A year of challenges and upheaval but versatility, ingenuity and positivity too – our sporting review of a very different 2020

It could not have been more different to the year we were eagerly looking forward to but there has still been much to celebrate and be thankful for at Team Bath during a challenging 2020. From the versatility, ingenuity and positive attitude of staff, athletes, coaches, students and customers adapting to the ever-changing ‘new normal’ to more traditional markers of success such as international medals and national awards, it has certainly been a year that...

26 December 2020

Dream comes true as Matt Weston wins superb skeleton silver in Austria on just his fifth appearance on World Cup stage

Matt Weston won men’s skeleton World Cup silver in just his fifth-ever race on the sport’s top circuit as University of Bath-based sliders continued their excellent start to the 2020-21 international season. The former taekwondo and rugby player finished fourth in last week’s World Cup race in Igls but deservedly claimed a podium place on the same track this time, with only Latvian legend Martins Dukurs finishing ahead of him in the 18-strong field. “I’ve...

18 December 2020

Team Bath Netball star Layla Guscoth named among Daily Telegraph’s Sportswomen of the Year after joining fight against Covid with NHS

Team Bath Netball and England defender Layla Guscoth has been named among the Daily Telegraph's 2020 Sportswomen of the Year in recognition of her off-court work with the NHS in the fight against Covid-19. Guscoth has returned to Bath after two years playing professionally in Australia as she wants to concentrate on her dual careers of netballer and doctor, having completed her two-year Foundation postgraduate medical training programme during her previous spell with the Blue...

17 December 2020

Plenty to be pleased with on and off court as Team Bath Netball enjoy highly-competitive pre-season friendly against Saracens Mavericks

Anna Stembridge says that Saturday’s highly-competitive match against Saracens Mavericks ticked nearly all of the boxes for what she hoped to achieve from Team Bath Netball’s first friendly in the build-up to the 2021 Vitality Superleague season. The first meeting between Superleague opponents for nearly nine months saw the Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold record an encouraging 68-61 victory in a hard-fought game played in Covid-compliant conditions at the University of Bath Founders Hall. A...

14 December 2020

So close to more medals as top-four finishes continue fine start to 2020-21 IBSF World Cup season for British Bobsleigh & Skeleton

Matt Weston, Mica McNeill and Montell Douglas narrowly missed out on medals as the University of Bath-based British Bobsleigh & Skeleton Association took to the ice at the latest IBSF World Cup in Igls, Austria. Weston, in only his second season of skeleton racing, was tied for the lead with legendary Latvian Martins Dukurs at the halfway mark on the men’s race on Friday but impressive second-run times from Russian duo Alexander Treitakov and Nikita...

13 December 2020

From BUCS Super Rugby to the European Challenge Cup as Beck Cutting and Kieran Verden reunite in front row for Worcester Warriors

After packing down together in the front row for the University of Bath Rugby Club, Beck Cutting and Kieran Verden were reunited on the European stage on Saturday as Worcester Warriors went mighty close to victory in France. Trendell Sporting Scholar Cutting – a Sports Management & Coaching student at the University – started at hooker in Warriors’ European Challenge Cup match against Pau, who scored an injury-time try to snatch a 24-20 home win....

12 December 2020

First glimpse of the 2021 Blue & Gold for fans as Team Bath Netball face Superleague opposition for first time in nine months

Anna Stembridge says she feels “like a kid before Christmas” as Team Bath Netball prepare to face Superleague opposition for the first time in nine months – and supporters will have chance to see the new-look squad in action too. The Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold host Saracens Mavericks on Saturday in a pre-season friendly that will be played behind closed doors but live-streamed to fans via YouTube (2pm centre-pass). “We are really excited to...

11 December 2020

VIDEO: Emotional Eboni Usoro-Brown cheered by Team Bath team-mates as she is inducted into England Netball Hall of Fame

Team Bath Netball legend Eboni Usoro-Brown says she feels “really honoured” after being officially inducted into the England Netball Hall of Fame. The star defender, who has won more than 100 caps for the Roses, was surprised but delighted to receive the accolade during a Blue & Gold Superleague training session where she was cheered and given a guard of honour by her team-mates. “I am really honoured to be inducted into the Hall of...

10 December 2020

History-making Bath Rugby player among high-performing student-athletes to join University of Bath Sporting Scholarships ranks

Bath Rugby and Team Bath Netball players, aspiring Olympians and international medallists are among 16 high-performing University of Bath student-athletes selected to receive scholarship support on both their sporting and academic journeys. The new intake of sporting scholars for 2020-21, who compete across nine different sports and study across 11 diverse courses, each receive a cash award that runs over the period of their course and helps them meet the demands of training, competing and...

08 December 2020

Wheelchair fencing’s Peter Rome named as High Performance Coach of the Year at prestigious 2020 UK Coaching Awards

After guiding members of the successful University of Bath-based GB wheelchair fencing squad to World titles and Paralympic medals, Peter Rome now has a trophy of his own after being among the winners at the 2020 UK Coaching Awards. Rome, lead coach on the EiS World-Class Wheelchair Fencing Programme since 2016, was named as High Performance Coach of the Year during a virtual ceremony on Thursday. “The shock is still settling in,” he said. “I’m...

04 December 2020