Why university sports clubs are the best way to boost your social life

As important as it is to pursue and achieve academic success throughout your time at university, it’s also important to take time to enjoy yourself. Enter… sports clubs!

Find your perfect sport at university

At the University of Dundee, there are over 45 different sport clubs to choose from. Common favourites such as football, hockey and rugby are well attended and supported, with dedicated grass and all-weather pitches just a short walk from campus. It’s not just these classics that take place here though, you can also take part in sports like lacrosse, Gaelic football, ultimate frisbee, and shinty.  

Indoor sports and Varsity

If indoor sports like basketball, netball and volleyball are more your flavour, the Sport and Active Health (SpAH) building has two large sport halls with full size courts, as well as seating for big match days like Varsity. Varsity is our annual event where more than 600 athletes from the University of Dundee and our neighbouring university, Abertay, go head-to-head and compete for the coveted Tay Varsity Challenge Trophy.  

Adventure beyond campus with student sports clubs: the Surf Club

Sport at Dundee is not limited to what can be done on campus. Throughout my time here, I have been part of the Surf Club. We take regular trips off campus using buses provided by the University to go to places like St Andrews and Dunbar for day trips, and even further afield to the likes of Thurso for weekend adventures.

University sports clubs: more than just fitness

The Surf Club has been key to how much I’ve enjoyed my time at university – from keeping active and healthy, to meeting new people and making new friends, and enjoying student social events.  

Weekly social and club events

Speaking of social events, these occur weekly for most clubs; Thursday is ‘surf night’. We take a trip to the local sports pub most weeks, and with around 150 members, our socials are always a good laugh. We have two dedicated Social Secretaries, who have the role of creating and orchestrating all of our social events and parties.  

Annual highlights and memorable trips

One of my favourite recurring socials is the annual trip to Ryze Trampoline Park. We often collaborate with other clubs and societies, like the Ski and Snowboard Club or the Cycling Club. This means we get even more like-minded people together for a fun activity.  

Another highlight of each year is our January ‘Big Trip’. We take around fifty people to surf in another country. In my time here, I’ve been to Fuerteventura, Morocco and Portugal with the club. These holidays have helped my surfing come on leaps and bounds, and helped me make lots of new friends.  

My advice: dive into sport at Dundee and make memories

When I was looking at university options, I didn’t give university sports and societies much thought. I am very lucky that I landed in such a fortunate position in Dundee. I would encourage you to not make the same mistake as me! It doesn’t matter if you don’t view yourself as an athletic person, sport clubs are open and welcoming to all abilities and levels, and will certainly improve your student experience.