At Univ you can take part in a huge range of sports from rugby to rowing, and basketball to badminton – and you can do as little or as much sport as you like. Univ encourage all students to take part in a sport, regardless of level and ability. Sports form friendships, teamwork and skills that you can excel in, whilst enhances well-being and health.

Within the College we have our own squash court, as well as the Sportsground (on the Abingdon Road, OX1 4SR) and one of the most impressive and iconic boathouses in Oxford.

We have a strong and successful rowing tradition at Univ, but anyone can take part in any sport, whatever their level of achievement or previous experience. College is a great time to try out a completely new sports and make friends outside of your subject and year groups.

Sports available at the sports ground include Football, Rugby, Cricket, Lawn Tennis, Bowls and Croquet. Other sports available at the college include all weather Tennis, badminton, pool, squash, Netball, Rowing, lacrosse and many more clubs you can actively get involved in.

Students also have free access to an our onsite Gym and the University has an even wider range of sports on offer, you can find out more at sport.ox.ac.uk

Rowing – University College Boat Club
University College Boat Club (UCBC) is a competitive club both within the Oxford/Cambridge rowing clubs and on a national level. UCBC also prides itself in being extremely friendly and inclusive. They are the biggest sports society in the College, with nearly 100 active members each year.

UCBC are fortunate enough to train at their own multi-million pound boathouse, built in 2007, which has three world class boat bays, weights and indoor rowing room plus an amazing club room.

Most members of UCBC have never rowed before coming to Univ and learn to row with the club. However, experienced rowers are also very welcome. Univ has had Olympians, world champions and University rowers and coxswains train and race with them in the past. Please email the UCBC captains or president if you are thinking of applying to Oxford and have any questions; contact details can be found at ucbc.org.uk

If you would like to know more, you can find updates on UCBC’s Instagram and their website ucbc.org.uk – the video below is from Summer VIIIs 2017.

Netball
UCNC is prominent part of Univ’s sporting scene with regular training sessions and matches against other College teams. There is also a strong social aspect to the club with players meeting outside of training for dinners and drinks with other teams.

Rugby
Men’s rugby has a long history at Univ and the team has been very successful over the past few years and were promoted twice in 2018. UCRFC trains regularly, every week if possible, and competes around every two weeks in friendly matches with other college teams as well as Cuppers (a competition held between colleges ).

Women’s rugby at Univ is going from strength to strength with a number of players now competing at University and county level. Most members of the rugby club had never played rugby before coming to Oxford and the club prides itself on being an excellent training ground for new players. If you would like to know more, you can find updates on their Instagram

Football
Univ JCR has two men’s football teams most years – a 1st team and a 2nd team. Both teams play against other colleges in both a League competition and Cuppers. There’s usually one match a week in addition to training. They encourage a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and welcome people of all abilities (even if you’ve never played football!), and they enjoy having socials throughout the year, sometimes with other college sports teams. Details of training and matches are advertised during term time and you can always get in touch with the football captain for more information.

The JCR also has a women’s football team, accepting both beginners and experienced players. Univ WCR has their own mixed football team, which also competes in Cuppers as well as friendly matches against the JCR.

Lacrosse
University College Lacrosse meets weekly for training sessions and friendly matches with other colleges. It is a mixed gender sport and welcomes players of all ability- so anyone at all can get involved! It is a great way to try a sport that is often completely new to people.

Pool
There is a college league competition in Michaelmas term, which consists of playing matches against other colleges once per week either home or away. It is very casual, and it is a great way to visit some of the other colleges. There are multiple divisions in the College pool league, with the lower divisions well suited to less experienced players and the higher divisions better for more competitive players. Cuppers gets underway in Hilary term and consists of a group stage and knockout rounds. Univ entered one team in the 2018-19 College League and Cuppers, maintaining their status as a Division 1 team and reaching the quarter-finals of Cuppers.

The Pool Society aims to host tournaments once every other term and plans to start doing small tournaments on a regular basis so there are plenty of opportunities to hone your skills and compete!

You can follow all the Univ sports news on Instagram

Board Game Society
The Univ Board Game Society offers both board and card games, in a relaxed, only mildly competitive environment, with regular drop-in sessions each week to relax and meet new people. Events and meeting days are advertised during term time.

Debating Society
Univ Debating Society enables students to debate in an informal setting, while following proper British Parliamentary rules of debating. The Society holds weekly events and occasional workshops. Details of events are advertised during term time.

The Univ Players
The University College Players are a group of dramatic enthusiasts whose interests range from acting and directing to marketing and crew work. The society tries to unite the drama community at a college level, especially helping freshers to familiarise themselves with the drama auditions and events which are a-plenty in the University. A perfect entry into drama for them is the Drama Cuppers in Michaelmas team, which is just for freshers.

In Hilary term, the Players put on the Univ Revue- a series of comedic sketches about life at Oxford and at Univ. Trinity term sees the production of the Garden Play, one of the most looked forward to events at Univ. After the resounding success of Nell Gwynn in 2018, the Players present Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus in the 5th week of Trinity Term, 2019.

The Martlets Society
The Martlets Society organises two or three talks each term, delivered by members of Univ’s MCR to other members of College, predominantly graduate students. The talks are aimed to be accessible, helping to promote interesting conversation and community amongst Univ’s graduate students. The talks are kindly hosted in the Master’s lodgings, with drinks and snacks, making them an ideal setting for an evening of lively discussion.

The Music Society
Members of the Society put on concerts in the College or join other students across the University to participate in major musical events and tours. Univ is particularly strong on Music with a long tradition of excellence; find out more on our Music pages. Details of concerts and activities are advertised during term time.

The Christian Union
A Christian organisation with members from different denominations that meet together regularly to provide support and prayer. Details of regular events are advertised during term time.

Eldon Society
This is the society for Univ lawyers. Talks given by Old Members, presentations and events hosted by firms looking to recruit top law graduates from the College. Generally intended to encourage lawyers to look to the future. Details of events are emailed to Law students during term time.

Many other opportunities will present themselves to students during their time at Univ and the JCR and MCR representatives will ensure that everyone is kept informed of new developments.