By Henry Edwards, Sport Editor and third year history student
With BUCS fixtures set to start back again after the winter break, how are the various University sports societies doing?
American football
The University side are currently joint top of the 2A South West division. A dramatic away win at Southampton Solent remains the highlight for this season.
Badminton
The women’s 1s are second in the Premier South division. Their most recent win over UCL was vital, as they now sit 3 points above them. They have a job to catch Bath, who are top by 11 points.
For the first time in our club's history, we are proud to announce that our Ladies' 1st Team have been invited to represent Great Britain at the European Student Championships.
— University of Bristol Badminton Club (@UOBBadders) January 15, 2019
Timings didn't work out this year but no doubt next year Europe will be facing Bristol might 💪 pic.twitter.com/1wyzm6elOD
The men are not doing quite so well. They have just 1 win from 8 so far, and will hope for a more successful end to the season.
Basketball
The women 1s sit in an impressive second place, with 5 wins from 7. The imperious Bournemouth sit top with 7 from 7, but Bristol deserve credit for separating themselves from all of Cardiff, Southampton Solent and Exeter, who each have 9 points to Bristol’s 15.
The men currently sit in mid-table with 3 wins from 7. A key fixture against Cardiff 1s beckons.
Football
The women’s 1s are tied in second place having won 4 of their 7 league fixtures. They remain in touching distance of Bournemouth, who are only 2 points ahead of them.
The men are doing equally well. They sit just three points behind leaders Bournemouth with a game in hand. A tasty match against Bath 2s will hopefully see Bristol pull away from their rivals in the Western 1A division.
Futsal
The men’s first side will be pleased with their start to the season, having recorded 4 wins from their 6 league matches.
Hockey
The women will be hoping for a more fruitful second-half to the campaign. They will need to convert more draws into victories; they’ve only been beaten 3 times in 9 games, but 5 of those have ended in ties.
The men sit in a more comfortable third place in their South A league.
Lacrosse
The fourth placed women’s 1s play a key match against third placed Oxford at the end of January. A victory will hopefully see them close the gap on leaders Cambridge and Exeter.
The men’s team have arguably had the best half-campaign of any Bristol BUCS side. 9 victories in as many matches makes for impressive reading, and they should have more than enough to hold off Bath as we move into spring.
Netball
The netball team will be eager to close the gap on second and third-place Bath 2s and UWE, but a tough game against unbeaten leaders Exeter lies directly ahead in the Western 1A league.
Rugby League
A comfortable mid-table position for Bristol, who will fancy their chances of gaining further points by beating the league’s whipping boys Aberystwyth at the end of January.
Rugby Union
The women’s team most recently recorded a vital win over Swansea in November in order to draw level with them in fourth place.
In the larger men’s South A division, Bristol sit in an impressive fourth place out of 8, only a few points behind both USW and Swansea. They take on the former at Coombe Dingle at the end of January in what promises to be a pivotal match.
Table Tennis
The women’s 1s sit atop their league, having won a mightily impressive 5 from 5 before Christmas.
The men’s side has a bit of work to do to claw back UCL at the summit of Premier South division; they play each other at the end of January.
Tennis
The women’s team is just three points behind leaders East London, thanks to a fantastic 6 wins from 8. They will have the chance to put yet more distance between themselves and Bath 2s at the end of January.
Yesterday Katie for the W1 came from 5-2 down in the 3rd set to win it 7-6 and take the fixture 8-4 against East London #UniTennis #wearebristol pic.twitter.com/4L4oHcPylV
— UBTC (@bristoltennis) November 29, 2018
The men’s 1s are also in second-place in their respective league. On the 6th of February, they are set to go up against third-place Exeter 2s in a match that will help determine who will most likely challenge leaders Bath 3s.
Volleyball
In the Premier South division, the women’s team will be desperate to claim a victory over Cambridge in their next match to pull themselves off the foot of the table.
The men’s team will need to recapture their best form, which was shown in their sole victory over Exeter earlier this term, as we move into spring in order to climb off the bottom of the league.
Water Polo
A wildly successful start to the season has seen the women’s 1s claim the number one spot in the Premier South division. A recent away win at third-placed Imperial is just the latest in an ever-growing line of great triumphs.
The men’s 1s sit level on points with Bath, although their close rivals have played three extra games than Bristol. They remain in contention to win their Premier South league.
Featured image by Ed Hanton
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