Lancaster University named as 'sportiest uni in UK'

They both have 81 different sports teams, with Bristol coming in third place with 78.

King’s College London and Queen Mary University of London made the top 10 from the capital, while the University of Cambridge also featured in the top five.

Meanwhile, Cornwall’s Falmouth University rules the roost when factoring sporting choice against the amount of total enrolled students on campus

With students starting or returning to their studies across the nation, PureGym analysed the amount of sporting clubs and societies at each of the top 100 ranked universities in the United Kingdom.

Lancaster University and the University of Oxford ranked joint first, offering students an impressive 81 sporting options at each of their campuses.

Oxford, synonymous with rowing, offers clubs for everything from football to polo and ultimate frisbee, while Lancaster prides itself on equal variety and facilities, with the likes of a barbell society for students interested in their strength training.

As societies and sports clubs play such a key role in university life, which many students missed out on during the Covid-19 pandemic, PureGym researchers wanted to help current and prospective students that love sport, to easily view how much sporting choice they’ll have at their chosen place of study.

Both clubs and societies listed on each university’s website were featured, with numbers ranging from the highest (81) to just three that are on offer at Leeds Arts University.

In order to give the full picture, as student enrolment differs widely at universities across the UK, PureGym also looked at which universities rank top when taking into account the number of clubs available per student.

While Lancaster and Oxford might offer the broadest amount of choice for students, its actually Falmouth University that tops the podium when it comes to having the most clubs per student enrolled.

Lancaster University proves its strong sporting credentials however, ranking sixth for sports societies per student.

Other universities where sporting clubs and societies may be less over-subscribed include Bangor University and Aberystwyth in Wales and the University of Aberdeen.

For the full breakdown of results, go online here.