Varsity Returns!
On Saturday 18th April this year, we competed in our first Varsity since just before the pandemic.
The last Varsity against our previous opponents, Chester Warrington (a former University of Chester campus), was held days before the UK descended into the first lockdown of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. In the weeks and months that followed, sport on all levels was halted across the world, and for our sports teams, the lasting impact was far longer.
The eventual dissolution of Chester Warrington’s campus meant we were without a Varsity partner for over half a decade!
Sports teams, spectators and SU staff all travelled to Liverpool Hope’s campus on the 18th April to compete in matches spanning the full day! Historically, Varsity served as an occasion for our teams to come together as one at the end of the BUCS season to round off the year. Thankfully, after a long wait, it didn’t disappoint!
The day was kicked off with mixed volleyball, then straight into Women’s Hockey, Men’s Football 2s, Women’s Netball, Men’s Football 1s, Men’s Basketball, 2 cheer performances and an awards ceremony to wash it all down!
While Liverpool Hope took the crown as the overall winners of Varsity 2026, our Wrexham teams still enjoyed a couple of wins with Women’s Hockey coming back from 2-0 down to win their match 3-2, and Men’s Football 1s sealing a dramatic 4-2 win on penalties, with a special mention for goalkeeper Justin who was a human shield for Wrexham’s goal line.
Those who didn’t win their individual fixtures still fully immersed themselves in the atmosphere of the day, and it was special to bring back a student experience that is one of the most exciting days of the year for many.
We were absolutely delighted to have been able to strike up a new partnership with Liverpool Hope University, and look forward to hopefully many more years of Varsity with them.
All our teams should be incredibly proud of their achievements this year. Being part of Team Wrexham’s journey in any capacity has made it flourish once again, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds!
We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who got involved and made it such an amazing day, and of course to Liverpool Hope for working with us to make this happen and hosting us!
Written by Lauren Hole, Communications & Engagement Coordinator
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