This is the Bulls first Varsity win since 2019 and the series now sits at 2–1 to the University of Bedfordshire. Sport and Wellbeing Manager, Daniel Larkin, said: “We are so proud of our teams – they’ve all worked so hard. It was a great turnout and a fantastic atmosphere.  The buzz on campus was brilliant and bringing the trophy home as Varsity champions was the icing on the cake.”

This year’s Varsity event saw eleven sporting fixtures take place, which kicked off on Friday 24^th March where the Bulls took an early lead with a one-point win in the swimming category.

On Wednesday 29^th March, student supporters from the Universities of Bedfordshire and Northampton arrived at the Bedford campus to cheer on their teams. The afternoon events began with a friendly volleyball match that didn’t count towards the overall scores but gave players and fans the chance to warm up and get into the sporting spirit. Both teams were delivering scoring shots and creating rallies but Northampton ended up claiming the victory. 

A spokesperson from the Bulls women’s volleyball team said: "It was a great event! Everyone was involved and tried their hardest. It was the first time for the last year that our volleyball squad has played in a proper match as we are still a development team, however – looking at how much we’ve improved – it gives us the confidence that we are ready to enter the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) league in September. We are excited for volleyball to make a come-back at our University. It's been few years without it, so we’re excited to show everyone what we can do!"

After this the competitive events commenced, with the Bulls taking an early lead by winning the archery competition but Northampton closed the gap in the first men’s football match after a dramatic penalty shootout, and next in a hard-fought netball match. Northampton saw another win in basketball and the rugby but with the crowd cheering the Bulls on, hope was not lost!

The women’s football took home an incredible win after an equaliser pushed the game to a penalty shootout. After a few incredible saves and unbelievable shots, the Bulls took the lead once more.

On Instagram, a Bulls women’s football spokesperson said: “We won! What an eventful game, including two great saves from our goalkeeper. What a great way to end the football season for this year – we're so proud of all our girls!”

Over in the indoor sports hall away from the outdoor pitches, spectacular stunts, lifts and flips were performed by
Bedfordshire’s cheerleading team whose routine won over the judges. A strong performance in the hockey fixtures also saw another win for the Bulls.                  

Towards the end of the day’s events, the second men’s football match was nail-biting. However the referee awarded a penalty towards the end of the game which the Bulls converted, taking the win!

With morale high and a 7–4 overall win, it was announced that the University of Bedfordshire had claimed the Varsity 2023 trophy.

In a blog post by Beds SU, the fans were also celebrated. An SU spokesperson said: “Kudos must be given to both sets of fans for creating such an atmosphere that any athlete would relish the chance to play under.”

For more information about opportunities to take part in competitive sports, free activities and sports socials while studying at the University of Bedfordshire, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/sportbeds