university Archives - Scottish Student Sport

Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Table Tennis before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

Table Tennis is a sport with origins you may not expect. Despite its dominance by Asian competitors, Table Tennis was initially invented in Victorian England. It is derived from Tennis, which had become a nationally beloved sport and had been adapted into a tabletop game. While the game is also known by the name Ping Pong, it is officially known as Table Tennis.

Table Tennis can be played by either two players or two teams of four players. A game is split into three sets with the winner being the first player to win two. To win a set, a player must reach eleven points and be two or more points clear of their opponent.

A point is mainly obtained in one of three ways. Firstly, a player will win a point if they can strike the ball into the opponent’s half and have the ball bounce twice without their opponent being able to return the ball. To win the point, the player must hit their first shot on the table, the edges also count. The second is for an opponent to hit their ball into the net. If a ball clips the net but is still able to reach the opponent’s half of the table, the ball will still be in play. Thirdly, if your opponent is unable to land the ball back onto the table, they will forfeit the point. A server can also lose a point if they don’t hit the ball on their side of the court first during the service, or if the ball is handled incorrectly during the serve. In a doubles match, players must hit the ball consecutively. If a team player hits the ball twice in a row, they will lose the point on behalf of the team.

Despite inventing the game, Great Britain has never won a medal in Table Tennis at the Olympic Games. They competed most recently in the 2020 Olympic Games, where they were represented by Liam Pitchford, Paul Drinkhall and Tin-Tin Ho

Scottish Student Sport holds both a Table Tennis League and the Table Tennis Championships at the Scottish Student Games.

For more information, click this link: https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/table-tennis/

If you’re interested in joining a Table Tennis club, click the following links:

Edinburgh College: https://twitter.com/ecsportsunion?lang=en

Heriot-Watt University: https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk/tabletennis/

RGU: https://www.rguunion.co.uk/getinvolved/societies/tabletennis/

University of Aberdeen: https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/tabletennis/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/shinty/

University of Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/tabletennis/

University of St. Andrews: https://table-tennis.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/tabletennis/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/7844/

UWS: https://www.facebook.com/teamUWSonline/

Sports Chair: Edmund Lau – scotstutabletennis@gmail.com

Governing Body: Table Tennis Scotland – https://tabletennisscotland.co.uk/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Shinty before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

Shinty is a Scottish sport which could be compared to a mix of Hockey with some Footballing rules. There is no exact date for the creation of Shinty but it is believed to be over 2,000 years old. The game is mostly played in Scotland, with it also being enjoyed in some parts of England and areas of Scottish settlement.

A Shinty game consists of two teams of 12 players, whose objective is to get the ball into the opponent’s goal, much like in a game of football. Also similarly to football, a shinty game consists of two 45-minute periods with opponents swapping halves during the interval. Shinty also features corners, free hits and penalties are awarded similarly to football.

Shinty is often paralleled with Hockey, due to the use of a caman (stick) to move the ball. However, Shinty can be more rigorous than Hockey, with players allowed to go shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. Shinty also allows players to control the ball with their chest and both ends of the caman. Fouls are often awarded for misuse of the caman. Players are not allowed to hit the opponent’s caman with their own. This is called hacking and will result in a foul. A foul will cause either a free hit or a penalty if the infraction takes place inside the penalty area. Fouls can also be called for hitting an opponent with a caman or controlling the ball with one foot. If foul play is judged to have occurred, the resulting player can receive a yellow or red card. If a player receives two yellow cards or one red card, they are ejected from the game and cannot be replaced with a teammate. The winner is the team that scores the most goals across the game.

The highest senior level of shinty is the Mowi Premier Division for men and the WCA Mowi National division, which were last won by Kingussie and Badenoch respectively. The University of Aberdeen is the sole senior representative in the Mowi league system. The men’s team currently play in the Mowi North Division 2, the third tier of Shinty. They finished the previous season in an impressive third place, only beaten out by Beauly and Kilmallie.

Scottish Student Sport offers a variety of shinty competitions.

The Scottish Student Shinty League sees university teams play against each other continuously throughout the academic year.

The October Shinty Festival helps gives a platform for newer players to experience the sport.

The Littlejohn Vase (Men’s) and McHue and Porter Cup (Women’s) are knock-out tournaments that are fiercely contested by universities.

The Camogie-Shinty Hurling International sees Scottish Shinty players take on Camogie/Hurling competitors from Ireland in November.

If you are interested in joining a shinty club/society, click the links below:

RGU: https://www.rguunion.co.uk/getinvolved/societies/shinty/

University of Aberdeen: https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/shinty/

University of Dundee: https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/shinty/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/shinty/

University of Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/shinty/

University of St. Andrews: https://shinty.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/shinty/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/7148/

Sports Chair: Lee Thompson – sss.shinty@gmail.com

Governing Body: Camanachd Association – https://shinty.com/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Sailing before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

For the majority of modern history, Sailing has been used as a mode of transportation across bodies of water. From the first sailboats in Ancient Egypt to the early 20th Century, Sailing was essential to cross the world’s oceans to reach faraway countries/continents. However, with modern technological advancements, Sailing has been increasingly used for recreational and sporting purposes.

Sailing is both simple and complex. While there are many intricacies to racing rules, the simplest explanation is that Sailing is a race between either two (known as a match race) or multiple (known as a fleet race) sailboats. The first person/team to cover the required distance is the winner. There are many different types of sailboats used throughout the sports history. Currently, the eligible boat types are Dinghy, Skiff, Multihull, Sailboard, Kiteboard and Monotype.

Great Britain is the most successful nation at the Olympics, with 31 gold, 21 silver and 12 bronze medals in sailing. In 2020, Great Britain won three gold medals. Giles Scott won the Men’s Finn, Stuart Bithell and Dylan Fletcher won the Men’s 49er and Eilidh McIntyre and Hannah Mills won the Women’s 470. McIntyre’s father, Michael McIntyre who won sailing gold at the 1988 Seoul Games, was a graduate of the University of Glasgow.

Scottish Student Sport selects individuals to join their Sailing team every year, where they compete in a host of events including the Laser Performance Collegiate Cup. There is also the SSS Yachting Championship, Team Racing Championship, Ceilidh Cup and BUCS MR Finals. For more information, click here: https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/sailing/

If you’re interested in joining a Sailing club, click the following links:

UHI: https://www.hisa.uhi.ac.uk/groups/uhi-wind-and-wave-club

University of Aberdeen: https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/ausailing/

University of Dundee: https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/sailing/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/sailing/

University of Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/sailing/

University of St. Andrews: https://sailing.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/7120/

Sports Chair: Hazel Brimelow – scottishstudentsailing@outlook.com

Governing Body: RYA Scotland – https://www.rya.org.uk/gbni/scotland

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Rugby before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

One of Scotland’s most beloved sports, Rugby may seem complicated at first. The origins of Rugby are somewhat dubious, with one famous tale stating that William Webb Ellis invented the sport when he picked up a football during a school game in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire. While this isn’t confirmed, the unusual tale acts as a catalyst for the somewhat unusual nature of the sport.

Rugby has two popular variations, Rugby League and Rugby Union. As the specific rules of the game are extensive, a basic outline and comparison of the two variations will be outlined here. Players can score points in different ways in rugby matches. These are:

Try – A try is awarded when a team can get the ball into the end of the opposing team’s half (known as the try line). In Rugby Union, this will award the team five points whereas a try will be awarded four points in Rugby League. Scoring a try will also earn the team a conversion, which is a free kick of the ball from the point of the final play pass. A designated kicker will then have to kick the ball between the goalposts to earn the extra two points for a successful conversion.

Drop Ball – A drop ball is when a ball is kicked between the goal posts during an active passage of play. This will gain three points in Rugby Union but only one in Rugby League.

Penalty – A penalty is awarded when a player is fouled by the opposition. A team may opt for a penalty kick, which must be placed between the goalposts. This will net you three points in Rugby Union and two in Rugby League.

There are many other rule differences between Rugby Union and Rugby League but they share the same common objective. Teams will try to gain points by using a mix of the mentioned methods. The winner is the team with the most points at the end of the game. Games last for 80 minutes in two forty-minute halves. Players are only allowed to throw the ball backwards, with forward play only allowed if the ball is kicked forward. Players are allowed to tackle each other. However, tackles deemed to be dangerous can result in penalties and the award of cards. A yellow card will cause the player to be removed from the pitch for ten minutes and a red will remove them permanently. Teams are not allowed to substitute removed players.

Scotland has been a very successful national Rugby Union team, having won the prestigious Home Nations and Five Nations tournaments 11 times each. Currently, they rank 7th in the world. Notable college/university alumni currently in the national team are Simon Berghan (Edinburgh Napier), James Bhatti (Edinburgh College) and George Horn (University of Edinburgh).

Scottish Student Sport collates a Rugby team to compete together every year, with two or three games available to the team. There are also BUCS Rugby leagues where universities compete against each other. To find out more, click here: https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/rugby/

If you are interested in joining a Rugby club, click these links:

Abertay University: https://www.abertay.ac.uk/life/abertay-sport/university-sports-union/rugby/

Edinburgh College: https://twitter.com/ecsportsunion?lang=en

Edinburgh Napier (Men’s): https://www.napierstudents.com/organisation/sports/napierrugbyunion/

Edinburgh Napier (Women’s): https://www.napierstudents.com/organisation/sports/napierrugbyunion/

Glasgow Caledonian University (Men’s): https://www.gcustudents.co.uk/groups/rugby-mens–2

Glasgow Caledonian University (Women’s): https://www.gcustudents.co.uk/groups/rugby-women-s–2

Heriot-Watt University: https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk/rugby/

Queen Margaret University (Men’s): https://www.qmusu.org.uk/groups/rugby-men-s-99ff

Queen Margaret University (Women’s): https://www.qmusu.org.uk/groups/rugby-women-s-c780

RGU: https://www.rguunion.co.uk/getinvolved/societies/rugby/

University of Aberdeen (Men’s): https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/6276/

University of Aberdeen (Women’s): https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/6492/

University of Dundee (Men’s): https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/rugby-men/

University of Dundee (Women’s): https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/rugby-women/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/mensrugby/

University of Edinburgh (Touch): https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/touch/

University of Glasgow (Men’s): https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/rugbymen/

University of Glasgow (Women’s): https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/rugbywomen/

University of St. Andrews: https://rugby.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling (Men’s): https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/mensrugby/

University of Stirling (Women’s): https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/womensrugby/

University of Strathclyde (Men’s): https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/7096/

University of Strathclyde (Women’s): https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/7108/

UWS: https://www.facebook.com/UWSRugbyClub/

Sports Chair: Vacant – ben@scottishstudentsport.com

Governing Body: Scottish Rugby – https://scottishrugby.org/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Rowing before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

Rowing has been used as a mode of transportation as far back as Ancient Egypt. In a sporting sense, there is no direct time linked to its creation but it is believed to have derived in Renaissance England.

The sport of Rowing is fairly simple. The objective is to race across a body of water in a rowing boat moved by oars. The boat that reaches the finish line wins. While the distance of a watercourse can depend on the rules of individual competitions, the common length chosen is 2,000 kilometres.

There are two types of row boats used in major competitions. The first is called a Scull, which allows each rower to have two oars, one on each side of the boat. There are single, double and quadruple scull events. The second is Coxed/Coxless. A Cox (short for Coxwain) will give directions to the rowers to help them steer. That is because, in this event, rowers will only have one oar and will have to communicate to make sure that force is evenly distributed to give the boat a faster speed. Coxless works in the same manner except there isn’t a cox on the boat to guide the rowers.

Each row boat is assigned a lane. Rowers are not permitted to cross over into any other lane or hit an opposing boat with their oars. Doing so can result in a team being disqualified.

Rowing was scheduled to be an event at every Olympic Games since its reemergence in 1896 but the first edition was cancelled due to adverse weather. Great Britain has been successful at the Olympics in rowing, with 31 gold, 25 silver and 14 bronze medals. The most recent gold medals came in 2016 when Team GB won the Men’s Coxless Four, Men’s Coxed Eight and Women’s Coxless Pair.

Each year, Scottish Student Sport host the SSS Regatta, Indoor Championships and Head Race. There are also BUCS Rowing events. To find out more, click here: https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/rowing/

If you’re interested in joining a Rowing club, click the following links:

Heriot-Watt University: https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk/boat/

RGU: https://www.rguunion.co.uk/getinvolved/societies/rowing/

University of Aberdeen: https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/6108/

University of Dundee: https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/boat/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/rowing/

University of Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/boat/

University of St. Andrews: https://rowing.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/rowing/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/7084/

Sports Chair: Matthew Simpson – ScotStuRowing@gmail.com

Governing Body: Scottish Rowing – https://www.scottish-rowing.org.uk/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Judo before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

Kodokan Judo (more simply known as Judo) is a Japanese martial art which originates from Jujitsu. It was created in 1882 by Dr Jigoro Kano and would become an Olympic sport in 1960 with men first competing in 1964 and women in 1992.

Judo is seen as a sport of honour with specific rules in place for matches. A match will pit two Judoka (Judo fighters) against each other. One fighter dressed in a blue gi with the other donning white. The Judoka will step onto the Tatami mats and bow before the fight begins. A Judo contest will consist of five minutes, with the object of dominating one’s opponents.

There are two main ways to defeat your opponent in Judo. The first is to score an Ippon. An Ippon is awarded if a Judoka can throw their opponent onto their back, can keep their opponent in a grapple hold for more than 20 seconds or get their opponent in an arm hold/chokehold. Scoring an Ippon will immediately end a Judo contest.

The second is to score a Waza-ari. A Waza-ari is awarded to moves that connect with their opponent slightly less than that of an Ippon, such as landing a throw on an opponent without them fully landing on their back and holding a grapple for just shy of 20 seconds. Waza-ari translates to ‘half-point’ which means that scoring two Waza-ari will win the contest.

The final score that can be gained is a Yuko. A Yuko is a move that connects with less force than a Waza-ari. So, a throw with little pace and a grapple for shy of 15 seconds will score a Yuko. You can score any number of Yuko but if your opponent gains at least one Waza-ari, it will outrank any Yuko scored. In some competitions, a scoring system will instead be used, with 100 points awarded for an Ippon, 10 for Waza-ari and 1 for Yuko.

Like most contact sports, Judo matches are split into different weight classes. These are:

Extra Lightweight – Men’s ~60kg, Women’s ~48kg
Half Lightweight – Men’s 60-66 kg, Women’s 48-52kg
Lightweight – Men’s 66-73kg, Women’s 52-57 kg
Half Middleweight – Men’s 73-81kg, Women’s 57-63kg
Half Heavyweight – Men’s 81-90kg, Women’s 63-70kg
Heavyweight – Men’s 90-100kg, Women’s 70-78 kg
Open Weight – Men’s +100 kg, Women’s +78kg

Unsurprisingly, Japan has been the most successful nation in the Olympics for Judo competitions. They have received 48 gold medals, exactly three times more than the second most successful nation, France. Great Britain is yet to receive Judo gold but has won eight silver and 11 bronze medals. The most recent of which came in the 2020 Summer Olympics, where Chelsie Giles won a bronze in the Half Lightweight division.

Scottish Student Sport hosts two big Judo events per year. The first is the Kyu Grade Open which is aimed at newcomers to the sport and held to aid in their learning/development. The second is the Individual & Team Championships which is held at the SSS Games which has competitions separated into belt categories, so those at even their 1st kyu can compete for a medal. If you are interested in taking part in a judo club/society, click the links below:

University of Dundee: https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/judo/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/judo/

University of Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/judo/

University of St. Andrews: https://judo.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/8231/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/6744/

Sports Chair: Paul Grady – scotstujudo@gmail.com

Governing Body – Judo Scotland – https://www.judoscotland.com/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Golf before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

One of the world’s most beloved sports, Golf has become popular as a calming game which is suitable for all ages. The game is believed to have been invented in 15th Century Scotland, with St. Andrews hosting the world’s oldest Golf course. Since then, the game has become a worldwide phenomenon, being enjoyed by amateurs and professionals alike across the globe.

While there are many variations, the traditional rules of golf see a player attempting to hit their golf ball (known as strokes) into a designated hole. A course will consist of eighteen holes, each of which is played separately with players occupying different holes simultaneously. Each hole will have a Par number. This is the number of strokes a player is allowed without penalty. For example, if a hole is a Par 4 and a player takes five strokes, their score for that hole will be +1 as they took one more stroke than allowed. However, if a player uses fewer strokes, they will get a minus score. In this example, if a player manages to sink the ball into the hole within three strokes, they will get a -1 score. Different scores in golf are allocated different names, such as:

One Shot – Hole in One

-4 – Condor

-3 – Albatross/Double Eagle

-2 – Eagle

-1 – Birdie

0 – Par

+1 – Bogey

+2 – Double Bogey

+3 – Triple Bogey

+4 – Quadruple Bogey

The winner is determined by the player with the lowest aggregate score across all holes. There are many terrains that can make up a Golf course. There’s the Green, Rough, Out of Bounds, Bunker and Water. The Green contains short grass and is the most optimal surface to play on. The Rough is, as the name implies, a rougher area of the course with longer grass. The Bunker is a pit of sand which is the most difficult surface to hit the ball out of. If a player hits a Golf ball into water that’s too deep to play out of, they will receive a penalty and will continue play from where they took their initial shot. Out of Bounds is the area beyond the course. If a player hits the ball outside of the course, they will receive a penalty and will continue play from where they took their initial shot, much like hitting a ball into water.

Scottish Student Sport hosts the Scottish Student Golf Championship and the West of Scotland Golf Trophy. This year marks the 99^th Scottish Student Golf Championship and will take place in Lossie. These events are available to applicants, with further information found here: https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/golf/

If you are interested in joining a golf club/society, click the links below:

Abertay University: https://www.abertay.ac.uk/life/abertay-sport/university-sports-union/golf/

Edinburgh College: https://twitter.com/ecsportsunion?lang=en

Heriot Watt University: https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk/golf/

RGU: https://www.rguunion.co.uk/getinvolved/societies/golf/

UHI: https://www.hisa.uhi.ac.uk/groups/uhi-golf-club

University of Aberdeen: https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/augc/

University of Dundee: https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/golf/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/golf/

University of Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/golf/

University of St. Andrews: https://golf.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/golf/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/6640/

Sports Chair: Vacant – chris@scottishstudentsport.com

Governing Body: Scottish Golf – https://www.scottishgolf.org/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Futsal before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

In recent years, Futsal has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Futsal blends the competitive aspect of Association Football with the skills and flair famously found in Street Football. Originating in South America, Futsal is predominantly played indoors with two teams made up of five players each. There are no limits on the number of substitutions a team is allowed and the game consists of two 20-minute halves. Much like its association counterpart, you must score more goals than your opponent to win a game.

Futsal is a fairly new sport in Scotland with it first being played in 1930s Uruguay with the first FIFA Futsal World Cup being played in 1989. Brazil has won the competition the most out of any country (five times) with Portugal being the current world champion. No team from the United Kingdom has played at a Futsal World Cup and Scotland did not have an official national squad until 2014.

The league system in Scotland is split into different regional leagues with the Super League being the highest tier in Scotland. Eight university teams play in the regional league system. These are:

The University of Aberdeen & Robert Gordon University (SFL Aberdeen)

University of Dundee, St. Andrews Uni 1 & 2 (SFL Dundee)

University of Edinburgh A & B, University of Stirling (SFL Edinburgh)

These universities also play in the Futsal League Cup, the national cup for Scotland. With more attention and funding being put into the sport in Scotland, Futsal is a perfect sport for those that seek competitive action and for those who like Association Football but would prefer to play on a smaller scale.

Every year, Scottish Student Sport run the Futsal Tournament, where student teams from across Scotland are invited to take part. This year, the tournament will take place on February 18th at the University of Stirling. If you wish to take part, or want more information, click the link here:

https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/futsal/

If you wish to take part in Futsal, here is a list of Universities which currently offer clubs/societies:

City of Glasgow College: https://www.citysa.co.uk/get-involved/sports-societies/sport/futsal/

Edinburgh College: https://twitter.com/ecsportsunion?lang=en

Edinburgh Napier University: https://www.napierstudents.com/organisation/sports/futsal/

Heriot-Watt University: https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk/futsal/

Robert Gordon University: https://www.rgu.ac.uk/rgusport/intramural-sport

University of Aberdeen: Contact ausa@abdn.ac.uk

University of Dundee: https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/futsal/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/futsal/

University of St. Andrews: https://futsal.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/stirfutsal/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.facebook.com/StrathFutsal/

UWS: https://www.facebook.com/TeamUWSFutsal/

Sports Chair: Colin Harley – scottishstudentfutsal@gmail.com

Governing Body: Scottish Football Association – https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/futsal/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Football before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

Widely reported as the most popular sport in the world, Football is Scotland’s national sport. The origins of Association Football are unclear as there are many claims to the birth of the sport. As far back as Ancient Greece, the sport Episkyros was played between two teams which the objective of getting a ball into an opponent’s goal. In modern times, the Foot-Ball Club of Edinburgh claims to have played the first games in 1824. The first officially recognized football match was between Sheffield FC and Hallam FC on 26th December 1860. The first recognised international match took place in 1872 between Scotland and England which ended 0-0.

While there are many variations of Football, the most widely offered at colleges and universities is Association Football which consists of two teams of eleven players each. However, many institutions offer 5 A Side and Futsal clubs for those looking for a different way to play the beautiful game.

Scotland’s universities have a rich history in Scottish Football. Both the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow competed in the third-ever Scottish Cup, all the way back in the 1878-79 season. Stirling University first competed in the 2016 Scottish Women’s Cup and made it to the Quarter Finals before losing to eventual finalists Glasgow City.

Currently, the University of Stirling is the highest-ranked university in the Scottish League system. The men’s team compete in the Lowland League, the fifth tier of Scotland, where they claimed their highest league finish of 2nd in the 2013/14 season. In the 2022/23 season, they reached the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, where they were defeated 3-0 by former two-time cup winners Dundee United. University of Stirling’s W.F.C play in the SWPL 2, the second tier of Scotland. They played in the SWPL 1, the highest tier, as recently as 2019 and reached a record-high placement of 4th in the 2015 & 2016 seasons.

There are a number of Scottish Student Sport-affiliated events for those who want to join a football society. There are the SSS Conference Finals, Queen’s Park Shield and College National Finals. University teams also take part in the BUCS Football League, with fixtures played on Wednesdays. To apply to your college/university football club, click the following links:

Abertay University: https://www.abertay.ac.uk/life/abertay-sport/university-sports-union/football/

City of Glasgow College: https://www.citysa.co.uk/get-involved/sports-societies/sport/mens-football/

Edinburgh College: https://twitter.com/ecsportsunion?lang=en

Edinburgh Napier (Men’s): https://www.napierstudents.com/organisation/sports/napierfootballmen/

Edinburgh Napier (Women’s): https://www.napierstudents.com/organisation/sports/napierfootballwomen/

Fife College (Men’s): http://www.fc-sa.net/clubs

Fife College (Women’s): http://www.fc-sa.net/clubs

Glasgow Caledonian University (Men’s): https://www.gcustudents.co.uk/groups/football-men-s-1f8e

Glasgow Caledonian University (Women’s): https://www.gcustudents.co.uk/groups/football-women-s-9cf6

Heriot-Watt University: https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk/football/

Queen Margaret University (Men’s): https://www.qmusu.org.uk/groups/football-men-s-9d49

Queen Margaret University (Women’s): https://www.qmusu.org.uk/groups/football-women-s-4c8c

RGU: https://www.rguunion.co.uk/getinvolved/societies/football/

Scotland’s Rural College: https://www.srucsa.org.uk/clubs-societies/

University of Aberdeen (Men’s): https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/aufc/

University of Aberdeen (Women’s): https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/6476/

University of Dundee (Men’s): https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/football-men/

University of Dundee (Women’s): https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/football-women/

University of Edinburgh (Men’s): https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/footballmen/

University of Edinburgh (Women’s): https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/footballwomen/

University of Glasgow (Men’s): https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/footballmen/

University of Glasgow (Women’s): https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/footballwomen/

University of St. Andrews: https://football.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/

University of Stirling (Men’s): https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/mensfootball/

University of Stirling (Women’s): https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/womensfootball/

University of Strathclyde (Men’s): https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/6580/

University of Strathclyde (Women’s): https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/6592/

UWS (Ayr): https://www.facebook.com/teamUWSonline/

UWS (Lanarkshire): https://www.facebook.com/teamUWSonline/

UWS (Paisley): https://www.facebook.com/UWS.PaisleyFootball/

Sports Chair: Filippo Antoniazzi – f.antoniazzi@rgu.ac.uk

Governing Body: Scottish Football Association – https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/

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Wednesday 1st February 2023

Want to know more about Cycling before joining a society? Here’s a quick overview of the sport and what SSS has to offer.

When it comes to modes of transportation on land and sea, there will almost certainly be a corresponding sport that uses said modes to race. Cycling is no different. Invented in 1917 by Karl Von Drais, the bicycle has become one of the world’s most popular transportation tools due to its ease of accessibility and relatively cheap cost.

Cycling, as a sport, is very broad as there are several cycling events. In the Olympics, cycling is split into four categories: Road Cycling, Track Cycling, Mountain Biking and BMX. These all work in a similar fashion where two or more cyclists (apart from BMX where it’s taken in turns) will race across a predetermined path where the competitor who finishes with the fastest time is declared the winner. The difference between these events is the terrain they take place on.

Cycling has been an Olympic event during the entirety of its modern resurgence. Great Britain is the most successful nation in Olympic history with 33 gold, 26 silver and 20 bronze medals. At the 2020 Olympics, Great Britain won six gold medals where they won the Women’s Keirin, Men’s Omnium, Women’s Madison, Men’s Cross-Country, Women’s Race and Women’s Freestyle.

Each year Scottish Student Sport hosts the SS Cycling Series where universities compete with each other to be crowned the SS Cycling Challenge. There is also a BUCS League for students to get involved with. If you wish to know more, click the following link: https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/cycling/

If you’re interested in joining a Cycling club, click the following links:

Heriot-Watt University: https://sportsunion.site.hw.ac.uk/cycling/

University of Aberdeen: https://www.ausa.org.uk/sports/club/aurcc/

University of Dundee: https://sportsunion.dundee.ac.uk/clubs/cycling/

University of Edinburgh: https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/cycling/

University of Glasgow: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/sport/whatson/club/cycling/

University of Stirling: https://www.stirlingstudentsunion.com/sportsunion/clubs/cycle/

University of Strathclyde: https://www.strathunion.com/sports-union/club-sport/club/6432/

Chair Head: Fred Hockey – SSS_Cycling@hotmail.com

Governing Body: Scottish Cycling – https://scottishstudentsport.com/sports/cycling/

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