Being part of the British Universities & College Sports (BUCS) catalogue of sports has been a pipedream for Rounders England for many years. In April 2021, Cycle Three of the BUCS sports review started and we began on the consultation journey, alongside other aspirational sports.
The review cycle was a lengthy and detailed process made up of consultations and proposal submissions, culminating in the BUCS National Competitions Group Assessment which concluded on 27 January 2022.
As a small national governing body we feel really positive with the outcome of our first review cycle, having progressed to the consultation stage of Cycle Three. Though rounders was not invited to advance to the implementation stage of the process, we will be working with the BUCS Executive to discuss the next steps which will focus on piloting our competition framework which was outlined in our proposal submission.
Rounders England Development Director, Rhian Lilley commented:
“We are looking forward to the year ahead working to pilot our proposed university competition offer, with support from BUCS. We currently have a super engaged university playing community and we look forward to growing this over the next year. They are exciting times ahead for rounders.”
The BUCS sports review takes place annually. It was set up to support sports to evaluate their student offer and to propose changes that will improve the experience for students.
Three proposals, all bids to include new sports within the BUCS competition programme, have progressed to the final, implementation stage of the process. These are:
- Canoe Sprint
- Powerlifting
- Touch Rugby
Proposals to join the competition programme are not yet guaranteed, but the BUCS Office will work closely with each sport to investigate all elements of implementation. The proposals which are successful in the implementation stage may be added to the programme for the 2022-23 season.
Commenting on the outcome of Cycle Three, BUCS Director of Delivery Jenny Morris said:
“It is great to see the Sport Review process continue to provide an opportunity for sports to add their competitions to our national programme. The engagement from members in this process is vital and so I’d like to thank National Competition Group for reviewing all the member feedback so thoroughly, to help us achieve the right recommendations for the process to progress. I’d also like to thank all the proposers for their hard work and commitment in getting their proposals to this stage. We are excited to see the ideas now progress and be considered for joining our competition calendar as early as next season.”
If you are a university or college interested in incorporating Rounders to your selection of sports, we can offer advice and support on the process. Contact us on [email protected]
