Throughout the academic year, students all over the country have been spending their Wednesday afternoons travelling up and down the country to represent their university in a great variety of sports.
With the BUCS season coming ever closer to its’ conclusion, tournaments, that have been going on since October in some cases, have been whittled down to the final two. Finals therefore have to played, which is where BUCS’ standout event of the year, BUCS Big Wednesday, comes into play.
But what actually is BUCS Big Wednesday? Which sports are involved in the event? And how can I get involved? All these questions, and many more, will be answered in this comprehensive preview of the highlight in the university sport calendar.
What is BUCS Big Wednesday?
To put it simply, BUCS Big Wednesday is an annual celebration of university sport. At the 2022 event, hosted by the University of Nottingham, 16 separate sports will hold their tournament finals.
The idea of the event is to showcase the best of BUCS for that season, as well as the variety of sport that BUCS has to offer.
When is BUCS Big Wednesday?
BUCS Big Wednesday is happening on Tuesday March 22 and Wednesday 23. The first match to kick off will be the American Football National Trophy final, with either Newcastle or Sheffield Hallam facing South Gloucestershire and Stroud College or Exeter at 4pm on Tuesday.
The event will come to an end at 10pm on Wednesday, following the conclusion of several finals, including the Men’s Basketball National Championship Final between Newcastle and Durham.
Where is BUCS Big Wednesday?
As mentioned previously, this year’s BUCS Big Wednesday is being hosted by University of Nottingham, meaning all of the finals will take place in the Nottingham area. Venues include the David Ross Sports Village, the Nottingham Tennis Centre, the Jubilee Sports Centre, and the Greenwood Avenue Stadium, the home of Basford United FC.
How can I get involved with BUCS Big Wednesday?
Tickets are on sale for the event which has been described by the BUCS Website as ‘highlight of our university sport calendar.’ You can buy tickets to either all the finals for an individual sports, multiple sports at a specific venue, or access to multiple sites on Wednesday. Tickets vary in price from £2 for University of Nottingham students and staff, £5 for students with a valid student ID, up to £30 for adults. You can purchase tickets through the link here.
If you are unable to attend the event on the days, 11 of the sports are going to be live-streamed. You can watch the fixtures either on the BUCS website, or on the BUCS YouTube channel.
Which fixtures would be considered the highlights of BUCS Big Wednesday?
Given all the fixtures taking place at the event are finals, it could be argued that the games taking place over the two days are all the highlight. However, here are three of the games which I would consider a ‘must watch.’
ICG Women’s Hockey National Championship Final- Birmingham 1’s vs Nottingham 1’s
Nottingham Hockey Centre, 2:30pm pushback
Men’s Rugby Union National Trophy Final- Brunel 1’s vs Newcastle 2’s
Highfields Pitches, 2:30pm kick off
Women’s Football National Championship Final- Loughborough 1’s vs Northumbria 1’s
Greenwood Avenue Stadium, 1:15pm kick off