Kian Gadsby
After a relaxing summer, University of Nottingham sport returns, as the Rugby Union teams kick off their campaigns with clashes against midlands rivals Loughborough.
As seasons go, the 2024/25 campaign was an illustrious one for the Green and Gold.
A record-breaking 25 different teams won their National Championship titles, with a plethora of individual athletes also earning medals, securing titles and even shining in international competition on the world stage. The University of Nottingham also asserted its sporting dominance of the city, as they regained the Varsity trophy with a crushing 10-3 victory over arch-rivals Nottingham Trent.
Now with the 2025/26 season about to get underway, Nottingham’s finest athletes prepare to go for glory once again in their quest to lift more silverware.
This action kicks off in Welcome Week, as both the Women’s and the Men’s Rugby Union team kick off the season in the curtain raiser as they face off with Loughborough in a classic Headliner clash.
What Should You Expect?
If these matches are anything like last season’s spectacle, then you can expect an action-packed, edge of your seat experience. Last year, a last-gasp University of Nottingham try saw the Men’s team snatch a 28-24 victory against Leeds Beckett from the jaws of defeat, sparking wild celebrations.
The result set the tone for a successful season, as the Green and Gold secured their highest ever finish in the BUCS Super Rugby league table by finishing 7th.
Their objective for this season is to improve on that position and crack the top six.
However, Nottingham begin their quest with a tough test, as they take on a Loughborough side who secured the league title last season and were only denied a double by a defeat to Hartpury in the Championship Cup final.
This year, the Women’s team will also take part in the event, as they will be facing Loughborough in an exhibition game to enhance their preparations ahead of the new season.
Having finished third in the Northern Premier Division last season, Nottingham will be hoping to use this challenging clash to finalise preparations before they look to secure promotion to the Super Rugby League.
With both games destined to be intriguing affairs, these clashes are poised to set the tone for what promises to be another spectacular season of sport at the University of Nottingham.
Raring to go: How do the Players feel?
Ahead of the curtain raiser, we spoke to captains Jas Murray and Ben Glanville to find out how their teams felt ahead of the matches and the upcoming campaign.
Having played a Headliner before, Glanville is aware of just how much the occasion means to the players and the whole team. Although he recognised the quality of the opposition, he spoke positively about his teams’ preparation and chances and expressed that his team were raring to go.
“The headliner is a momentous occasion and will be the highlight of most of our lads’ uni careers. Running out under the lights on our new home pitch will be really special. The fixture is no mean feat, but after a big 8 weeks of pre-season the group is ready and firing, especially after crushing our varsity opposition Wednesday just gone.”
Meanwhile when asked about the Headliner, Murray was enthusiastic about showing off her team’s preseason work to an expectant crowd, and she expressed that she hopes her team can put on a show to round out their preparations.
“I’m really excited going into the Headliner. We’ve put in a huge amount of work during pre-season to grow as a team and refine a style of play that suits us. We’ve also welcomed some incredible new talent into the squad, and I can’t wait to see how they perform alongside an already strong group.”
Beyond this opening clash, both teams are also ambitious and have high expectations for next season.
Murray said that a season of growth and progression last year has given the team a platform to build on for the upcoming campaign. She said that after finishing in a respectable 3rd place last season, her side were gunning for promotion this time around.
“Last season was very much a building year for us. We had a young squad and welcomed a new head coach, Tim Westwood, who introduced an exciting playing style.
“With new players stepping up into the 1s and the whole team adapting to change, we made great progress – finishing 3rd in the league and reaching the cup semi-finals. It was a year of real development, and we’re aiming to carry that momentum forward into this season.
“I feel ambitious and optimistic about what this team can achieve. The level of talent across the squad is higher than ever, and with Tim’s structure and guidance we’re in a brilliant position to be serious contenders. Most importantly, the environment we’ve built is supportive and competitive, which I’m confident will help every players develop and perform at their best throughout the season.”
Men’s Captain, Glanville, echoes the ambitious sentiment, as he felt that his side are capable of breaking even more records and establishing themselves as a top side on the University Rugby scene.
“Last season we fought hard every game and took teams close every week. This is reflected in our best-ever BSR finishing position, using points picked up week in week out.
“Overall, the season has a feeling of slight frustration of what could have been given how close we were to where we had only dreamed we could go.”
“Looking forward, the team has high hopes and high expectations for ourselves to be the most successful Nottingham rugby team of the BUCS Super Rugby era.”
Match Details
Where are the games being played? The fixtures will take place at Highfields Sports Complex.
What time is kick-off? The women’s match is played first and will commence at 4pm, with the men following at 7pm.
How can I watch? Tickets for these clashes are available on the University of Nottingham website.
Kian Gadsby
Featured image courtesy of Kian Gadsby. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of @unruc via Instagram. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 2 courtesy of Kian Gadsby. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 3 courtesy of Kian Gadsby. No changes were made to this image.
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