Team sports
If you are interested in team sports, we have an option for you
We are affiliated with the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS), the national governing body for Higher Education sport, which offers a wide range of inter-university leagues across 100s of sports. UCB currently participate in men’s football, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s volleyball, women’s netball, women’s football and Jiu Jitsu, with the view to introduce more sports in 2025.
Our outdoor football teams are based at Avery Field. Training, usually on Monday evenings, and matches, Wednesday afternoons, take place on their all-weather 4G pitch. Our cricket team trains and plays at Aston Manor Cricket Club during the outdoor season, with indoor training through the autumn, winter, and spring terms.
Our indoor sports are based in our sports hall, based at the Maltings halls of residence, with training taking place throughout the week, and matches taking place on Wednesday afternoons and evenings. Jiu Jitsu participate in two national events per year and two grading per year.
Stay up to date by following @ucb_team_sports on Instagram.
- Basketball (men’s)
Our men’s team competes in Tier 4 of BUCS. - Cricket (men’s)
Our men’s team compete in Tier 4 of BUCS for the outdoor league and hope to enter the BUCS indoor league in the 24/25 season. -
Football (men’s)
Our men’s team competes in Tier 5 of BUCS with a second team competing in the Birmingham FA Universities League*. - Jiu-Jitsu (mixed)
Jiu Jitsu have multiple gradings through the year, as well as competing in two national events.
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Netball (women’s)
Our women’s team competes in Tier 7 of BUCS. - Football (women's)
Our new women’s team is looking to compete in a local development league against other universities. -
Volleyball (men’s and women’s)
Both men’s and women’s volleyball compete in BUCS - Tier 3 (men) and Tier 2 (women). - Each team will have weekly training with a professional coach, with competitive matches being held most Wednesday afternoons.
*subject to change in 25/26
Annual membership per team
The price includes:
- BUCS and other league affiliations.
- Facility hire for training and matches.
- Equipment.
- Branded match kit.
- Transport.
- Insurance.
- Professional coaching.
- Strength and Conditioning (once per week, HPC Moss House).
- Sports Therapy (via SEM Clinic) at no charge.
Register your interest
To register your interest (pre-enrolment), follow the link here, leave us your details and we’ll be in touch in September giving you all the details about taster sessions, trials and much more.
To register your interest (post-enrolment), follow the link here, or visit our Guild of Students.
- Create your account (if not previously done)
- Search for your sport from the society list.
- See the details of the society, then add your interest to basket.
- Go to your basket and checkout.
Your details will be added to the society lists and you will receive more details. Feel free to do this and attend any sessions organised by your society. To participate in training and matches in season (starting first week of October), you must have paid your membership fee, accepted your invite to the sport team canvas page, and completed your team agreement.
A calendar of events with the sports teams will be released when it is finalised during August.
Recreational Sports, Societies and Facilities
Additional recreational sports will be advertised at our Welcome Event in September. Other societies are available via our Guild of Students. Details can be found here.
Our fitness facilities are open for all students to join. Follow the link here to learn about our state-of-the-art gym at Moss House. For the latest updates, you can also follow the Gym on Instagram.
Individual athletes
BUCS offer various opportunities for individual athletes to compete in events throughout the year. Details can be found on the BUCS website.
If you compete in any individual events, don't hesitate to contact us directly so we can discuss dates and the entry processes. Please send your email to bucs@ucb.ac.uk.
Sporting Excellence Scholarships
If you are an 'Elite' or 'Talented' performer, you may be eligible to apply for a Sporting Excellence Scholarship. The university offers up to 6 Sporting Excellence Scholarships per year. For further details, click here.
Varsity
Varsity Sports Festival, where University College Birmingham goes head-to-head with the University of Wolverhampton and Birmingham Newman University, took place on 2nd April 2025, hosted by WLV Sport, Walsall Campus.
Varsity allows not only our sports teams to showcase their talents in a fun but competitive setting, but also offers social sports such as dodgeball and pickleball. In addition, we offer many student opportunities such as first aid, sport therapy and sport management to be part of the day.
In 2025, we had over 100 students from University College Birmingham take part in Varsity, either playing or volunteering in the bellow listed categories.
The overall result from the 2025 Varsity was:
- Birmingham Newman University: 12 points
- University College Birmingham: 15 points
- University of Wolverhampton: 15 points
- Events (Sports Management)
- Face Painting (Specialist Hair and Media Make-up)
- First aid (Sport Therapy)
- Mascot Race (Guild of Students)
- Men’s Basketball
- Men’s Football
- Mixed Volleyball
- Social Sports (Dodgeball and Pickleball)
- Women’s Football
- Women’s Netball
Discover more
Guild of Students
Run by students, for students. As soon as you enrol at University College Birmingham, whatever level you are studying at, you automatically become a member of the Guild.
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Accommodation
Our halls of accommodation, The Maltings, is located at the heart of Birmingham, close to our campuses and a wealth of shops, restaurants and bars.
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Living in Birmingham
Vibrant nightlife, booming business, gorgeous green spaces and fantastic connections throughout the UK and the world. Discover Birmingham and all it has to offer.
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Student support
Whether you need support with your learning, finances, health and wellbeing or other areas, our range of dedicated support services are here for you.
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International students
Join our global community of more than 1,400 students from over 60 countries. Our international team will help make your application and arrival as smooth as possible.
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