This year, Bangor Students’ Union has been excited to launch the new intramural sport programme, chwaraeon campws/campus sport with support from Canolfan Brailsford, the University sports centre. The programme is focused on getting regular non-active students, active and playing. It offers a recreational mixed netball ‘give it a go’, mixed futsal ‘turn up and play’ and a mixed 7-a-side Sunday football league, all free of charge. In 2015, the University will be offering a gym membership within their halls of residence packages. This will give every student the opportunity to get active if they are living on campus from 2015.

We have 38 teams competing in the BUCS programme and a range of non-BUCS clubs that compete in local or similar competitive leagues/events. Bangor Students Union offers free club membership for its students to take part in sport. The Union have also worked with the local community to establish the first parkrun in North Wales, giving students the opportunity to get involved in a free, weekly, timed 5k run. Sport and keeping active will help students with their physical, social and mental well-being at their time here at Bangor University.

At LSU we are hugely excited about our brand new Student Sport office which includes over 20 staff dedicated to providing the best student sport experience in the country. The office provides a sporting offer for students of all abilities and needs – recreationally, competitively, performance development, coaching and volunteering and our outreach program. We are also hugely excited to be hosting BUCS Big Wednesday this March!

The most important element of our sporting offer at Loughborough is that our programs are all student run and student led. Without this emphasis, students would not have the opportunity to develop their key skills as much as they do here. Students can sometimes be underestimated, however being the Club Chair for Judo or a Sport Secretary for one of our halls of residence, this opportunity gives them a chance to lead and showcase their skills and talents.

As with many institutions, Swansea is fiercely competitive with our Varsity Rivals, Cardiff. For the first time in five years we welcome the event back to our end of the M4 in one of the largest student sporting clashes in the UK. This is massively exciting as it will be the first time the majority of our athletes will be playing on home turf, and offers ample opportunities for our student body to get involved. Varsity is the finale of our sporting calendar and brings students together from across the campus thanks to the hard work of various departments and the dedication of competitors.

Whether it’s competitive or recreational, sport offers an alternative platform to academia in which people can excel, socialise and develop skills. Other than the obvious health benefits of regular exercise, it’s the perfect outlet to release everyday stresses and provides many students with a strong support network like no other. I for one not only gained a routine from playing competitive university sport, but made friends that remain with me today and gained a job in a field I love.

As a Union we have launched an Intra Mural programme this year, including four sports: Badminton, Basketball, Netball and Football. This year will be a trial with the vision moving forward to introduce more sports to the programme. Intra Mural Sport at Brunel is for those students who do not want to compete at BUCS level and commit to regular training and fixtures. It is an informal way to meet new people and play sport on a regular basis. We are excited to see how this programme develops throughout the year with 77 teams signed up I believe it will be interesting to see this grow!

Sport, at all levels, guarantees students friends and social opportunities they might miss out on. Sport can also provide students with a platform to develop social skills, leadership skills, team player skills and much more. Sport adds to a student’s experience as it enables them to take a break from their studies and relax and enjoy another aspect of University life. Some students even gain jobs from their experience in sport and so it should not be underrated.