AberSU Staff and Officers celebrate 100 years of Inter University sport at St. James’ Palace.
Aberystwyth University Students’ Union recently celebrated their role as a founding member of the Inter-varsity board of England & Wales (which became British Universities & Colleges Sport, BUCS), by attending a Royal Reception at St James Palace. Aberystwyth Students’ Union join Bangor, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham, Manchester & Sheffield as one of the ten founding organisations who first set up Inter University Sport on 14 March 1919.
Louisa Fletcher the Students’ Union’s Opportunities Officer said: “It’s amazing that our small but mighty Students’ Union played such an important part in the formation of formal Inter University Sport, which still has a massive impact on student lives. BUCS was originally founded by Students’ Unions, and we’re particularly proud that we are one of the few founding Students’ Unions still running BUCS Competitive Sport ourselves 100 years later.”
From the first athletics meet, the sector has grown dramatically over the past 100 years, from just 10 universities competing in one event, to over 170 Universities competing in over 50 sports. The Students’ Union at Aber supports 42 registered teams of students to compete in a range of sports, from Archery to Surf. Each week hundreds of Aber students head out across England and Wales, travelling the combined distance of the Earth's equator each year, to play their chosen sport and represent Aberystwyth.
The founders' event also saw the induction of 6 Sport heroes into the BUCS Hall of Fame. Trish McGrath, SU CEO said “It was a real privilege to be at the Palace event and to watch HRH The Princess Royal welcome Roger Bannister, Lynn Davies, Bill Slater, Gareth Edwards, Alison Odell and Danielle Brown into the BUCS hall of fame”.
