Stirling athletes vie for major national titles at BUCS Big Wednesday

University of Stirling athletes will today compete for six major national titles at BUCS Big Wednesday, in what promises to be a thrilling climax to the UK student team sport season.

Hosted by British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), the competition will see a record number of University of Stirling teams play at the showcase event, which comprises finals across 16 sports.

The Men’s and Women’s First Tennis Teams and the Men’s First Football Team play National Championship Finals – the highest level of UK student sport. In tennis, the Men’s 2s and 3s will also compete for the National Vase and National Trophy, respectively.

There is also Stirling interest in the Mixed Wheelchair Basketball Championship Final, where Shayne Humphries – a student at the University who is also supported by Scotland's national scholarship programme, Winning Students 100 – will compete for the University of Nottingham. BUCS allows players to compete for other universities due to the infancy of the sport in the programme.

David Bond, Director of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: “Good luck to all our athletes competing at BUCS Big Wednesday today – the Stirling community will be cheering you on and we wish you all the best in your finals.”

The BUCS YouTube channel will be live streaming the top fixtures from today’s event in Loughborough, Leicestershire – see details below. You can also follow via the University of Stirling social media accounts.

BUCS Big Wednesday fixtures with University of Stirling involvement

*University of Stirling basketballer Shayne Humphries competes for the University of Nottingham. BUCS allows players to compete for other universities due to the infancy of wheelchair basketball in the BUCS programme.

Tennis success continues

BUCS Big Wednesday comes as University of Stirling tennis ace Nemanja Malesevic was crowned champion of the BUCS Individual Championships at the weekend. Nemanja dropped just one set in the five matches he played to lift the coveted trophy – the biggest individual event in UK student tennis. Stirling’s Liam Hignett won a bronze medal, as did Halle Pringle in the women’s event.

It has been a hugely successful season for the high-performance tennis programme at Stirling, with the Men’s First Team retaining the BUCS National League title; Rob Cowley and Liam Hignett winning the BUCS Men’s Doubles Championships – overcoming Stirling stablemates Cameron Fryer and Nemanja Malesevic in the final; and Anna McBride winning her fourth consecutive singles title and third doubles title in four years at the Australian Open’s Intellectual Disability Championship. Lead Coach Scott MacAulay also won Performance Coach of the Year at the Tennis Scotland Awards 2026.

Hat-trick of football finals

Today’s football match versus Nottingham is the first of three finals that Chris Geddes’ side will play in just eight days – with the schedule also including Cumnock Juniors in the South Challenge Cup Final on March 29 and Heriot-Watt University in the Queen’s Park Shield Final on April 1.

Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence

The University of Stirling is Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence. Through the powerful and inspirational combination of performance sport, recreational sport, research and education, we are delivering medals on the world stage, improving the health and wellbeing of the nation, and producing the next generation of leaders within sport.

At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, a state-of-the-art indoor golf studio, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites.

In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling’s International Sports Scholarship Programme – one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK – offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 – with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Core sports include golf, triathlon, football, tennis, swimming, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.

Read more about sports scholarships at the University of Stirling.