Global medals, international debuts, innovative new facilities and record-breaking crowds – what a year of sport at University of Bath
With a new Olympic year about to dawn, it is time to reflect on another memorable 12 months of sport at the University of Bath during 2025.
It has been a year where achievement and impact have been measured not just by the traditional yardstick of medals and awards – among them the accolade of The Times and Sunday Times Sport University of the Year 2026 – but also innovation, collaboration and ambition.
The UK’s first fully-recyclable 3G pitch was officially opened in May, a key part of the University’s commitment to developing sustainable facilities, and Britain’s first ‘dry’ system hockey pitch – as used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – has also been installed at the Sports Training Village.
Another unique facility at the University is the UK’s only push-start training track, from where British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA) athletes have been preparing for the upcoming Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
They will be looking to build on the tremendous success of 2025 where Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt won gold and silver respectively in men’s skeleton at both the World Championships and the Overall World Cup. Weston also won team silver with Tabby Stoecker at the World Champs and Brad Hall steered the GBR1 men’s bobsleigh team to four-man bronze plus Overall World Cup bronze in both the two-man and four-man.
Weston, who struck gold at the Olympic test event in November, is one of three athletes to be crowned as World Champion this year while training at Bath, along with wheelchair fencer Dimitri Coutya and swimmer Tom Dean. European Champions included Dan Bethell (para-badminton) and Crew Bath rowers Becky Wilde and Cedol Dafydd, who went on to win silver on their World Championships debuts.
A graduate who conquered the world in 2025 was Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt, who helped the Red Roses to Women’s Rugby World Cup glory for a second time in her career – this time on home soil after a record-breaking tournament.
It has been a stellar year of rugby all round with 25 students and graduates helping Bath Rugby complete a historic trophy treble. Max Ojomoh, who scored the winning try in the Premiership final, made his England debut days after graduating in Business and Sports Performance student Enoch Opoku-Gyamfi won a first senior Italy cap during the Autumn internationals.
Fellow Breakthrough Programme student-athletes Vilikesa ‘Billy’ Sela and Kepu Tuipulotu represented England Men A, with the 30-strong squad training at the University ahead of November’s match against the All Blacks, and were among eight students who competed in U20 internationals this year.
The University’s BUCS Super Rugby squad, sponsored by Team Bath partners Bath Building Society, is joint top of the table at Christmas and almost 9,000 fans enjoyed a memorable occasion at The Rec in October when the famous ground hosted a record-breaking Anniversary Game against Exeter.
Thousands of spectators also ensured Team Bath Netball’s inaugural NXT Gen League campaign was one to remember, cheering the Blue & Gold to second spot overall. They are determined to go one better during the 2026 season, which begins with back-to-back home games in January.
Alanna Pullen, who shone for Team Bath, joined fellow sporting scholars Sophie Kelly – who won the Super League title with London Pulse – and Jayda Pechova in the England U21 squad that bagged bronze at the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup in Gibraltar.
Another scholar to excel was artistic swimmer Ranjuo Tomblin, whose haul of 14 international medals included one of each colour at the European Championships and Great Britain’s first-ever World Championships medal in the Mixed Duet Free event with Izzy Thorpe.
Swimmer Jack Skerry won 100m backstroke gold at the European U23 Championships and triathlete Mack Downey claimed the men’s U23 title at the World Duathlon Championships.
To recognise the achievements and dedication of athletes on the Student Performance Sport programme, a new Athlete of the Month Award – sponsored by Team Bath partners Rengen – was launched in January. Congratulations to all the winners in 2025: Susie Seddon-Cowell (wheelchair fencing), Justin Davies (athletics), Anika Rabi (judo), Isabelle Franco (triathlon), Alanna Pullen (netball), Aleeya Sibbons (athletics), Matthew Ward (swimming), James Hulme (pentathlon), Emily Cox (netball) and Ross Telfer (hockey).
The World University Games in Germany saw silver medals for two Bath-based athletes – Josh Knight, of the British Rowing South West GB Performance Development Academy (PDA), and Team Bath Tennis ace Toby Samuel, who went on to win two ATP Challenger Tour titles in November.
With the new year offering both the Winter Olympics and the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, plus the 60th anniversary of the University of Bath being granted Royal Charter status and the 50th anniversary of sporting scholarships, there promises to be plenty more sporting success to celebrate in the year ahead.
Before then, thank you to everyone in the Team Bath community for making 2025 a year to take pride in. We wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2026.
