UCLanSport Rugby Union Floodlit Cup 2014

Lancaster Royal Grammar School defeated Wirral Grammar to claim the UCLanSport Rugby Union U16 Floodlit Cup 2014.

On bitterly cold night at Preston Grasshoppers RFC, Lancaster led 12-5 at the break before holding their nerve in the second half to secure a 15-8 victory.

LRGS Director of Rugby Evan Stewart said: "This is a great achievement for the boys. They have worked very hard this year and hopefully this is a sign of what is to come.

"A massive thanks must go to parents, teachers and all the other LRGS pupils who came along to support on a very wet December night. We must also say a massive thanks to the team sponsor Crofter Hotel. Their continued support is very much appreciated."

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year's competition and helped to make it a big success.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Rams retained their 100% record in the BUCS American Football North West Division with a 30-18 victory at home to Manchester Met 1st.

Men's Rugby Union 1st won 12-3 at home to Liverpool 2nd. UCLan Netball 1st lost 59-47 at York St John 1st, while Women's Hockey 2nd were defeated 1-0 at Bolton 1st.

Women's Volleyball 1st lost 2-1 against Keele 1st, but picked up wins against Bangor 1st & MMU Cheshire 1st.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Golf 1st team moved to the top of BUCS Premier Division North with a 4-2 win at home to title rivals Loughborough 1st. Our 2nd team drew 3-3 at Sheffield 1st, while the 3rd team triumphed 4.5-1.5 at Durham 2nd.

UCLan Rugby League stay top of Northern 2A after a convincing 38-16 home win against Edge Hill 1st.

Women's Football 1st maintained their 100% record with a 1-0 win at home to Liverpool 1st. Men's 1st & 3rd teams both lost at home, but the 2nd, 4th & 5th teams were all victorious.

UCLan Netball 1st won 70-58 at home to York St John 1st, while the 2nd team demolished Bolton 1st 80-2. Our 3rd team fell 53-21 at Liverpool 5th.

Men's Basketball 1st & 2nd teams both enjoyed home victories, beating Manchester 1st & Liverpool 2nd respectively. Women's 1st lost 56-41 at MMU Cheshire 1st.

Men's Tennis 1st won 10-2 at home to Manchester 2nd, while our 2nd team drew 6-6 at Bangor 2nd. Men's Table Tennis 1st beat Sheffield 2nd 14-3 and the 2nd team defeated Liverpool 3rd 11-6. UCLan Squash were beaten 3-0 at home to Liverpool 1st.

Women's Badminton 1st are the new leaders of Northern 1A after a 6-2 home success against Newcastle 1st. Men's 2nd team lost 8-0 at Edge Hill 2nd.

Men's Hockey 2nd lost 10-0 at Chester (Warrington) 1st, but the Men's Indoor Cricket team picked up two victories against LMJU 1st & Edge Hill 1st.

BUCS round-up

UCLan's Football teams enjoyed a successful time in their cup competitions this week, with four of our teams all progressing to the next round.

Men's 1st won 3-2 at Teesside 1st, the 2nd team triumphed 1-0 at home to Leeds 2nd and our 4th team eased to a 3-0 victory at Blackburn College 1st. Men's 5th team slipped to a 4-2 defeat at Manchester Met 6th, but Women's 1st team won 3-0 at home to Keele 1st.

Men's Rugby Union 1st & 2nd, our Women's 1st and the Women's Hockey 1st teams were all knocked out of their respective cup competitions.

UCLan Netball 1st travelled to Glasgow to face Strathclyde 1st and came away with an impressive 67-53 win. The 3rd team lost 39-26 at Manchester Met 7th. Men's Basketball 1st won 85-71 at home to Nottingham 1st, but our 2nd team lost 74-68 to Liverpool 1st.

Men's Table Tennis 1st won 9-8 at Keele 1st, but the 2nd team crashed 12-5 at York 1st. Men's Tennis 1st and Men's & Women's Badminton 1st teams were all defeated.

Men's Fencing 1st and Men's Lacrosse 1st lost to Bradford 1st and Bangor 1st respectively. UCLan Squash 1st won 3-0 at home to Manchester 3rd, while Women's Volleyball 1st progressed to the next round with a 3-0 success at MMU Cheshire 1st.

Our three Golf teams all secured league victories, with the 1st team winning 3.5-2.5 at home to Birmingham 1st, our 2nd team securing a 4.5-1.5 success at York 1st and the 3rd team comfortably disposing of Leeds Beckett Carnegie 1st 5.5-0.5.

Preston Sports Awards 2015

The 10th annual Preston Sports Awards is the chance to honour the unsung heroes and local sporting champions in the city through a variety of awards celebrating sporting excellence.

The 2015 awards will be presented by guest speaker Gail Emms (former World Champion and Olympic mixed doubles Badminton silver medallist). The event is sponsored by Walker Smith Way Legal, Preston, in association with Preston Guild Hall Ltd.

There are 17 different award categories - for details of how to nominate, please click here.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Netball 2nd team

UCLan's three BUCS Golf teams enjoyed a clean sweep of victories this week.

Our 1st team won 5-1 at Northumbria 1st, the 2nd team beat Leeds Beckett Carnegie 1st by the same scoreline and our 3rd team defeated Sheffield 1st 4-2.

Men's Football 1st drew 0-0 at LJMU 2nd, while our 2nd & 3rd teams won at Glyndwr 1st and Edge Hill 2nd respectively.

The 4th team lost 4-2 at home to Bolton 1st, but the Women's 1st team enjoyed a 4-1 success at MMU Cheshire 2nd.

UCLan Rams retained their 100% American Football record with a hard-fought 9-0 win at home to Staffordshire 1st. Men's Rugby Union 1st lost 17-15 at Edge Hill 1st, but the 2nd team won 24-10 at home to Keele 2nd.

Men's Hockey 1st won 2-0 at Bangor 1st and our Women's 1st team won 3-2 at home to Edge Hill 1st. Their 2nd team counterparts were both defeated.

UCLan Netball 1st & 3rd teams both lost, but our 2nd team enjoyed a 45-38 success at home to Liverpool 4th. Men's & Women's Basketball 1st teams lost to Salford 1st & LJMU 1st respectively.

UCLan Cricket 1st beat Manchester Met but lost to Liverpool, while Men's Lacrosse 1st lost 13-3 at Chester 1st.

Men's Tennis 1st won 10-2 at Bangor 1st, the 2nd team fell 9-3 at home to Manchester Met 1st, but Women's 1st won 12-0 at home to Huddersfield 1st.

Men's Badminton 2nd drew 4-4 with Lancaster 2nd, while Women's 1st defeated Lancaster 1st 7-1. Men's Table Tennis 1st won 10-7 at home to Manchester 2nd, but the 2nd team were beaten by the same scoreline at Sunderland 1st. UCLan Squash 1st won 5-0 at Manchester 3rd.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Rams kicked off their BUCS American Football season with a comfortable 34-6 victory at LJMU 1st.

Men's Football 1st, 2nd, 4th & 5th were all in knockout action and all progressed to the next round of their competitions. Women's 1st enjoyed a 3-1 cup success at home to Lancaster 1st, but the 2nd team lost heavily in the league at Bolton 1st.

Women's Rugby Union 1st and our Men's 2nd team both progressed to the next round of their cup competitions after wins against Bangor 1st and Chester (Warrington) 1st respectively.

Men's Hockey 1st & 2nd both crashed to heavy cup defeats, but Women's 1st progressed after a 3-1 win at Chester 1st.

Men's Basketball 1st picked up their second league win of the season with an 87-72 success at Sunderland 1st. Men's 2nd beat York St John 1st 100-81 to go through to the next of the cup, but Women's 1st are out after losing 47-42 at home to Keele 1st.

UCLan Netball 1st won for the first time this season with a 53-42 league success at home to Northumbria 2nd. Our 3rd team reached the next round of the cup after a 61-11 success at Chester (Warrington) 1st.

Men's Badminton 2nd lost 8-0 in the cup at Manchester 3rd, while Women's 1st lost 5-3 in the league at home to Sheffield Hallam 1st.

Women's Tennis 1st and Men's Fencing were both defeated in their cup competitions, but Men's Tennis 1st, Men's Table Tennis 2nd and UCLan Squash 1st all progressed to the next round.

UCLan Golf 1st triumphed 5-1 at Nottingham 1st.

UCLan to host Junior and Cadet National Championships

Commonwealth Games silver medallist Tin-Tin Ho will be among the best young table tennis players in England vying to win a national title in Preston later this month.

Ho, who was only 15 when she won her mixed doubles medal alongside Liam Pitchford in Glasgow this summer, will be aiming to add the Junior National title to her accolades as the Junior and Cadet National Championships are held at UCLan's Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre (STFSC).

Opposing Tin-Tin will be the top U18 players in the country, including defending champion Maria Tsaptsinos, who caused an upset by beating Ho in last year's final. Also back to defend his Junior Boys’ title is England age-group player Helshan Weerasinghe, who this year claimed his first international singles title at the Madeira Open.

The two Cadet (U15) champions are also returning – Tom Jarvis in the boys and Kate Cheer in the girls. As well as boys and girls singles, there will also be doubles competitions in Preston.UCLan has already hosted several other international table tennis events, including a Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games warm-up match between England and Australia, at STFSC.

Manager Martin Baines said: "We are delighted to once again welcome international table tennis athletes to Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre and invite the local public to come along and see them in action. It's a great opportunity for people to see athletes from the Commonwealth Games compete right here on their doorstep and hopefully will help to boost table tennis interest in Lancashire."

The two day event, which takes place on the weekend of November 22/23, is open to the public and free to attend. Play will begin each day at 9.00am.

For more information on attending the event contact STFSC on 01772 895400 or email Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Men's Football 1st team lead BUCS Northern Division 2A after winning 4-2 at home to Manchester 2nd.

The 2nd team lost 5-2 at home to Manchester Met 3rd, but our 3rd and 5th teams defeated Manchester Met 4th and Cumbria (Ambleside) 5th respectively.

Our Women’s 1st team are top of Northern D2A after a 4-3 win at home to Edge Hill 1st, but the 2nd team fell 5-0 at Manchester 3rd.

Men's Rugby Union 2nd won 26-12 at home to Chester (Warrington) 1st, while our Women’s 1st team triumphed 67-0 at Manchester 2nd.

Men's Hockey 1st eased to a 4-1 win at home to Liverpool 2nd, but our 2nd team crashed 4-0 at LJMU 2nd. Women's 1st team racked up a massive 20-1 victory at Chester 1st, while the 2nd team won 2-0 at home to Edge Hill 2nd.

It was a disappointing week for our Basketball teams, with Men's 1st & 2nd and Women's 1st all losing. There was a similar story for our Netball teams, with all three being defeated.

UCLan Golf 1st won 4-2 at home to Durham 1st and our 2nd team won 5.5-0.5 at Durham 2nd.

Men's Tennis 1st won 10-2 at Liverpool 2nd, but the 2nd team lost by the same scoreline at home to Lancaster 2nd. Women's 1st were also beaten 10-2 at Manchester Met 1st.

Men’s Badminton 1st won 5-3 at home to Bangor 1st, our 2nd team enjoyed a 6-2 success at Cumbria 1st and the Women’s 1st team won 5-3 at home to Northumbria 1st.

Men's Table Tennis 1st & 2nd and Squash 1st all slipped to defeats. Men's Fencing lost 135-61 at home to Manchester 2nd.

Men's Lacrosse 1st won 8-4 at home to Manchester 2nd, while our Men's Cricket (Indoor) team defeated Lancaster 1st and MMU (Cheshire) 2nd.

BUCS round-up

UCLan's Golf teams began their BUCS seasons with a mixed bag of results this week.

The 1st team slipped to a 6-0 loss at Loughborough 1st, but our 2nd & 3rd teams enjoyed home wins against Sheffield 1st & Durham 2nd respectively.

UCLan Rugby League drew 24-24 at Sheffield 1st. Men's Rugby Union 1st won 24-8 at Liverpool 2nd and Women's 1st triumphed 36-12 at home to Salford 1st.

Our Men's Football teams were all in knockout action. The 2nd, 4th & 5th teams all progressed to the next round, but our 3rd team slipped to a 4-1 defeat at Manchester Met 3rd.

Men's Basketball 1st lost 72-63 in their league clash at Northumbria 2nd, but the 2nd team won 80-55 in their Conference Cup tie at Leeds 3rd. UCLan Netball 2nd were knocked out of their cup competition by Keele 1st.

Men's Hockey 1st & 2nd and Women's 1st all successfully reached the next round of the Conference Cup, but Women's 2nd narrowly lost at home to Liverpool 3rd.

Men's Tennis 2nd slumped to a 10-2 cup defeat a Liverpool 1st, but the Women’s 1st team drew 6-6 in the league at Liverpool 2nd.

Men's Badminton 1st drew 4-4 with Manchester Met 1st, while Women's 1st won 6-2 at Manchester 1st. Men’s Table Tennis 2nd won 12-5 at home to Durham 3rd.

BUCS round-up

UCLan's Basketball teams enjoyed a trio of victories on the road. Men's 1st team won 83-66 at Manchester 1st, the 2nd team triumphed 147-29 at Bolton 2nd and Women's 1st won 65-53 at Manchester 1st.

UCLan Netball 1st produced a spirited fightback against Edge Hill 1st to snatch a point in their Northern Division 1A clash.

The team trailed for much of the game, but a late rally saw them clinch a 48-48 draw. Our 2nd & 3rd teams both lost.

UCLan Rugby League won 42-6 at Lancaster 1st. Men’s Rugby Union 1st lost 27-22 at Manchester 2nd, but our 2nd team won 39-16 at Manchester Met 3rd.

Men's Football 2nd & 4th teams both slipped to narrow defeats. The 3rd team won 2-1 at Keele 1st, while our Women's 1st team cruised to a 9-0 success at Lancaster 1st.

Men's Hockey 1st & 2nd teams both lost, but Women's 1st team drew 3-3 with MMU Cheshire 1st. Men's Table Tennis 1st won 17-0 at Liverpool 2nd, but the 2nd team, Squash 1st, Men's Lacrosse 1st and Men's Fencing were all defeated.

Men's Tennis 1st won 8-4 at home to Liverpool 1st, while Men's 2nd and Women's 1st teams picked up 6-6 draws with Chester 2nd and Keele 1st respectively. Men’s Badminton 1st drew 4-4 at LJMU 1st and our 2nd team won 5-3 at Liverpool Hope 1st.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Rugby League began their British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Northern D2 campaign with a convincing 66-6 win against Chester 1st.

Men's Rugby Union 1st lost 20-14 at home to Manchester Met 1st, but our 2nd team won 41-5 at home to Bangor 2nd.

Men's Football 1st claimed a 3-1 home win against Bangor 1st, and there were also wins for our 2nd & 5th teams. The 3rd team lost 4-2 at home to Salford 1st, while our 4th team drew 3-3 at Manchester Met 6th. Women's Football 1st won 8-1 at home to Bangor 1st.

UCLan Netball 1st lost 62-47 at LJMU 1st, the 2nd team were defeated 42-35 at home to MMU Cheshire 4th, but our 3rd team triumphed 51-4 against Cumbria 3rd.

Women's Basketball 1st opened their season with a 45-28 victory at home to Edge Hill 1st. Salford 1st beat our Men's 1st team 94-51, but our 2nd team enjoyed an 89-40 success against Chester 2nd.

Men's Hockey 1st won 5-2 at home to Cumbria 1st, but the 2nd team slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Manchester 5th. Women's 1st drew 1-1 at Manchester Met 2nd and our 2nd team won 1-0 at home to Salford 2nd.

Men's Table Tennis 1st won 14-3 at home to Lancaster 2nd, while Squash 1st lost 5-0 at Manchester 2nd. Men's Lacrosse 1st and Men's Fencing team were both defeated.

Men's Tennis 1st drew 6-6 with LJMU 1st, while our 2nd team won 12-0 at home to Keele 2nd. Men's Badminton 1st drew 4-4 with Lancaster 1st, the 2nd team beat MMU Cheshire 2nd 8-0 and Women's 1st won 6-2 at Lancaster 1st.

(Image permission: Laura Shepherd)

Arena hosts Breeze Cycling Challenge

UCLan Sports Arena welcomed hundreds of female cyclists as the first Breeze Challenge event came to the North West.

The British Cycling/Sky Ride initiative celebrates the success of the Breeze network and women's cycling, and formed part of a Family Fun Day hosted by Preston City Council.

Olympic Cyclist Emma Pooley was a special VIP guest at the event, which offered a choice of two gorgeous routes – 50km or 100km long. Riders were supported with feed stations, spectator hot spots and many other surprises along the way.

The ride began at the Arena, with the routes taking in some spectacular views. Heading towards Kirkham, riders were able to stretch their legs in pristine Lancashire surroundings before moving north towards Cockerham.

The 50km route cut across Bilsborrow, before heading back to the Arena, whilst the longer route headed deeper into the Lancashire countryside, before heading home past Barnacre and Whittingham.

Breeze Project Manager Sarah Bennett said: "We're just so pleased that everyone has had a great day, and to speak to so many women who have enjoyed themselves has been a real highlight. I'd like to thank everyone who made today so special, especially the volunteers involved, as we really couldn't do this without your help."

Emma Pooley commented: "I feel privileged to have been part of the Breeze Challenge Event today, joining hundreds of women taking part in the 50km or 100km rides. It was such a fantastic atmosphere, smiling faces all round!

"It was really fun for me to meet and support riders along the route, and hear about their cycling experiences and rides with Breeze. For many of the riders, today was their longest ride ever, and I'd like to congratulate them.

"Breeze is a great initiative for women's cycling, a really positive way to encourage women to participate. I hope everyone who did the Breeze Challenge Ride today enjoyed it and will be motivated to ride their bikes even more. I'm really pleased to see this wonderful growth in women's grassroots cycling."

For more information about Breeze Challenge events please click here.

Promising athletes receive funding boost

Young sporting prospects from across Lancashire have been awarded a cash boost to help them achieve their sporting goals.

The promising athletes were awarded a £500 bursary from the Lancashire Rising Star fund to support them in their chosen sports at a presentation ceremony hosted at UCLan.

The project, a collaboration between UCLan Sport, Lancashire Sport Partnership and Lancashire County Council, awards the grants to individuals to cover costs such as travel, training, accommodation, competition fees, and equipment.

In addition, each recipient will receive a package of support from UCLan that includes strength and conditioning services, nutritional advice and support and access to UCLan sports and training facilities.

Adrian Leather, Chief Executive at Lancashire Sport Partnership said: "On behalf of the Lancashire Rising Star Fund I want to congratulate the young athletes on their achievements so far.

"We know that young athletes' families spend a lot of time and money to support their dreams and we hope that we can offer some support along the way.

"We look forward to watching these young athletes achieve their dream of representing their county and country in some of the nation’s biggest sporting competitions."

For more information about the Lancashire Rising Star Fund please click here.

UCLan Cycling on a mission

UCLan Cycling have one big aim for 2014/15 – to regain a coveted track record and title they lost last season.

In 2013, UCLan smashed a long-standing British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Track Cycling Championship record set by Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and his Heriot-Watt University team, but saw Loughborough lower the time at this year's Championships.

Club Chairman James Claydon commented: "This year we’ll be competing in Road Races, Criterium Races, Hill Climbs, the Track Championships and hopefully off the road too.

"The big targets are once again primarily on the velodrome and the road, but the really big hope is to get back the Team Pursuit title and record we lost last year. With new blood in the squad this might be possible.

"Last year we also took home bronze in the Team Sprint, silver in the Points Race and a joint gold and silver in the Devil. Our Sprint Team are aiming to push themselves a few more places in the standings. Now our silver medal Points and Devil rider, Martin Woffindin, isn't at UCLan anymore it just leaves me to defend my Devil title.

"As for the Road Race, the big crash we had in the opening miles set us down two riders last year. This year we've got a strong team, so we hope to bounce back. Our bronze medal placed rider in the Criterium Race, Chris Nicholson, is still with us so maybe with some teamwork a few more medals might be up for grabs in that event.

"Away from the racing side of things the club is hoping to run more group rides than ever before and provide some great opportunities such as a taster session of the velodrome for those who haven't had a go before.

"For more information about how to get involved with the club, please check out the UCLan Cycling Facebook group or email James.

Rams target Premier League

UCLan Rams have targeted promotion to the Premier League ahead of the new BUCS American Football season.

Rams qualified for the end of season Trophy play-offs last time around, defeating number two seeds Portsmouth in the last sixteen, before falling to eventual winners Swansea in the quarter-final.

Chairman Luc Kinder said: “This year the leagues have been reorganised, so we're hoping to win promotion to the Premiership. We also aim to continue our off the field work with charities, other teams and the Students' Union.

"Last season was great as we went on to win UCLan Sport Club of the Year award at the Sports Ball, but we really want to progress on the field this season."

If anyone wants to get involved with the Rams please check them out on Facebook and Twitter. Training is held at UCLan Arena on Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7-9.30pm and Sundays, 2-5pm. For further information please email Luc.

Gold medallist drops into Sports Fair

Commonwealth boxing gold medallist Scott Fitzgerald paid a surprise visit to the UCLan Sports Fair.

The Glasgow 2014 welterweight champion was at 53 Degrees with members of the Savick & Larches Boxing Club to promote the sport to UCLan students.

The club is looking to develop links with UCLanSport with a view to increasing student participation and build on the legacy of Scott's gold medal success.

UCLan Students' Union Sports Coordinator Amanda Pattinson said: "It's an excellent opportunity to set up a new sport at UCLan that we've not been able to offer before. It's a new link to a well-established community club, in a sport which is rapidly developing throughout the UK."

Sports Development Officer Darren Waldron added: "Savick and Larches are a club that's had proven success, so having Scott down here is fantastic for UCLan.

Preston-based Scott is currently recovering from the hand injury he received during the Games, but is hoping to be back in competitive action later this year. He has also targeted success at next year’s World Championship competition.

He said: "It's good to see all the different sports and activities on offer at UCLan, and great to see lots of people getting involved."

Rugby League lads aim for glory

UCLan Rugby League is bidding to make it third time lucky as they look to secure an elusive promotion.

After twice finishing second in the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Northern Division 2A, our Men's team have targeted a successful 2014/15 season.#

They were pipped to promotion by Manchester 1st last term, but Club Chairman Cameron Ladd is aiming for success on two fronts this time around.

"Our goal this season is to win the league and gain promotion. We've narrowly missed out in the last two years, so we're desperate to go one better this time. We'd also like to win the cup competition, as we believe we have the squad capable of winning it.

"Last year we had seven UCLan players representing North West in the regional championships, with Liam Thompson & Aaron Hall going on to be selected for the England students' team."

Team training is held on Monday evenings at UCLan Sports Arena, 6.30-9.00pm and includes Strength & Conditioning, Video Analysis and on field practice. There is also a Strength & Conditioning session on Thursdays from 7.30-8.30pm.

For further information please email Cameron. Regular club updates can be found on Twitter and Facebook.

This is Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre

Free Sport Membership for Preston campus students

All UCLan students are now entitled to a free UCLansport membership as part of their tuition fees.

This gives access to Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre and UCLan Sports Arena, plus activities delivered by University sports staff including exercise classes and fitness suite instruction.

Undergraduates and postgraduates at Preston campus are eligible for membership as follows: Year, 1,2 & 3, Part-time students, Year 0, Bursary students, International students (including Exchange), Students on short courses, Postgraduate research and taught students.

To apply just call into Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre or UCLan Sports Arena at any time with your UCLan ID card and your membership will be activated. Eligibility will be verified by staff.

The sports membership does not include any sports activities organised and funded by the Students' Union such as joining a sports club, competing in British University & Colleges Sport, GetIn2, Students Union Leagues or any other activity the Students' Union may organise. The offer does not apply to students at Partner Colleges.

For more information please email Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre or UCLan Sports Arena.

UCLan Cycling join the Revolution

UCLan Cycling will take part in the opening event of the prestigious Revolution Series 2014/15.

Our men's team will join Loughborough, Southampton and Glasgow in a head-to-head Team Pursuit contest to decide the UK's University Champions.

Hosted at the iconic Lee Valley VeloPark, the event forms part of a weekend of elite track cycling which is expected to draw a bumper crowd.

The Revolution Series has established itself as the UK's premier track cycling series and is the next big event in the elite track cycling calendar following the recent Commonwealth Games.

The Varsity race will build on the legacy of Glasgow 2014 and the London 2012 Olympics which aims to promote and encourage cycling amongst school and university students.

In 2013, UCLan smashed a long-standing British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Track Cycling Championship record set by Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and his Heriot-Watt University team. Loughborough lowered the time at this year's Championships and UCLan will be keen to gain revenge.

FACE Partnership MD James Pope said: "We're delighted to be introducing a Varsity race into the Revolution programme this season. As always, we want to ensure that the racing we put on is as exciting as possible and I can't think of a more intense rivalry in sport than between British Universities.

"Olympic Champions Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton were both BUCS track cycling record-holders, so we're expecting high-quality performances from these teams. It's great to be able to expand on our support of the future stars of British cycling by inviting these students to demonstrate their talent and race alongside such prestigious names in UK sport."

The race will take place on Friday, 24th October. For ticket information please click here.

England defeat Aussies at UCLan

England's Table Tennis stars secured a 7-3 win over Australia in their final international before the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

In front of a big crowd at UCLan's Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre, Paul Drinkhall, Liam Pitchford and Andrew Baggaley won their Men's singles matches, with Drinkhall & Baggaley teaming up to win a thrilling doubles encounter. Danny Reed & Sam Walker put the icing on the cake in the final doubles match to seal an impressive 5-0 victory.

The Women's team found their Australian counterparts a tougher nut to crack, but a singles win for Joanna Parker and doubles success for Kelly Sibley & Tin-Tin Ho added another two points to the overall total.

UCLan's Academic Director of Sport Dr Adrian Ibbetson said he was delighted to welcome the teams to Preston: "It was another fantastic event that builds on the very strong partnerships we have locally with Preston Table Tennis Club and nationally with Table Tennis England.

"Table Tennis is a focal sport at UCLan and is important to the sporting 'fabric' within the City. It was a pleasure to welcome the Australian team back to Preston and UCLan again for another Ashes showdown with England. It was both teams last competitive 'hit' before they compete at the Commonwealth Games; we wish them all well."

David Grecic graduation message

Student's Palmer Cup delight

UCLanSport golfer Louis Tomlinson helped Europe win the college version of the Ryder Cup against the USA.

Louis and Team Europe competed in the recent Palmer Cup event at Walton Heath, with the hosts securing a comfortable 18.5 – 11.5 success.

Since its inception in 1997, the tournament has become the biggest event of its type in the world. Named after the legendary Arnold Palmer, it brings together top college players from both sides of the Atlantic.

Alongside the Ryder Cup and Walker Cup, it’s one of only three golf events where Europe compete against the USA.

Louis played a huge role in Team Europe's success, earning 2.5 points, including a half in the foursomes and a one-hole win in the fourballs, before going on to register a 5&4 victory in one of his singles matches.

The 20-year-old, who has just completed a Foundation Degree in Golf Performance, qualified for Team Europe after winning the annual R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament at St Andrews earlier this year.

He said: "I went into the event not really expecting much and walked away as a champion. It turned into one of the best weeks of my life. I'm very honoured to have been asked to play. Not many people get the chance to play at this level.

"In the first two rounds I played alongside Spaniard, Pep Angles, and we came through our games undefeated. The singles was tougher as I was up against the number one amateur player in the world, Ollie Schniederjans. He's world class and got eight birdies in 15 holes during his round, but I'm proud I still pushed him all the way.

"The whole event was really well organised. I fitted in straight away and everyone made me feel very welcome. The players were catered for perfectly."

Louis undertook his degree at the International Institute for Golf Education (IIGE) at Myerscough College. IIGE is a unique partnership between UCLan and Myerscough College, blending academic and research expertise with an established centre of golf education set in its own beautiful grounds, with a golf course and high quality playing and coaching staff.

Louis has no plans to turn pro just yet, but is continuing his education in the USA after gaining a three year placement to play and study in Arkansas.

He added: "IIGE helped me so much. I've learned a lot from my tutor, Adam Smith, in areas such as performance, nutrition and biomechanics, which are all crucial to the modern golfer. I feel I've really progressed since I've been here and the college gives players the chance to improve and incorporate these elements into their game.

"I want to improve my handicap to enable me to compete at the top of amateur game before I take the next step. Of course the ultimate dream is to be a top professional and win majors. I'm looking forward to the future."

UCLan claims impressive Games result

UCLan staff produced some excellent performances at the World Corporate Games 2014 event held in Liverpool at the end of June.

Our Women's 5-a-side football team (left) retained their title, Steve Abbott (Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre) also bagged gold in the Men's Open Cycling Road Race and Paul Lightfoot (Marketing) won the 5K (30-39) race.

The UCLan Dragonboat team secured bronze in the long race, going on to claim 6th place in the overall championship table (out of 54 entrants).

Wendy Skerritt (Mailroom) finished 7th in Round 1 of the Women's Golf competition, with Jan Peace (Sports Arena) grabbing 6th place in Round 2.

The results helped UCLan secure 2nd place in Division 4 (21-50 athletes) behind global consultancy company Turner & Townsend.

UCLan to host International Table Tennis

England's top table tennis players will be on show at UCLan during July, as they face Australia in their final match before the Commonwealth Games.

The England team has been busy preparing for the event, with the likes of Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall producing some excellent performances across Europe during the past few months.

The team will experience the Commonwealth Games Village in Glasgow for the first time on Sunday 13th July, before travelling to Preston to face the Aussies a week later.

The Sir Tom Finney Centre hosted the same fixture just before London 2012, with the teams producing a fantastic advertisement for the sport.

The match takes place on Sunday, 20th July, 2.00 pm, with admission just £3 per person. UCLanSport is delighted to support this event and we hope you'll come and join us.

Funding boost for Sport at UCLan

UCLan students will have more chances to play sport after the University secured a significant slice of National Lottery funding.

Following the award of £97,000 from Sport England’s University Sport Activation Fund, UCLan Students' Union is setting up the 'Get in2' project which will build upon the strong foundations laid down by the University’s successful Sport 4 U scheme.

Get in2 aims to create more sporting opportunities by offering new 'pop up' sessions around campus and within the halls of residence to help overcome different barriers to participation that students face. The project will deliver a diverse, accessible and affordable sporting programme, as well as offering volunteering opportunities for students.

The Union have also teamed up with Preston City Council's Sport and Health Development team to provide affordable swimming opportunities at both Fulwood and West View Leisure Centres.

UCLan is one of 54 universities to benefit from nearly £10 million of funding to help get almost 180,000 new students playing sport. Sam Bloomfield, the Union's Activities and Participation Officer said: "I'm delighted we've received funding from Sport England's University Activation fund for our Get In2 programme.

"We're always looking for ways to improve the student experience and with the support of the Get In2 initiative we'll be able to provide new and exciting projects that should see student involvement in physical activity increase rapidly. This funding will really enable Sport and Activities at UCLan Students' Union go far beyond where they have in the past."

Currently just over half of higher education students take part in sport at least once a week. The funding will support projects to not only maintain this level of participation, but also increase it by trialling new methods of getting students into sport and offering a wider variety of opportunities to keep them playing sport during their time at university.

The projects will particularly concentrate on those that do not currently play. It will also help tackle the issue of many young people giving up sport in their late teens and early twenties.

Sport England Director of Community Sport, Mike Diaper, said: “We know universities play a vital role in maintaining and growing a student's love of sport. They can encourage them to continue playing once they've left school or help those less sporty discover a new sport. By investing in UCLan Students' Union we're helping students develop a lifelong sporting habit while they study."

Arena to host WorldNET 2014

UCLan Sports Arena has been confirmed as the host venue for WorldNET 2014.

Following the success of last year's event, the Internet Football Association (IFA) is bringing the supporter-based football competition back to the Arena from 18-20 July.

A total of 32 teams took part in WorldNet 2013 as the tournament grabbed the attention of both local and national media, with Sky Sports News amongst those who attended.

For full details of WorldNet 2014 please click here.

Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre update

Over the summer members and non-members are invited to bring friends and family (over 18s) to play and train with you at Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre.

All activities are available - fitness suite, classes, team games, racket sports and gym challenges.

Your guests must accompany you to the facility and pay the casual fee.

All users must have an Induction to the Fitness Suite before using the equipment, just call 01772 895400 to book yours now.

For further information please email us or check us out on Facebook and Twitter.

We look forward to welcoming you, your friends and family to STFSC soon.

This is Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre 2014

UCLanSport helps World Cup preparations

UCLanSport has teamed up with the University's Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership (CVCL) to help Russian sports volunteer representatives prepare for the FIFA World Cup 2018.

The CVCL, in partnership with UCLanSport, played a key role in developing the volunteer programme for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and are now using that expertise to advise the World Cup volunteer organisers on how to develop a volunteer programme ahead of the 2018 tournament.

Dr Adrian Ibbetson, Jackie Day and Amy Whitehead from The School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors introduced the Russian visitors to sports students who've taken part in volunteering projects in the UK, Zambia and Russia.

They also visited The Myerscough College Football Academy to meet staff and students from the football studies programme, discuss the role of volunteers within the Football Academy and Sport England Volunteering and consider possible collaboration.

Dr Alethea Melling MBE, Director of the Centre for Volunteering and Community Leadership at UCLan, said: “We are very pleased to welcome our guests from Russia who were very impressed with the volunteer management systems within the Centre and said they are looking forward to collaborating on exchange projects in the near future.

"Back in 2012 UCLan was at the heart of an innovative programme to set up volunteer centres in support of the Sochi Winter Olympics 2014 so we have a lot of experience in this area that we can share to help ensure the 2018 FIFA World Cup volunteer programme is a success."

The Russian party were in the UK to learn more about the country's football infrastructure and sports volunteering projects, as well as to meet representatives from the organising committee of Olympic volunteers for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The delegation was made up of volunteer corporation heads from different regions of Russia and representatives from Moscow City Government and Rostovskaya obl Government.

UCLan student gets England call up

UCLan's Jennie Pendlebury has been selected to represent the England Women's Student Rugby League team.

Jennie's inclusion represents the first step on the ladder to gaining full representative honours with the England Women's Team.

The 25 player squad will now get their preparations underway with a number of training sessions prior ahead of the RFL Associations Cup during May-July.

The tournament features four teams including the Great Britain Teachers, the Combined Services and the England Lionesses.

Jennie said: "It was such a proud moment when I received the email as there were a lot of girls down for the trails.

"I've played rugby for a long time and it's a big passion of mine. I hope that getting onto the squad getting will help me progress further in the game."

Golf team miss out on glory

UCLan Golf 1st team missed out on the BUCS National Championship after a hard fought battle with Stirling University.

Stirling led 2-1 after the morning Foursomes and secured the title after winning the Singles 4.5-1.5 to seal a 6.5-2.5 victory.

UCLan Sport would like to congratulate Stirling on their victory.

UCLan Golf aim for National title

UCLan Golf 1st team face Stirling 1st on Wednesday as they bid to claim the BUCS National Championship.

After cruising to the Premier North league title, knock-out wins against Buckingham New 1st, Bournemouth 1st and Exeter 1st have taken UCLan to the final for the second year in a row.

Victory would cap a memorable season for UCLan Golf, with their achievements also recently recognised at the Preston Sports Awards.

Golf programme director David Grecic commented: "This continued success is testament to the effort and excellence of the students, coaches and staff on the UCLan Portfolio of Golf degrees delivered at our Associate School Myerscough College's campus. Their drive to constantly improve their performance has led to sustained success for all three UCLan teams and in our Golfers being voted the City's FE/ HE Team of the Year.

"This work ethic has also been reflected in some wonderful individual performances this year - most recently Louis Tomlinson's victory at the R&A Bursary Championship at St Andrew's this month. Best wishes to the team and staff - you definitely deserve all the accolades you're receiving."

The final takes place at Formby Golf Club, Golf Road, Formby, Liverpool L37 1LQ, from 8.00 am tomorrow.

Bubble Football event is a big hit

UCLanSport 4 U teamed up with former student Aneel Javed (owner of Strawberry Sport) to deliver the first ever 'Bubble Football' event.

Hosted and funded by UCLan Sports Arena The event was a huge success and booked out in record time, with 12 teams registering before adverts were even printed.

Bubble football is quickly becoming the latest craze and it didn't disappoint the UCLan students who were lucky enough to take part. All of the participants had a great time and the Sport 4 U team have received nothing but positive feedback including: 'It was the best event we've have ever been to' and 'It was absolutely awesome'.

Sport 4 U are now looking for as many retweets on their Twitter page to establish demand for a second event. To see footage and pictures from the event please visit (and like) their Facebook page.

Tigers head to Nationals

UCLan Tigers have been busy raising money to fund their participation at the British Cheerleading Association (BCA) University Nationals 2014 later this month.

Taking place on April 17th & 18th in Telford, the competition will see universities from across the country compete in different aspects of cheerleading.

We spoke to team Treasurer Hannah Tyler to find out more:

"Our fundraiser consisted of us performing our routines to showcase our skills and improvements to friends and family in the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre.

"Within cheer we have the full co-ed team which consists of 32 members (including two boys) performing our full competition routine. This is made up of various jumps, dances, stunts and tumbling, all of which require dedication and intense practice to ensure the moves are clean and in time to the music.

"We also have three stunt teams, each consisting of five members, and they perform various stunts in quick succession across different levels of difficulty. We have a level 1 all girl stunt team, level 2 all girls stunt team and level 2 co-ed stunt team (three boys & two girls).

"There is also a Pom dance team, which is a choreographed dance routine with pom-poms. This type of dance requires a level of dance experience and flexibility due to its high demands.

"In addition to performing the routines we also held a cake sale, with lots of homemade cakes made by the team, and a raffle with prizes kindly donated by many shops throughout Preston City Centre.

We managed to raise over £700 which will all go towards paying for our hotel and possibly even petrol money too.

"The whole team would like to thank our Fundraising Officer Evie Oxton, Head Coach Natalie Gibson, Team UCLan and particularly the help with advertising by the staff at Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre."

Rugby lads feel the pain

UCLan Rugby League players went through the pain barrier to raise over £1,000 for charity.

A sponsored leg wax saw the team raise around £400 for Parkinson's UK and after completing the gruelling Yorkshire Three Peak walk the figure crashed through the four figure mark.

Nik Zalad organised the events to raise money for a charity close to his heart as his Mum suffers from the disease.

The team are still collecting donations, so if anyone is interested in helping please email Nik.

Lancashire Rising Star Fund

The University of Central Lancashire and Lancashire Sport Partnership have teamed up once again to offer a cash boost to young sporting hopefuls.

The Lancashire Rising Star Fund gives young athletes from across the region the opportunity to receive a grant to cover costs such as travel, training, accommodation, competition fees, and equipment.

Each recipient also receives a package of support from UCLan that includes strength and conditioning services, nutritional advice and support and access to UCLan sports and training facilities.

For more information about the scheme and how to apply please click here.

BUCS round-up

There was heartbreak for two of our teams against higher ranked opposition in BUCS knock-out action this week.

Men's Tennis 1st lost 8-4 at Leeds Met Carnegie 3rd in the final of the Northern Conference Cup, while UCLan Rams American Football team fell 38-6 against Swansea in the Trophy quarter-final.

Men's Football 2nd team drew 2-2 at Lancaster 1st, but our 4th team lost 2-1 at Manchester Met 6th. Men's & Women's Hockey 1st teams both slipped to defeats.

Women's Rugby Union triumphed 37-7 at Cumbria 1st, while Men's 1st team lost 29-0 at Newcastle 2nd.

Netball 2nd and Men's Badminton 1st were both defeated, but Women's Badminton drew 4-4 at Manchester Met 2nd. Men's Tennis won 10-2 at home to Keele 2nd.

England call-up for UCLan Rugby duo

Two UCLan Rugby League players have been named in England's 36-man train-on squad for the Student Four Nations Championships 2014.

Aaron Hall and Liam Thompson were selected after helping the North West University team finish third in the recent regional championships held in Nottingham.

England will face Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the competition and will look to regain the title after a narrow loss to Wales in 2012. England coach Gareth Pratt said: "The Regionals were an excellent standard this year, which has made the selection process extremely difficult.

"We have selected a good blend of players including some experienced players who played in last year's Student World Cup alongside some very promising new talent. We will now begin our preparations for the Four Nations - with the new squad and coaching staff I'm confident we can regain the title."

Aaron and Liam were joined at the regional event by team-mates Zac McClusky, Joe Frobisher, Cameron Ladd, Nik Zalad and Liam Wiggins, while Josh Dolan and Stuart McLean were also selected but missed out through injury. The Four Nations Championships are scheduled over Easter and will take place at Nottingham University.

RFL National Colleges Cup 2014

UCLan Sports Arena will host the prestigious RFL National Colleges Cup Semi-Finals 2014 on Wednesday, 19 March.

The first semi-final kick-off at 1.00 pm and features Hopwood Hall (North West) v NC Pontefract (Yorkshire). This will be followed at 3.00 pm by Calderdale College (Yorkshire) v St Peters (South West).

For further details please email us.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Golf 1st team are through to the final of the BUCS National Championship after a thrilling encounter with holders Exeter 1st.

The scores were tied after the first session, but UCLan eventually pulled away to win 5.5-3.5. They now face Stirling 1st in the final. The victory capped a memorable few days for the team, having also clinched the 'Team of the Year' prize at last week's Preston Sports Awards.

UCLan Rams American Football team are through to the last eight of the National Trophy after a 26-8 success at University of Portsmouth. They travel to Swansea 1st in the quarter-final.

Men's Football 1st missed out on a place in the Northern Conference Cup final after losing 1-0 at home to University of York 1st. Our 3rd team lost 2-0 in the league at Manchester Met 3rd, but our 5th team won 3-2 at home to University of Chester (Warrington) 3rd. They must now wait for Chester's final result to determine if they win promotion.

Men's Tennis 1st remain on course for the double after beating Hull 1st 8-4 in their cup semi-final. The 2nd team drew 6-6 at Lancaster 2nd in the league. There was heartbreak for Netball 1st & Women's Fencing 1st who both exited their cup competitions at the semi-final stage.

Men's Hockey 2nd lost 5-1 in the league at Liverpool John Moores 2nd, while Women's 2nd drew 2-2 at Manchester 5th. Men's Volleball defeated Keele 1st, but lost out to MMU (Cheshire) 1st & Liverpool 1st. Women's Badminton 1st triumphed 8-0 at MMU (Cheshire) 1st.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Netball 1st won promotion with 100% record

UCLan Netball 1st celebrated their promotion to BUCS Northern Division 1A with a 47-29 win against Liverpool 2nd. Our 2nd team lost 40-25 at Liverpool John Moores 3rd, while the 3rd team missed the chance to clinch promotion from Division 7A after a 47-40 defeat at Cumbria (Carlisle) 2nd. They now await the results of Cumbria's final three games to decide their fate.

UCLan Golf 1st are through to the last four of the National Championship after an 8-1 victory at home to Bournemouth. They now meet Exeter 1st, who triumphed 7-2 against UCLan in last year's final.

Rugby League 1st were denied promotion to Northern Division 1A after losing 18-10 to title rivals Manchester 1st. Men's Rugby Union 1st lost 44-22 at Leeds 2nd, but our 2nd team won 25-0 against Chester 2nd.

Men's Football 1st team's hopes of promotion to the top Northern level are also over after their 2-2 draw with MMU Cheshire 1st. The 2nd team drew 3-3 with Keele 1st, while our 3rd & 4th teams both lost 5-4 at Manchester 3rd & Cumbria (Carlisle) 2nd respectively. Our 5th team ran out 3-1 winners at UCFB Burnley 4th, while the Women's 1st team won 4-0 at MMU Cheshire 1st.

Men's & Women's Hockey 1st teams both slipped to defeats, but their 2nd team counterparts both enjoyed 4-3 victories - the Men beat Bangor 2nd, while our Women edged past Manchester Met 3rd. Women's Basketball 1st lost 45-69 at home to Bradford 1st.

Men's Tennis 1st secured promotion to Northern Division 2A after a 6-6 draw at Lancaster 1st. Men's Table Tennis 1st beat Lancaster 2nd 9-8, but our 2nd team crashed 10-2 at Leeds Met Carnegie 1st.

Women's Badminton 1st won promotion to Northern Division 1A after a 4-4 draw at Manchester 2nd. Men's 1st team won 6-2 against Lancaster 1st, but the 2nd team lost 5-3 at Salford 1st. Squash 1st were defeated 4-1 at Lancaster 1st.

UCLan's Sports Awards nominations

UCLan Golf have been shortlisted in the 'Senior Team Performance of the Year' category at the upcoming Preston Sports Awards 2014.

Our 1st team swept all before them in BUCS Premier League North, winning the title with a 100% record. They went on to reach the National Championship final, eventually losing out to Exeter 1st. The 2nd & 3rd teams also enjoyed successful campaigns in Northern Division 1A, finishing first and third respectively.

Golf programme director David Grecic commented: "This nomination is wonderful recognition of the outstanding performances of all three of our teams. Two of our teams won their respective leagues, while our first team reached the final of the British knock-out championships and represented the university and city with distinction. My congratulations go to each and every member of the team."

Second Year Sports Coaching student and Sport 4 U volunteer Jordan Radwell has also been shortlisted in the 'Young Volunteer of the Year' category. Jordan has volunteered with Sport 4 U throughout his studies and quickly become a key part of the team.

Jordan leads the planning and delivery of the weekly Saturday sessions which are currently Futsal, Dodgeball and 3v3 basketball. As well as the Sport 4 U work, he is also the Chair of the Basketball club and coaches U12s at All Hallows High School on a voluntary basis.

Sport 4 U's Rick Barnes said: "It's fantastic to see Jordan shortlisted for this award. We're very lucky to have Jordan as part of the Sport 4 U team, as he has had made a great contribution during his time with us. He epitomises everything you want in a volunteer and we're proud that we can assist in his development."

A total of 17 awards are up for grabs, with UCLan sponsoring the Junior Team Performance of the Year Award. The event takes place on Friday, 7 March at Preston Guild Hall and features former Olympic athlete Jason Gardener as guest speaker. For more details on the awards categories please click here.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Netball 1st, Men's Football 1st, Men's Tennis 1st & Women's Fencing 1st teams have all progressed through to the Conference Cup Semi-finals.

Netball 1st secured their slot with a thrilling 53-52 success against Leeds Met Carnegie 2nd, while Men's Football 1st won 3-2 at home to Newcastle 2nd. Men's Tennis 1st beat Chester 1st 10-2 and Women's Fencing triumphed 131-93 against Bradford 1st.

Golf 1st are through to the BUCS National Championship Quarter-final after a 5-1 win against Buckingham New 1st, but our 2nd & 3rd teams both lost in the BUCS Trophy.

Our Men's Indoor Cricket Team have won their league and progressed through to the knockout tournament at Headingley, where they will compete against some of the best indoor teams in the UK.

UCLan Rugby League, Men's Hockey 1st, Netball 3rd, Women's Badminton 1st and Squash 1st all failed to progress in their respective knockout competitions.

In league action, Men's Rugby Union 1st & Men's Fencing 1st both slipped to defeats, but Men's Football 3rd beat Liverpool John Moores 3rd 3-0, while the 5th team drew 2-2 at Keele 4th.

UCLan sprints to first ever final

UCLan's Athletics team took part in the annual BUCS Indoor Athletic Championships at Sheffield and produced some excellent results.

For the first time in their history, our 4 x 200m team reached the final, with James Taylor, Jason Conchie, Sam Landsborough and Oliver Lithgow clocking a time of 1:31.44 to advance from their semi-final.

Unfortunately, after winning his individual 200m heat in 22.50, Oliver picked up a hamstring injury, allowing Tom Booth to step in for the final. The team clocked 1:34.40 to secure fifth place. Sam also reached the 60m semi-final along with team-mate Jordan Toth, while Georgie Ivens reached the same stage in the 400m. Georgie hopes to use her early season form to reach the outdoor final later this year.

Danny Savin achieved 23.60 in his 200m heat and Adam Cameron clocked a new personal best 55.6 in the 400m. James Taylor completed the 60m hurdles in 8.54, with Tom Booth clocking 10.04 in the same event.

Andy Miles and Alex Waddelove came 6th & 7th in the 1500m heats, while Shaun Barnsley and Michael Smith achieved indoor personal bests in the 3000m. Rebecca Neil finished 8th in her 3000m heat, agonisingly missing out on her best time by just 3/10th of a second, and Bethany Mitchell finished 8th in qualifying for the 4k Shot Put.

Following the superb achievement of reaching their first ever final, the team will look to continue their progress in the Lancaster Cup on March 22nd ahead of the BUCS Outdoor Championships in Bedford on May 3rd.

Yali claims Table Tennis bronze

UCLan's Yali Wang secured a bronze medal after an exciting weekend of competition at the BUCS Individual Table Tennis Championships 2014.

Yali, and team-mates Victor Cai, Zhanzun Ma and Zhou Dingh, travelled to Nottingham for the two day tournament which featured a number of the country's top players.

After topping her group with a 100% record, Yali faced England's No. 11 ranked player Abbie Milwaine in the first knockout round and edged a thrilling contest 3-2. In the quarter-final she cruised past England No. 17 Natalie Slater, but found Durham University's Clara Hai Qing a tough opponent in the last four, eventually losing 3-0. Clara went on to comfortably win the final.

UCLan Performance Table Tennis Coach Graham Coupe was delighted with the result: "I'm very proud of Yali. She's an incredible asset to UCLan in both team and individual competitions, and also training where she sets a great example to the other players. I wish I could take some of the credit, but her performance was all down to herself."

Victor also progressed through the group stage and his first round match, before falling to highly-rated Richard Main from Scotland.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Rams kept their American Football play-off hopes alive with a 36-0 win against Bangor. Rams must now wait for other results to determine if they qualify for the end of season shoot-out.

Men's Football 1st reached the Cup quarter-final after a 3-1 win at Hull 1st. Netball 3rd are also through to the same stage of their cup competition after a 31-30 win at home to Bangor 2nd. Men's Hockey 1st, Women's Rugby Union 1st & Women's Volleyball 1st were knocked out of their respective competitions.

Men's Football 3rd & 4th both slipped to league defeats, but our 5th team won 5-1 at home to Keele 4th. There were mixed fortunes for our Hockey 2nd teams at Bangor 2nd. The Men's team lost 11-0, but the Women secured a 1-0 victory. Men's Rugby Union 2nd won 27-22 at home to Bangor 2nd.

Golf 2nd won 5.5-0.5 at Lincoln 2nd, while our 3rd team triumphed 5-1 at home to Leeds Met Carnegie 2nd. Men's Tennis 1st edged closer to promotion with a 12-0 home win against Liverpool Hope 1st. Men's Basketball 1st won 84-70 at home to Newcastle 1st.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Golf 1st team won their final two games to clinch the BUCS Premier League North crown.

They followed a 6-0 victory against Leeds Met Carnegie 1st with a 3.5-2.5 success against title rivals Northumbria 1st, and now face Buckingham New 1st in the last 16 of the National Championship.

Our 2nd team triumphed 4-2 against the 3rd team, who bounced back to defeat Liverpool 1st 4-2.

UCLan Rams American Football team kept their play-off hopes alive with a 22-0 win at Manchester. Men's Rugby Union 2nd lost 21-9 at Chester 2nd.

Men's Football 2nd lost 4-2 in the cup at Newcastle 2nd, while in the league our 3rd team drew 2-2 at Cumbria 1st and the 4th team lost 4-1 at Lancaster 1st.

Netball 1st are through to the cup quarter-final after an 84-26 win at home to Northumbria 4th, but our 2nd team crashed 91-21 at York St John 1st.

Men's Volleyball, Women's Hockey 1st, Men's Badminton 1st & Women's Tennis 1st were all knocked out of their respective cup competitions, but Men's Tennis 1st, Women's Table Tennis 1st, Men's Squash 1st & Men's Fencing 1st all progressed to the next round.

Men's Tennis 2nd lost 12-0 in the league at Huddersfield 1st. Men's Cricket lost to Liverpool John Moores, but recovered to beat Bangor.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Netball 1st clinched promotion to BUCS Northern League Division 1A with a 51-29 win at Manchester Metropolitan 1st.

Our 2nd team beat Liverpool 3rd 31-24, while the 3rd team need one more win to secure promotion from Division 7A after a 55-31 victory against Keele 3rd.

Men's Football 1st team saw their promotion hopes dented with a 1-0 defeat at Liverpool 1st. Our 2nd, 3rd & 4th teams all lost, but the 5th team beat UCFB Burnley 3rd 2-0.

UCLan Rugby League retained their 100% record with a 38-4 win at Salford 1st. Men's Rugby Union 1st & 2nd teams were both defeated. UCLan Rams American Football team won 38-8 at Lancaster 1st.

Women's Hockey 1st won 5-1 at Manchester 4th. Men's Basketball 1st won 64-58 at Manchester 1st, while Women's 1st lost 91-30 at Lancaster 1st. Women's Volleyball 1st lost to Manchester 2nd, but picked up victories against Keele 1st & Hull 1st.

Women's Badminton 1st edged closer to promotion from Division 2A with a 6-2 win against Liverpool 1st. Men's 1st & 2nd teams lost heavily at Keele 1st & 2nd, while there were also defeats for both our Men's Table Tennis teams.

Squash 1st lost 4-1 at Keele 1st, Men's & Women's Fencing teams were both defeated and Men's Lacrosse 1st crashed 11-1 against Manchester 2nd.

UCLan Golf 1st kept their Premier Division North title hopes alive with a 5.5-0.5 win at Nottingham 1st. The 2nd team won 5-1 at home to Sheffield 1st and our 3rd team beat Leeds Met Carnegie 2nd 4-2.

Handball ladies capture trophy

UCLan's Handball teams

UCLan's Handball teams put on an impressive show in a thrilling tournament at Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre.

Teams from Lancaster, Bangor and Huddersfield joined UCLan for the event, which ended with silverware for our Women’s team and a runners-up finish for the Men.

With UCLan working hard towards establishing Handball as a recognised BUCS sport, club chairman Nick Gaunt was delighted with the tournament's success.

"We’ve not heard from BUCS whether Handball will be given more funding in the coming years, but I'm hopeful the more tournaments universities arrange, the more we'll be taken notice of," said Nick.

"There are a lot of more well-known, well-funded sports out there, but for clubs who are struggling to keep going the lack of funds can really hinder the amount of opportunities available to them.

"Both our teams played extremely well and I'd also like to say thank you to all the other teams for attending and boosting the publicity of the sport in their respective universities."

For further details about the club and how to get involved please email Nick.

Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre round-up

It's been a busy start to 2014 at Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre (STFSC), with a host of new events and activities on offer.

The STFSC's Khalid Afzal told us more: "We kicked off January with the Young Ambassadors Youth Conference. This event included workshops aimed at High School students for them to become young sports ambassadors at their schools. The atmosphere on the day was great and, believe it or not, we even had sunshine in Preston!

"It was great for us too, as our own students led an outdoor activity based session which the young ambassadors could teach at their schools. On top of all that, we had two Athletes lecturing on the day; Jenna Downing, 10-time British and World In-line Skating Champion and Sophie Cox, a British Judo Champion and competitor at the London 2012.

"We also introduced about a brand new fitness event - Everybody Bootcamp. It's an intense Bootcamp session, but with more exercises, more instructors and even more fun! This was an hour and a half session, opening with an army themed mobility exercise, followed by a bit of dodgeball, then leading into the core Bootcamp session with various exercise stations.

"This was all topped off with an exclusive pirate ship game - don’t fall off the 'pirate ship' or you're out! With such a great turn out and fantastic buzz, this could be one to look out for at STFSC future.

"For the rest of the semester we'll continue to bring you events and competitions such as the 5-a-side Football league, STFSC Dodgeball tournament, our infamous Aerobathon and many more. Please keep up-to-date with us on Facebook and Twitter."

BUCS Round-up

UCLan Men's Football 1st team have extended their lead at the top of the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Northern Division 2A to four points after a 6-1 win at home to Manchester 2nd. Women's 1st lost 3-1 at Manchester 1st.

Men's and Women's Hockey teams all slipped to defeats, but there were better fortunes for our Women's Rugby Union team as they beat Salford 1st 46-19.

Netball 1st retained their 100% record with a 63-44 win against Lancaster 1st. The 2nd team lost 62-39 at Salford 1st, but our 3rd team won 63-25 at Salford 2nd.

Women's Basketball 1st lost 72-41 at Newcastle 1st. Men's Tennis 1st still lead Northern Division 3A after a 12-0 victory at Liverpool 3rd and our 2nd team drew 6-6 with Lancaster 2nd.

Men's Table Tennis 1st & 2nd and Squash 1st all lost. Men's Badminton 1st beat Liverpool 2nd 6-2, the 2nd team won 5-3 at home to Cumbria 1st and Women's 1st drew 4-4 at Bangor 1st. Men's Fencing 1st lost narrowly at home to Bradford 1st.

BUCS Round-up

UCLan Men's Football 1st team are the new leaders of the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) Northern Division 2A.

They put on an impressive show at home to Liverpool John Moores 2nd, eventually running out 11-1 winners. Our 4th team also secured victory with a 3-2 success at home to Bolton 1st.

Men's Rugby Union 1st went down 22-12 at home to Hull 1st, while there were also defeats for our Men's and Women's Hockey 1st teams.

Men's Basketball 2nd remain top of Northern Division 4A after a 66-56 win at Liverpool John Moores 2nd. Netball 3rd also stay top of their league after a comfortable 49-8 victory at Cumbria 3rd.

Men's Tennis 1st maintained their 100% record with an 8-2 win at home to Liverpool John Moores 2nd. Squash 1st won 5-0 at home to Lancaster 1st, Men's Table Tennis 1st lost 9-8 at Lancaster 1st and Men's Fencing 1st were defeated by Keele 1st.

UCLan Golf 1st stay top of Premier League North after a 6-0 whitewash over Loughborough 1st.