awarded to a team for outstanding sporting achievement at the highest level during the 2022-23 season (April 2022-April 2023). This can include international performances.

The final award is the Dr Rob MacPherson Award. This award differs slightly from the rest of our awards – there are no nominations, instead, the winner is selected by the SSS staff team as opposed to the Executive Committee. The award is aimed at any individual who has made an outstanding contribution to volunteering with Scottish Student Sport.

The Details

Nominations for each category should be a maximum of 250 words, in bullet point format listing out key achievements.
Institutions can nominate in as many categories as they wish, but may only put forward one entry per category.
Past winners can receive the same award again.
Only member institutions can nominate. All member institutions have been sent login details to the online portal where nominations should be submitted.
Nominations close on FRIDAY 5th MAY at 18:00 and the Executive Council will then decide on the winners.
Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on Wednesday 7th June, as part of the SSS Conference.
Please contact Totty with any queries.

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Thursday 23rd February 2023

In the spirit of LGBTQ+ history month, Scottish Student Sport are giving voice to our amazing LGBT+ athletes. We had the honour of speaking to Hollie Fullerton, who was Glasgow University Sport Associations’ first non-binary club captain and now the current Scottish Student Sport Trampoline Chair. Hollie shared their thoughts on why they think everyone should get involved in sport and how sports clubs can continue to work on being inclusive for all. Find out everything they had to say below:

How did you get into trampolining?

I went to recreational trampolining my whole childhood as my mum was a trampoline coach, but I wasn’t that interested in doing it competitively. I stopped around puberty age and then I got back into it at university. It was a bit of a hop skip and a “bounce” but it all started with recreational and that’s why I think I’m still able to enjoy it now as I didn’t have a competitive upbringing with the sport.

How has your first year as trampoline chair been?

We’ve just one league event left and then I’m done my first year. It’s been a really good year; we just had the Scottish Student Trampoline Open (SSTO) which was the first time it’s been back since 2020.

Students from all over Britain attended the SSTO, did the event go well and can you explain how inclusivity was applied?

Everything went really well. It’s our first year that we introduced a disability category so that’s been our big step. We started introducing it in our first league back in October and we continued it for the SSTO for our first open disability category. We’re so thrilled that people signed up for it and wanted to get involved. It’s really such a great and accessible sport.

Could you explain what being non-binary means to you?

I came out as non-binary a few years ago. I don’t identify with male or female I’m just me. Gender is a big spectrum and there’s lots of different places that people can find themselves on that, but as a non-binary person, I don’t feel a link to gender, I use gender-neutral language, my pronouns are they/them.

What did it mean to you to be Glasgow University Sports Association’s (GUSA) first non-binary club captain?

My coming out tied into all as a sort of weird things happening. I was social secretary my first year, then second year I was club secretary. I was an ally so thought I’d put my pronouns in my email, and it just looked wrong. It clicked in my head that I would rather not be called she/her and that I preferred general neutral pronouns. I had known I was queer for a long time and was out openly, I just never realized that I had these feelings about gender as well. My next year going into it as captain one of our older members of the committee said I think you’re our first openly nonbinary captain. We got in touch with Glasgow University Sports Association (GUSA) and they confirmed I was.

Were you worried about any of your trampoline teammates’ response to you coming out?

We have our executive committee, so it was myself, our captain and treasurer and we’re really close. They were some of the first people I came out to, and they were so great and kind about it. That’s the nice thing about sport, these institutions are such a safe space. We’ve all done our diversity training and we have to be supportive.

Why would you encourage other LGBTQ+ members and students as a whole to get involved in student sport?

I know an unfortunate statistic is that people who identify as queer struggle with mental health. But we also know sport improves your mental health as well as your physical fitness. You’re getting to socialise every week on a regular basis so I think it’s great for anyone, but I think since queer people might be more likely to struggle, it’s even more important they get involved. The socialisation you get from a sports team is absolutely invaluable.

Do you have any advice for someone who may be nervous about joining a student sports club?

I think if someone is nervous to join, knowing there are measures in place to ensure your well-being is such a comfort. Also, a lot of friendships come from being on a team as it kind of forces you to socialise. It gives you something to talk about.

I’m aware some Universities have gendered clubs, for example a men’s hockey team and a female hockey team. Do you have any thoughts about the gendering of student sport clubs when it’s being played at a recreational level?

I think when its recreational it’s important to ask does it really have to be gendered, and does it really make a difference. I appreciate at a certain level bodies can make an impact on sport. But at recreational level, which is what we’re performing at university and college generally, then why not make it for everyone. I do get somewhere like the University of Glasgow the hockey teams are huge so they have to be split in some way, but I think were there can be mixed recreational teams there absolutely should be especially in non-contact sports.

What steps would you like to see being taken next to ensure student sport clubs continue to work on being inclusive for all?

I think measuring up whether being inclusive outweighs a marginal difference in competitive level. For example, this year at trampoline we had trans people competing and I think especially at lower level it didn’t make any difference. We allowed people to compete in whatever category they felt most comfortable in. At trampoline our levels are split into level of difficulty and it’s the same expectation for everyone. If sport clubs have to be split then why not split it based on difficulty level instead if it means more people can get involved. I know it’s very sport specific I just want more people to be included.

Is there anything else Scottish Student Sport could do to promote inclusivity?

This year trampolining focused on disability, but we also have to make sure we’re inclusive in other areas. For example, British gymnastics recently changed their rules, so we were able to implement gender neutral kit and allowing people to wear religious headwear in competition. So, for the first time we had people competing in hijabs and it’s so nice to have all these different areas fully included. It’s important to question why we have the rules we have and looking at long-standing practices that might be discriminatory. Being open minded and flexible is the main thing.

If you have any questions or thoughts, why not get in touch with our Inclusion & Culture Coordinator:

Phone: +44 (0) 7572 682978
Email: eilidh@scottishstudentsport.com

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Thursday 26th January 2023

In October 2022, we launched the 2022/23 Leadership Programme, which this year consists of eight nominated enthusiastic students. Read on to learn how they’ve been getting on!

In October 2022, we launched the 2022/23 Leadership Programme, which this year consists of eight nominated enthusiastic students. This programme is designed to advance their skills in the masterclass sessions and put them to the test during their volunteering hours at some of our SSS Events. This year’s cohort have developed learning in areas such as growth mindset, collaborative working and productivity as well as motivation, from both members of the SSS Staff Team but also industry experts from our network including Guy Richardson from Eiger Performance and Ross Simpson, Assistant Director and Head of Sport, The University of Edinburgh.

This January we have just launched for the second semester, meeting in person to discuss high-performance behaviours ahead of the new term and reflect on the success and learnings from semester one. This semester the team head out to some of our SSS Events to solidify their personal development and put some of their newly developed knowledge to practice. SSS Leadership Programme offers individuals an opportunity to develop their skills and has helped some of our graduated Leaders reach positions such as Institution Sports Presidents, Ronan Welch current Strathclyde University Sabbatical Officer was part of the 2021/22 Leadership Course and here is his advice for those who wish to do the programme.

“Taking part in the SSS Leadership Program last year was very useful in developing me as a leader, and the skills I learned throughout the program I now use daily in my role as Sports President at Strathclyde. Particularly Guy Richardsons sessions at the start and end of the program – make the most of those sessions in challenging, and being challenged on your leadership style, the self-reflection you do here will be invaluable! With the weekly mastermind calls, make sure you put the effort in and speak up in them – you’ll get out what you put in. Finally, enjoy it – you’re in a group of highly motivated people who come from a range of institutions, sports, and backgrounds – use this opportunity to network, listen, and learn as much as you can from each other and you’ll come out of the year massively better off for it!”

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Thursday 10th November 2022

Check out the highlights from our recent Boccia Championships!

Check out the highlights from our recent Boccia Championships, in partnership with the fantastic Scottish Disability Sport, where we were delighted to welcome teams from colleges and universities up and down the country!

Well done to all participants and we look forward to seeing you at future Boccia events soon.

📸 Photo album can be found HERE

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