Page content
BUCS & Intervarsity
We enter combined UU teams and individuals into a range of competitions throughout the year, read through the information below to find out how you can be part of an Ulster University team
BUCS Sport host a range of competitions throughout the academic year.
Entries must be approved by the University for you to compete Individuals must communicate with UU Sport staff ahead of the entry deadline to have their entry approved. You can express your interest to compete by contacting your campus Student Sport Coordinator below:
- Belfast - Emma McCay (e.mccay@ulster.ac.uk)
- Coleraine - Matthew Lewsley (m.lewsley@ulster.ac.uk)
- Derry~Londonderry - Paul Doherty (p.doherty3@ulster.ac.uk)
Anyone competing at BUCS events must have a relevant UU Sport membership ahead of entry approval.
We bring the best athletes from all campuses together for Irish Intervarsity competitions as part of an Ulster University team. Trials for these combined teams will be communicated across our social media channels and via your student email address throughout the academic year. You must have a valid and relevant UU Sport membership to compete in any Intervarsity competition.
The events which are currently being targeted by UU include:
Hockey Irish Intervarsity, 23 - 25 Oct, Kilkenny College (trials in early September 2026)
You can express your interest to compete by contacting your campus Student Sport Coordinator below:
- Belfast - Emma McCay (e.mccay@ulster.ac.uk)
- Coleraine - Matthew Lewsley (m.lewsley@ulster.ac.uk)
- Derry~Londonderry - Paul Doherty (p.doherty3@ulster.ac.uk)
1 Student Status
For an individual to be eligible to participate:
1.1 A student must be registered, enrolled and hold a student card for his/her respective institution;
1.2 A student must be a member of the respective institution’s club and/or have the permission of their institution to compete under its name, and
1.3 A student who has their studies suspended or who has taken a leave of absence must wait until they recommence their studies to be eligible to compete again.
2 Course Requirements
2.1 All students must be registered, at a minimum, on a Level 4 programme and studying in an academic year at least 60 credits of a programme leading to a major award. (OFQUAL’s Northern Ireland Qualification Framework)
2.2 A visiting student doing a Study Abroad Course (e.g. Erasmus) is eligible during this time provided that he/she and his/her study programme meet the requirements above.
3 Academic Progression
3.1 Students will only be eligible to compete in Competitions where Academic progression in a programme is shown;
3.2 An exemption to 3.1 is where a student is taking a year to repeat modules (up to 30 credits) or a full academic year; in this instance the student is only eligible to compete on the first repeat attempt.
4 Age Restrictions
A student must be 18 years or older to compete in Student Sport Ireland national third level sports competitions on the island of Ireland.
5 Institution Requirements
A student may only compete for one institution in all sports in any one academic year.
6 Year of Grace
Ulster University does not permit anyone to compete on a year of grace/year down in any competitions
7 Anti-Doping
A student who is serving a suspension for any anti-doping rule violation will not be eligible to participate in any competitions as part of an Ulster University team.
8 Transgender Student
The participation of transgender students in any competitions as part of an Ulster University team will be guided in the first instance by the policy of the National Governing Body of that sport. Where the National Governing Body has no policy, UU Sport will be guided by the International Governing Body of that sport.
At all times the safety of all participants is paramount for UU Sport. The participation of any transgender student will be considered on that basis.
9 Sabbatical Officer of a Student Union
A Sabbatical Officer of a Student Union who is intermitting during an undergradute or postgraduate course of study will be eligible to compete in competitions for one sabbatical year only.
Review of Criteria
The criteria will be reviewed by the Student Sport Management Committee as deemed necessary.
Abbreviations
OFQUAL = The Office of Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation
If you are selected to represent an Ulster University sports team, you may be required to travel outside the United Kingdom. It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct immigration permission or visa in place before you travel.
Travelling or competing without the appropriate visa could result in you being refused entry to another country, prevented from participating in the event, or facing other serious immigration consequences. It is therefore essential that you check the entry requirements for your destination well in advance. If you are an international student and require help with this, please contact the ISAS team. Where a visa application is required to be made, Ulster University can provide a bespoke support letter. Information on requesting an official University letter can be found in the International Student Guide.
Visa processing times can be up to eight weeks, and in some cases longer. As sporting fixtures and tournaments are usually scheduled well in advance, we strongly encourage students to plan ahead and submit any visa applications as early as possible. Taking a proactive approach will help ensure you are able to travel and represent the University without unnecessary delays or complications. You can consider doing this at the start of semester; you do not need to wait for travelling squad lists to be announced.
