Loughborough’s total of 10,243 points has been confirmed as a sector-leading record, making the university the first institution to surpass the ten-thousand-point mark.
The gap between Loughborough and its closest competitor, the University of Nottingham, was extended from 1,071 to 1,807 points from the previous year.
Loughborough titles were secured in men’s tennis; women’s badminton; women’s hockey; men’s badminton; women’s netball; women’s basketball, and more.
It proved to be another year of outstanding sporting excellence for the African Violet, with over 3,300 athletes producing notable performances across the board:
- Cricket men’s first team became trophy winners for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Additional men’s and women’s sides also won their respective Championships.
- Squash women had three of its four teams promoted. All four teams are now in the highest tier possible.
- Women’s volleyball first team secure promotion to the premier division for the first time in at least 10 years.
- Loughborough’s athletics teams achieved a mammoth 1,228 points, which is equal to the highest for any sport ever – matching swimming in 2022-23.
- Snowsports went from 136 to 233 points, an increase of over 70 per cent year-on-year.
Speaking following the annual BUCS Annual Awards Dinner, Louise Gear, Director of Sport at Loughborough University, said: “We are immensely proud of everyone who has played a part in Loughborough securing an incredible 45th consecutive BUCS title.
“To sustain such an extraordinary level of success, year after year, is a remarkable achievement. Our student-athletes deserve enormous credit for their dedication and performances, alongside the coaches, practitioners, volunteers and the many colleagues whose commitment underpins this success.
“Our BUCS legacy is a source of immense pride for the entire University. We’ll take time to celebrate this outstanding achievement with all involved.”
For a third consecutive year, Loughborough also hosted the showpiece BUCS Big Wednesday, which saw almost 2,500 spectators attend Loughborough’s East Midlands campus to witness the very best of student sport.
The event also saw over 100 student volunteers from Loughborough’s Coach and Volunteer Academy (CVA) helping deliver a first-class competition.
BUCS oversees higher education sport in the UK and supports and promotes the lifestyle and educational benefits of participating in sport.
Each year it delivers more than 50 sports to 170 universities across a varied programme of over 6,000 teams and individual competitors.