After a winter of training, the time has come for university archers to put their skills to the test in the BUCS Archery Regional Qualifiers. Students from all over the country will go head-to-head to determine who will compete at the national finals. The competition will be fierce, as the search begins to find the ‘next Robin Hood.’
Location and Date
There are three separate events taking place, with the qualifiers sorted regionally into Central, Southern, and Northern.
Central
The central qualifier is taking place on Saturday 19th February, at the Sugden Sports Centre, Manchester, which is located within Manchester Metropolitian University. There are three sessions during the day, starting at 9:15am, 12:45pm, and 4:15pm. Archers are advised to arrive at the venue 30 minutes prior to their session. Parking on the street around the sports centre is available, with changing rooms, showers, and lockers available. There is no cafe on site, with supermarkets only a short walk away.
Southern
The southern qualifier is taking place on Saturday 26th February, at the Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, Bristol, which is located within Bristol University. As with the central qualifier, there are three sessions throughout the day, starting at 8:45am, 12:15pm, and 3:45pm respectively. Archers are once again advised to arrive 30 minutes before the start of their session, to allow ample time for registration, and setting up. Free parking is available on campus all weekend, with the sports complex offering a small onsite cafe.
Northern
The northern qualifier is also taking place on Saturday 26th February, at the ENGAGE Sports and Fitness Centre, Edinburgh, which is located within Edinburgh Napier University. Similar to the other two qualifiers, there will be three sessions throughout the day, starting at 9:45am, 12:30pm, and 3:15pm respectively.
To ensure sufficient time for registration, and setting up, archers are advised to arrive 30 minutes prior to the commencement of their session. Parking is available on campus over the weekend, with hot drinks and snacks sold through vending machines in the cafeteria.
How will the archers be assessed?
The archers competing will be shooting a Portsmouth Round. This consists of five dozen arrows being shot in ends of three, at a target face of 60cm, from a distance of 20 yards. Shooting will be timed in ends of two minutes, with no countdown clocks. In the Southern and Central qualifiers, archers will shoot in two details, whereas in the Northern qualifier, there will be only be a single detail. Before the round begins, each archer will be permitted two ends of practice, with three arrows shot at each end at their allocated target.
How do they qualify for the national finals?
The top individual scorers over all three qualifiers will progress to the national finals. There is no limit on the amount of archers from an individual institution that can qualify for these finals. Archers can only qualify for the finals if they achieve the experienced qualification score, or higher. A list of these can be found here. The list of those who have qualified will be published after the event. There are no BUCS Points on offer at these qualifiers; only at the national finals.
Will medals be awarded?
Medals are going to be awarded at the three qualifier events, but only in events that come under the novice category. The events organisers are ‘unsure,’ whether there will be medal presentations. At the national finals, there will not be separate events for novices. This means that their scores will be included in the overall seeding to determine whether they qualify.
Good luck to everyone taking part in the BUCS Archery Indoor Regional Qualifiers.
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