For the 8th consecutive year, we’re proud to end the 2024/25 sporting season in the top 10 of the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) overall points table! All of the Bristol clubs, coaches and staff have worked hard throughout the year to get us in this position, with a total of 13 league titles and 9 promotions.
One club that has had a very successful season is the University of Bristol Tennis Club (UBTC), and in this week’s blog post our Director of Tennis Andy Trott tells us why the 530+ members of UBTC have a lot to celebrate.
Whether finishing exams, heading home, embarking on placements, or stepping into the world as graduates, the 2024/25 season has been nothing short of exceptional for members of UBTC. As the academic year draws to a close, we’re taking a closer look at the how the season has gone:
Record-Breaking Achievements 🏆
This year, we had seven teams competing in BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) and we collectively ended the season with a total of 251 points – the highest total in UBTC history! We secured 8th place in the BUCS rankings, an improvement from our 10th place position last year.
After two tough playoff matches and lots of handwork for the past three seasons by Head Coach Ali and the teams, our Women’s 1st team were promoted to the BUCS Southern Premier League, where they will join our Men’s 1s for the 2025/26 season.
Scholar Success🎓
Our Vice Chancellor’s (VC) Scholars for Sport are an inspirational group who train and compete as part of our student clubs, whilst also driving towards professional or elite athletic careers on the world stage during their time at the University of Bristol. This year, we had one VC Scholar compete within tennis. Jack Ritchie has retained his scholarship for the next year, after excelling both on and off the court.
In August, we will be welcoming a Gold Scholar to our BUCS squad, following an impressive stint representing Great Britain at the World University Games in Germany.
Community Impact 🤝
Beyond competitive achievements, UBTC members significantly contributed to community engagement. Eleven members were actively involved in coaching across the community and student programmes, a record number for the club. Other UBTC members supported the Bristol SU Intramural programme, a fun, social, multi-sport programme for students who just want to turn up and play! This year, we helped more teams compete each week than any other season.
In addition to some of these outstanding outcomes and perhaps more importantly, UBTC continue to create a safe, welcoming, inclusive, positive environment for students to build confidence, develop on and off a court, create life long friendships and memories that will live far beyond their time at university, and so much more. I am always inspired by our students but in recent months, when faced with some particularly difficult circumstances the UBTC committee, membership and support staff have demonstrated the very best of what it is to be a leader, a team mate, a friend and I am very proud to be part of this team.
💡 You don’t just have to be a student to play tennis with us! Whether you’re new to the sport or already a pro, find out about tennis at the University of Bristol, including ‘pay-as-you-go’ court hire (indoor and outdoor).