Campus League sports are a really great way to get involved with sports here at UoM. The eleven leagues offer a more sociable and friendly-competitive environment, put simply, Campus League teams play against other UoM teams, whereas University Sports teams play against other universities around Britain. It means you still get a chance to compete but not under the same pressure as in the BUCS leagues!
While University Sports are predominantly single sex teams, Campus League offers 4 mixed leagues – Badminton, Hockey, Volleyball, and Table Tennis – with other leagues such as Mens 11-a-side football, Women’s 6-a-side football, and Women’s Netball. Within the leagues are different divisions, for example Mens 11-a-side football has 5 divisions with a promotion and relegation scheme.
A lot of university courses have their own teams in the Campus League, this makes Campus League a really great way to make friends with people from your course, or at least those who have an interest in the same sport, as the teams all take people outside of the named course. Even some student accommodations have their own teams, for freshers especially, this is a really good way to make friends within your own accommodation and create a friendly community atmosphere around campus.
The eleven different leagues, with over one hundred and fifty teams to choose from, makes it extremely difficult to choose which sport and which team is the best for you. Do not panic, The Mancunion Sport has got you covered. We have compiled an introduction to the Campus League to help you make your decision.
Women’s Netball
Netball is one of the most popular sports here at UoM, so understandably, there are many teams available for freshers and returners to join. We spoke to a few teams in different divisions to help you get an idea of what’s on offer:
University of Manchester History Netball
This team absolutely dominated the 23/24 Division Two season. History 1s won the division, with History 2s being the runners up. Whilst the committee members study history in one form or another, the team specified that players do not have to study history to take part, all degrees are welcome!
Assistant Club Captain, Charlotte said that “the team is very chill and we have training every Tuesday with 2 teams in the Campus League,” she went on to tell us about their socials, saying that the team hosts both drinking and non drinking socials including coffee dates. The team has training sessions every Tuesday from 6-7pm at Manchester High School For Girls in Fallowfield. Check out their Instagram page for more information.
Instagram: @uomhistorynetball
University of Manchester Psychology Netball
Competing in Division Three, the team came second to MMU, making them the top UoM team in the division! Everyone is welcome on their team, accepting a range of abilities from beginner to advanced and also people from all courses. There are many opportunities to play for the team as they enter two teams in the league, but also are having friendly matches throughout the year.
We spoke to Social Sec, Lauren Orton, who said “all the girls are lovely and we have the best socials every Wednesday after training, ranging from 256 to bottomless brunches! We would love to see some new faces this year!”. The team has training every Wednesday from 7-8pm at Manchester High School For Girls and they compete in the league on Tuesdays whilst also playing friendlies against other teams.
Source: uompsychnetball
Instagram: @uompsychnetball
Men’s 11-a-Side Football
One of the biggest Campus Leagues available, Men’s 11-a-side Football has a total of five divisions with between eight or nine teams competing in each. Matches take place every Wednesday, with the teams playing between 14:00 and 16:30pm. The Mancunion Sport spoke to some of the teams in the League.
University of Manchester PPE Football Team
PPE Football are currently competing in Division One of the 11-a-side league, being promoted to the division after their title win in 2023. The team is primarily made up of players from Philosophy, Politics, and Economics courses, but they emphasise that people from all subjects are welcome on the team!
Club Captain Matt Stibbons highlighted the club’s goals for this season: “We are aiming for promotion to the Premiership, which would mark our second promotion in three years.” The team’s optimism going into the season is a marker of their strong team spirit, hoping to advance to the highest division in Campus League 11-a-side. Matt also emphasised the team socials that they offer, including their annual pub golf event and also celebrating every match with a pint at the Friendship Inn!
Instagram: @uomppefootball
University of Manchester Physics Football Club
Physics Football Club have two teams across the top three divisions in the 11-A-Side league. The team are back to back Premiership champions, having won two of the last three league titles. They were runners up last season, ending it with a five game win streak. Their first team are currently competing in the Premiership, and their second team are in Division 2.
The team mentioned the friendly team atmosphere as they “go to the Friendship Inn after every game and have regular socials to welcome new players into the team.” The club is aiming towards another trophy this season, with their second team “preparing for a title charge in Division 2” and their first team gunning for another league title in the Premiership.
Instagram: @uom.physics.fc
Men’s Rugby Union
Rugby is undoubtedly one of the most popular university sports, so there’s no wonder why Campus League Rugby is so popular. The 2023 season saw seven teams compete in the North West 15s University League, with UoM Medics 1XV coming top of the league. Matches for Rugby 15s take place on Wednesdays at the Armitage and Platt Lane and matches for Rugby 10s take place on Sunday at the Armitage.
Oak House Rugby Club
Oak House Rugby Club compete in the Men’s Campus Sport Rugby Union. The team take all levels of skill, no matter if you are well versed in Rugby or just simply really interested in the sport. The team also emphasised that you do not have to live in Oak House to be a part of them team!
The team said that “everyone gets minutes no matter their level” and that they have “frequent socials such as pub golf, tours, and other sports events”. They also mentioned the “low joining fee” for membership, trying to keep the team as accessible as possible. Oak House Rugby Club really prioritises the fun of the sport, wanting to make sure that everyone is “having fun playing the beautiful game of Rugby”.
Instagram: @oakhouserfc
These are only just some of the teams available on offer in the Campus League! There are many more sports and teams available through Campus League so be sure to check out their website to get a full view of what is on offer here at UoM.
