BUCS Nationals 2022: More than 4,000 students expected in Sheffield this weekend

More than 4,000 students are set to take part in the 2022 BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Nationals from Friday through to Sunday, which will see the country’s best university competitors in action.

The English Institute of Sport will stage the athletics programme, as well as badminton and fencing, with the climbing competition hosted at the Climbing Works and swimming at Ponds Forge.

Numerous athletes representing the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University are expected to earn podium places.

Team Hallam’s 4x200m relay team are also hoping to beat a BUCS record they set at the last BUCS Nationals, which were held in Sheffield in February 2020 – one month before the introduction of coronavirus restrictions that saw last year’s event cancelled.

The 1:25.19 time set by Regan O’Connell, Dominic Lamb, Lewis Thorne and Joe Ferguson was an entire second faster than the previous record.

Jordan Butler, performance co-ordinator at Sheffield Hallam University, said: "We are proud to be a supporting host of BUCS nationals in Sheffield. This is a great weekend of events which allows our athletes to compete against the very best in university sport.

"At Sheffield Hallam we pride ourselves in supporting our student athletes on our athlete support programme. We ensure our athletes have what they need to ensure they are successful in their dual career, not only in a sporting sense but academically and personally".