BUCS Big Wednesday is the culmination of the BUCS team sport league programme and the event saw over 60 of the UK's top university teams heading to Nottingham to compete for Championship and Trophy titles.

Swansea University sports teams and individuals have had outstanding success this year – walking away with many prizes across a variety of sports. The successes bode well for the forthcoming annual Welsh Varsity clash with Cardiff University which returns to Swansea this year and is being held on Wednesday 25th April.

Now in its 22^nd year, the tournament sees Swansea University sports teams go head-to-head with Cardiff University students in the biggest student event in Wales and the largest student multi-sport event in the UK.

‌The Welsh Varsity is a week-long festival of sport, running from 18 - 25 April. Throughout the week, students will compete in over 40 different sports for the Varsity Shield, including Ultimate Frisbee, swimming, golf, fencing, squash, boxing, basketball, and hockey.

The majority of the Welsh Varsity games take place at Swansea University’s International Sports Village in Sketty Lane on Wednesday 25 April, culminating with the men’s rugby match at the Liberty Stadium at 7pm.

Swansea will be looking to retain the Varsity Shield for another year, having taken it home for the first time in the competition’s history in 2017.

Speaking about the University sports teams successes Charlotte Peters Sports Development Coordinator said:

“Across the board our clubs have had an outstanding 2017/18 so far, with more to come from our summer sports and of course, Varsity. The results speak for themselves with numerous promotions being secured as well as teams and clubs that are new to the competitive scene laying a solid foundation to build on moving forward. We obviously have talent within Swansea and we hope to continue offering support to all those teams and individuals that are doing such a sterling job of representing the university on a weekly basis, as well as further afield. 

Team successes

Rugby League- won Western 1A league undefeated and in Prem Playoff’s

Women’s Tennis 1^st- won Western 1A undefeated and in Prem Playoff’s

Women’s Rugby Union 1^st- won Western 1A league, in Prem Playoff’s & BUCS Trophy

Women’s Table Tennis 1^st- won BUCS Conference Cup

Ladies’ Hockey 1^st- won BUCS Conference Cup & won Western 2B League

Men’s Table Tennis- won Western 2B

Women’s Volleyball- won Western 2B

Men’s Football 2^nd- won Western 3B

Men’s Football 3rds- won Western 4B

Men’s Hockey 2nds- won Western 3B

Netball 1^st- Won Western 2B and will be promoted for the first time in 7 years.

Karate- bronze medals Team Kumite and Woman's Senior Kumite and a silver medal in Men's Senior Kumite at BUCS Nationals

Women’s Football 1^st- Got to the final of BUCS Conference Cup & competing to win Western 2B

Swimming placed 4^th in Short-Course para-swimming events

Ultimate Frisbee mixed indoor team have qualified for Indoor Nationals

Cricket 1^st- Qualified for National Indoors

Surf- Men’s Team overall 2^nd place & Jack Geake placed 3^rd in Men’s event (BUCS Surf Champs)

Snowriders- Rhys Tiplady won gold & Rory Crockatt won bronze in the Novice Boarder Cross at BUDS (BUCS Dry Slope)

Tae Kwon Do - won BUTLTKD South League 2018

Rifle- Swansea University A Team places 6th in the UK for indoor smallbore

Men’s Football 1^st- currently top Welsh League Division 3 (in first year in competition) and hopefully will be promoted

Snowriders- the Snowboard Team won KINGS Western league and qualified for national final & the Skiing Team qualified for KINGS national finals for the first time

Ladies’ Hockey 1^st- through to the semi-finals of the women's cup competition in the South Wales Women's league.

Individual successes

Jacob Draper- selected for GB U21 & GB Hockey Elite Development Programme as well as Commonwealth Games

Phil Jones- Wales 7’s & has been playing on HSBC World Series circuit

Will Jones- signed first professional contract with Ospreys & has captained Wales U20 against Italy during 6 Nations

Cai Evans- Wales U20 6 Nations

Cory Baldwin- Wales U20 6 Nations

Natalia John- Gained first Welsh Cap (and subsequent caps) during Women’s 6 Nations

Lucy Tothill- qualified for World Champs in Ironman 70.3

Pavlos Antoniou- an international competitor in Karate, representing Cyprus

Tom Ingram- selected for England Judo squad

Cycling- Matt Fratesi rode to a podium in an International XC cup in Italy & won the Welsh Cyclocross Cup

Charlie Hough- rode in the British Downhill Series (Mountain Biking) and came 11th in the Senior Category.

Henry Clark- Training with the GB U21 Canoe Polo men and awaiting selection for World Championships

Sam Baker- played for Wales Dragonhearts (Dragonhearts play representative matches against England, the Celtic Nations and touring sides)

Katherine Jones- Plays for the Welsh National Water Polo Team

Peter Deutsch- Plays for the Welsh National Water Polo Team

Joe Jenkins Delf- Plays for the Welsh National Water Polo Team & GB U19

Toni lee- Umpiring Hockey internationally in Europe

Ladies Hockey- eight girls selected for Welsh development training with the Welsh squad: Charlie Lewis-Bown, Rosie Williams, Liv Harvey, Ella Passey, Sioned Harries, Maddie Jones, Harriet Barker and Lara Bathurst

For more information about Sport at Swansea University go to http://www.swansea.ac.uk/sport/

Picture: Varsity 2018 Captains representing all Swansea University sports.