See what our sports scholars have been up to this spring.
Our sport scholars have continued to impress throughout the spring and early summer months, delivering outstanding performances across a range of sports on both the national and international stage.
The annual Sports Awards Reception in May showcased the incredible athletes we have at the University of Portsmouth, with many of our scholars recognised for their achievements throughout the year. Check out our Sports Awards 2026 article to see all the winners!
Reflecting on the year, Team UOP Exec Performance Officer and Sports Scholar Kate Robertson, who has worked closely with the scholars throughout the year, shared: "It has been a pleasure being this year's Performance Officer, we have had such a successful year! I am honoured to have been involved with so many incredible members of Team UOP and wish everyone the best for next year. I hope next year's sport scholars can live up to the incredible talent and personalities of this year's cohort; I will be watching out!"
It has been a pleasure being this year's Performance Officer, we have had such a successful year! I am honoured to have been involved with so many incredible members of Team UOP and wish everyone the best for next year. I hope next year's sport scholars can live up to the incredible talent and personalities of this year's cohort; I will be watching out!
Basketball scholar Sofia Morfiti has enjoyed an exceptional season and was recently called up to the Cyprus Women's Basketball team following an impressive performance during the national trials process. Sofia's selection is a testament to her hard work and consistency throughout the year and marks an exciting milestone in her sporting career.
Lacrosse scholar Ben Filer also continued his remarkable year, collecting several individual and team awards at the University of Portsmouth Sports Awards, including the prestigious Scholar of the Year (Performance) award. Ben is now working towards securing places in both the Ireland and England lacrosse squads, building on an already outstanding season.
Our athletics scholar Vojtech Berger has made an incredible start to the outdoor season. At BUCS Outdoor Championships, Vojtech recorded the fastest 100m heat time of the day with 10.37 seconds before going on to claim bronze in the final, earning Portsmouth's first-ever BUCS track medal. He followed this success with a league-record 10.29-second 100m performance at the Southern Athletic League match while representing City of Portsmouth, where he also stepped up to compete in the 400m for the first time. Vojtech then continued his impressive run of form at the National Athletics League, recording a significant personal best of 21.15 seconds in the 200m.
Trampolining scholar Rachel Tapster has also enjoyed a busy competition season in the Double Mini Trampoline discipline. Rachel achieved third place in League 1 for the 17-21 age category and sixth place in the Super League. She also secured third place in the Senior Women's category at the English Qualifier, adding another strong result to an already successful year.
Meanwhile, BMX scholar Annabel Townsend has dominated the start of her racing season. Since March, Annabel has achieved a clean sweep across the national series, winning all four national rounds and both regional rounds contested so far. She also competed internationally at a European Cup event in France, where she finished fifth and sixth across the two races. Annabel is now preparing for the biggest competition of her season as she heads to Brisbane to compete at the World Championships.
Our American Football scholars have also taken their talents abroad this year. Lambert Jaden Ondou is out in Florence on a professional AF contract, while Nebechi Abana is doing the same in Germany. Jaden shared how his first few months out there have gone:
"The first few months with the team have been a really positive experience. It's been a big step up in level, so a lot of my focus has gone into sharpening the fundamentals and making sure I'm ready for the standard of football we're about to play. The teammates have been brilliant really open, welcoming, and easy to get along with, which has made settling in so much smoother. The coaches are on another level; you can genuinely feel the difference in quality. They know when to push hard and when to pull back, but above all, they care about us as players, which means a lot. Living in Florence has been an amazing experience. I'm in an apartment with a few of the other UK lads who signed at the same time, so it's felt like home pretty quickly. As for the season ahead, I won't pretend it'll be easy competing against some of the best players and teams in Europe is a serious challenge, but honestly, I couldn't be more excited."
The first few months with the team have been a really positive experience. It's been a big step up in level, so a lot of my focus has gone into sharpening the fundamentals and making sure I'm ready for the standard of football we're about to play.
As for the season ahead, I won't pretend it'll be easy competing against some of the best players and teams in Europe is a serious challenge, but honestly, I couldn't be more excited.
The continued success of our scholars reflects the dedication, resilience and commitment they bring to their training and competition. Whether representing Portsmouth, their clubs, or their countries, they continue to inspire those around them and demonstrate what can be achieved through hard work and determination.
As another academic year comes to a close, we would like to congratulate all of our sport scholars on their outstanding achievements both on and off the field of play. Thank you for representing the University of Portsmouth with such passion, professionalism and pride throughout the year. We wish all of our scholars a well-deserved summer break, and the very best of luck to those competing, training and preparing for the challenges and opportunities that next season will bring. We look forward to seeing what you achieve in the years ahead.