University of Edinburgh Sport

We are delighted that 24 student athletes from The University of Edinburgh have been awarded Winning Students Scholarships for the 24/25 academic year 🔥 Funded by sportscotland and the Scottish Funding Council, Winning Students 100 supports student athletes to balance their studies with high performance. Amongst the 24 athletes from The University of Edinburgh is Lunijika (Jika), a Edinburgh Medical School student and Scottish International Hockey Player, who has already won 5 caps at senior level. She also captained Scotland Under 21's at the European Championships. "I’m so grateful to have been given the scholarship from winning students. I found it hard to combine the commitments of being a student athlete with part time work and this scholarship has allowed me to focus my energy on medical school and hockey. The support from winning students has definitely benefited me in all areas of life as a performance athlete" Read more 🔗 https://edin.ac/3YwPTWQ

The refurbishment of one of the artificial hockey pitches at The University of Edinburgh's Peffermill Playing Fields has been completed and the Carbon Zero ISCC certified hockey pitch is ready for play! The installation of the new Poligras Paris GT zero surface at Peffermill will provide an elite training facility in the heart of Scotland with the surface originally developed for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The artificial pitch is the world’s first and only carbon zero hockey turf and has also been FIH Innovation-certified for dry hockey. "We are delighted with the installation of the new Polytan surface at Peffermill. We pride ourselves on high performance at the University and we now have a world leading surface for our players to play on." - Chris McIntosh (Head of Sports Infrastructure & Sustainability) "Our “FIH Innovation Category Dry Turf Hockey Field” is a milestone in sustainable hockey. With our sustainable system and Polytan’s Turf Glide Technology, the field ensures unbeatably fast ball-rolling behaviour, increased player safety and significantly reduced water consumption." - Ashley Appleby (Sales Manager at POLYTAN SPORTS SURFACES (UK) LTD) "It is great to see the work that has gone in over the summer at Peffermill on the new hockey surface. I had the pleasure of playing on the same Polytan surface when playing for Team GB in Paris and it was first class. It's fantastic to see Hockey doing it's bit for sustainable sport whilst maintaining top class surfaces, it is important for everybody" - Sarah Robertson (Edinburgh Alumni and Olympic Hockey player) 🔗 https://edin.ac/3YmIklo

Last night we welcomed students, staff, alumni, partners and guests to the The University of Edinburgh's Playfair Library for a Celebration of Sport, in partnership with Edinburgh Alumni. The highlight of the evening was an insightful and inspiring panel discussion, hosted by former Edinburgh University Sports Union President Peter Sawkins, of Edinburgh University student, and associated, Olympic and Paralympic athletes. We were honoured to be joined by 2x Paralympic champion Stephen Clegg, Olympic Bronze medallist Aleksandra Kalucka, European Championship Bronze medallist and Olympian Megan Keith, and Double Commonwealth Games Gold medallist and 3x Olympian Grace Reid to discuss their experience of Paris 24 and more. Guests were also treated to an enthralling Karate and thrilling Fencing demonstration. Thank you to everybody who attended! 📷 Andrew Perry

New Concussion Education Launched! 🧠 The Scottish Sports Concussion Guidance has been updated, as announced today by sportscotland. This revised guidance provides information on how to recognise sports related concussions and manage them, from the time of injury through to safe return to sport. To promote concussion education, the University of Edinburgh Sports Union has made the ConcussEd online education module freely available. This training provides essential guidance on recognising concussions, understanding their impact, and ensuring safe return to play and study. So far this year, over 80 students and coaches from 33 sports clubs have registered for the training. 📖 Read more about the new concussion education programme here: https://lnkd.in/daSmHxhg Dr Stephanie Adams Neil Rankin Jill Reid

Following the recent partnership announcement between The University of Edinburgh, Aquatics GB, Scottish Swimming and Edinburgh Leisure, we are delighted to welcome renowned diving coach Adam Smallwood as the new Aquatics GB Performance Centre Lead Coach. Smallwood’s role will see him manage the Edinburgh Diving Centre, which has been accredited as a high-performance centre by Aquatics GB. "The opportunity to work in Aquatics GB’s new Performance Centre was an opportunity that I was interested in straight away, and I’m looking forward to helping diving in Edinburgh and Scotland build on what is already a really great foundation. The new partnership with the University of Edinburgh is incredibly exciting and I look forward to opening up new possibilities for divers within Scotland. The coaching team within Edinburgh has some really promising up-and-coming coaches and the future here could be really exciting.” - Adam Smallwood Read the full story ➡️ https://edin.ac/40i3SCe

It has been a record year for Sport and Active Wellbeing at the The University of Edinburgh of Edinburgh and we are proud to showcase the results in our Annual Report. Our vision for Sport and Active Wellbeing not only encapsulates the pursuit of excellence and innovation but also embodies a commitment to making a global impact while nurturing local community ties. While we have tried to capture all of our progress, awards, and performances in the Annual Report, it has not been possible to cover everything given the breadth and depth of our activities. However, it is certainly worth noting the record membership within EUSU, the greatest number of sports clubs (71) on record, and the largest ever membership of our wider gym and facilities. Our Active Lives work continues to be sector-leading, with some outstanding and very bespoke programme work that is undoubtedly changing lives. Annual Report : https://lnkd.in/dw-eyk9X Mark Munro, Cameron Ritchie, Grant Jarvie, Katherine Corbett, Ollie Cruickshank, Heather Binnington, Chris McIntosh, Peter Sawkins, Millie Doherty, David Hughes, Craig Bolan, Greg McEwan And thanks to our many partners, Edinburgh Rugby, Scottish Rugby, Scottish Hockey, Aquatics GB, Technogym, British Rowing, Eleiko, Polytan GmbH and many more.

Our thoughts and best wishes go to Sir Chris and his family from everyone in The University of Edinburgh Community ❤️ “Alumnus Sir Chris Hoy, his wife Sarra and the wider family, are very much in our thoughts following yesterday’s announcement. Sir Chris is one of the greatest sportspersons this country has produced. His hard work, dedication and commitment to being the best is an inspiration to us all, as is his positivity and courage in the face of his terminal diagnosis. We extend our deepest sympathies to him and his family during this difficult time.” - Peter Mathieson, Principal at The University of Edinburgh Read more here ➡️ https://edin.ac/4eRdyYK

Last week we hosted our first Colour Run Event on World Mental Health Day, and we can confidently say this was the happiest 5k on the planet! The event brought 140 staff and students from The University of Edinburgh together in a cloud of colour, to celebrate the power and joy of movement for better mental health. Runners and walkers had options of tackling 2.5k or 5k routes circling Peffermill Playing Fields and passing through vibrant colour stations along the way. The untimed event aimed to break down the barriers around participating in larger sporting events, with a focus on creating a supportive environment to highlight the benefits physical activity can have on our general wellbeing. "The colour run was great! I was running with my friends who were quite fast, but it was a good challenge. I loved it, all the energy and all the colours… so much colour! Thank you for organising. I may join next Fridays active lives social run too!" - PhD Student Participant From registration information, we know 44% of participants do not meet the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. This event showcased the joy that can be gained from being active and we hope this encourages our community to live a healthier, more physically active lifestyle whilst at university and beyond! #worldmentalhealthday

Delighted to have Dr Catherine Martin, Vice Principal for The University of Edinburgh Corporate Services shortlisted in the Pioneer in Sport Category at the Scottish Women in Sport Awards. Dr. Martin has overseen remarkable growth in sport at the University, increasing the number of sports clubs to 71 and achieving record participation with 8,500 students now involved. She has ensured that sport remains an integral part of student life, prioritising not just elite performance but also participation, physical health, and mental well-being. Good luck Dr. Martin, we are rooting for you! Mark Munro, Cameron Ritchie, Rebecca Cousins, Millie Doherty, Katherine Corbett, Chris McIntosh, Ollie Cruickshank

Fantastic to see the time-lapse of the closing weeks of works on our new Hockey 2 surface at Peffermill. Thanks to our partners Sportex Group and University of Edinburgh Estates Department. Mark Munro, Cameron Ritchie, Chris McIntosh, Ollie Cruickshank, David Hughes, Craig Bolan, Sarah Robertson