Portsmouth strikes Gold with medal haul

The 2025-26 British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) National Championships were held at Ravelin Sports Centre for the fourth consecutive year on Friday 23 to Sunday 25 January. The high-profile national event saw over 230 competitors take part from 75 universities from England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, with over 300 spectators enjoying the event. We’re delighted to say that for the fourth consecutive year, the University of Portsmouth have bought home medals from the event. 

The UOP Boxing Club amassed a huge 4 Gold medals and 2 Silver medals, which left us second in the men’s medal table alongside Manchester Met.  

The BUCS Boxing Championships were an amazing showcase of the best student boxers across the country, and to have them here in Portsmouth made the victories even better. The atmosphere was electric as boxers competed in intense matches, showing skill, determination, and strength. Every bout was full of action, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. All of the bouts were hard fought, with some close decisions being made across the weekend. 

We would like to say a huge thank you to all the staff, student volunteers, judges and referees, and event organisers whose dedication made this event possible. From preparing the venue to supporting the athletes throughout the competition — and ultimately helping secure the all-important medals. Full team and individual results are available at BUCS.org.uk. 

The crowd also played a major part in making the weekend unforgettable. The energy and support from spectators created a fantastic atmosphere, with cheers ringing out for every boxer and every performance. The BUCS National Boxing Championships provided an excellent start to the year, and we’re already excited for more standout events at Ravelin Sports Centre in 2026, with the Alumni Cup returning in April and then onto Varsity and Sports Awards taking place in May. We’re hopeful the Championships will return to Portsmouth in 2027 to allow our medalists to defend their crowns. 

Thank you to everyone involved, and once again, congratulations to all the athletes — especially our well‑deserved medalists. 

Supporting student athletes 

As well as a reputation for academic excellence, we also have a history of sporting success. Our Sport Scholarship scheme provides financial and specialist support to student-athletes, to help maximise their sporting potential whilst studying at the University of Portsmouth. Graduate Derrick Osadolar was supported on the Sports Scholarship, won Gold in the BUCS National Boxing Championships in the Super Heavyweight division in 2022, became National Amateur Boxing Champion and has recently signed Pro under Sunny Edwards. Sport Scholarship Applications are open to all University of Portsmouth students until 26 July for the 2026/27 academic year. For more information and to apply visit sport.port.ac.uk/sport-scholarships. 

What is BUCS? 

British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the national governing body of university sport in the UK. Over 165 universities and colleges in the UK, 6,000 teams are members of BUCS, and they compete across 850 leagues. Universities can accumulate BUCS points for winning or drawing in fixtures, these points then allow universities to be ranked on a league table. Last year, the University of Portsmouth was ranked 33rd, this year, we are currently sitting at 33rd place as well. A number of sports clubs currently have half-price memberships to make your journey into sport even better.