Sport at Loughborough
Sport at Loughborough University is more than an activity – it is a defining part of our identity, woven into the fabric of who we are and what we do.
Quite simply, sport is in our DNA. From world-leading research and innovation, first-class coaching, state-of-the-art facilities and an outstanding student experience, we offer an inclusive experience that has made us global leaders in sport.
Sports University of the Year 2025
The Daily Mail University Guide
National sports partners
Loughborough University’s impact lies in the unique integrated ecosystem that has made us the hub for sport in the UK. We are home to the country’s largest concentration of governing bodies with Aquatics GB, UK Athletics, British Triathlon, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Lawn Tennis Association and England Netball all based on our East Midlands campus.
Several Paralympic National Governing Bodies (NGBs) base their performance programmes here, including Para-Athletics, Para-Cycling, Para-Swimming and Para-Triathlon.
We are also home to the regional hub for the UK Sports Institute. UK Anti-Doping’s headquarters are also based on campus and our teams work tirelessly in support of clean sport values and ethical performance.
We have over 40 strategic partners in sport and work closely with a range of organisation across public and private sectors, from the Premier League to Paralympics GB, adidas and the NFL.
An inclusive sporting environment
Sport is embedded in the University’s Strategy, driven by our Sporting Excellence and Opportunity Core Plan, and a dedicated Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sport – a role that exists at no other UK University.
Our commitment to realising the full benefit of sport for our students spans all ability levels and sees our alumni excelling in top roles across the industry. Over 80% of our students participate in sports at least once a week, with opportunities from recreational events to over 60 different Athletic Union sports clubs.
We run 53 weekly free-to-access sports and wellbeing activities, while last year, our Coach and Volunteer academy delivered a remarkable 120,000 hours of volunteer work, empowering the next generation of officials and performance experts.
We stand for an inclusive sporting experience, working closely with the Loughborough Students’ Union, and hosting events such as the annual Black In Sport Summit with the support of Sky, to celebrate the achievements of black people across the sports industry.
Para and Disability sport
Our vision is to create life-changing opportunities through the development of an inspirational and inclusive offer - and the launch of our Para and Disability Sports Strategy last year, in partnership with Paralympics GB, creates opportunities for disabled students in participation, coaching and elite para-sports.
We are home to the powerlifting team of British Weightlifting, and host many para events, including Invictus Games training camps. Our inclusive model sees athletes and students with and without disabilities training alongside each other and benefitting from integrated coaching and support services.
Championing female sport
Loughborough University are championing women in sport, from bringing together research excellence to our Loughborough Lightning franchise with its six squads for netball, rugby, football, cycling and wheelchair basketball.
Our teams compete in the top tiers of competition, with fixtures regularly covered live on Sky Sports, and our Lightning netball team are back-to-back Netball Super League Champions. Last year, we announced a landmark international partnership with the Global Observatory for Gender Equality and Sport to further elevate women’s sport in the UK.
Outstanding facilities
We are home to the country’s largest concentration of world-class facilities across a wide range of sports. These include:
Olympic and Paralympic Games success
In 2024, over 120 Loughborough-linked athletes and staff competed in the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, bringing home an incredible 35 medals – 17% of Team GB’s total result. This means that if Loughborough were a country, we would be ranked 16th on the global medals table.
This remarkable achievement was built on similar levels of success in the last Olympics and Paralympics and Commonwealth Games, acting as a banner for the incredible achievements possible through our sporting environment.