Social League teams get free facility access!

Tilly Hall
August 31, 2016
Social Sport

Over the past couple of years, following your feedback and the new sport and physical activity strategy, we’ve been working hard to reduce the cost of participating in sport at Leeds with the ultimate aim of improving your student experience.

As a result of this work the University will be contributing additional hundreds of thousands of pounds to reduce the cost of participating in sport to each student. As a part of this work Social League student participants will receive free facility access for their fixtures and training, meaning there is no need to purchase a Sports Pass to access facilities.

Eligible Leagues

All leagues that are eligible for this free access are;

  • 11 a-side Football
  • Netball
  • Small Sided Hockey
  • 5 a-side Football (unofficiated)

Free Entry Fee for Powerleague

We have removed the £25 team entry fee associated with our 5 a-side and 7 a-side Powerleague Leagues (either held at The Edge or at the Powerleague centre). The only cost associated to these fixtures will be the Powerleague set £32 per week per team for guaranteed games, referees and fixtures.

Find out more about the new Leeds Sport Fund and view our FAQ’s online here.

 

Staying Fit and Healthy
Stay on top of your health and fitness this academic year with an Edge membership to enjoy fantastic facilities including the swimming pool, fitness suite and exercise class programme.

Hurry! Annual online Edge memberships currently have £20 off during August and you will be entered into a prize draw to win one of five Fitbits, get yours here now:

BUY ONLINE
 
MEMBERSHIP INFO

Casual Sport Access
If you are not interested in the gym, pool or classes but do want to access sports facilities generally or outside of your club sessions e.g. casual squash, badminton, 5 a-side, basketball bookings or climbing sessions then you can still purchase a Sports Pass.

BUY ONLINE
 
MEMBERSHIP INFO

This exciting new change is all part of our commitment to reducing the cost to individual students of playing sport at the University of Leeds. Find out more here.
If you have any questions please contact Rachel Weaver (Social Sport Coordinator): R.H.Weaver@leeds.ac.uk

Alumni Olympic Champions

Tilly Hall
August 19, 2016
brownlee brothers celebrating race together

Triathletes Alistair and Jonny Brownlee confirmed their status as the sport’s stars on the roads of Rio yesterday, claiming gold and silver in a highly convincing Olympic win.

The brothers, who are both University of Leeds graduates and train regularly at The Edge and Sports Park Weetwood, performed strongly in the swim and the cycle sections of the race, before dominating the run and pulling away from the pack to complete the last two laps almost alone.

Alistair walked over the line in 1.45.01 while younger brother Jonny finished in 1.45.07. Bronze medallist, South African Henri Schoeman, crossed the line 40 seconds later.

The third member of the TeamGB squad was Gordon Benson, who graduated from the University this summer with a BSc in Nutrition and was performing in his first Olympics.

Congratulating the brothers on their success, Sir Alan Langlands, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leeds, said: “There could not be a better result for the Brownlees or for our city than seeing a Leeds gold and silver result in the triathlon.

“The University has played a significant role in their development and training since they studied with us, and I am delighted for both of them.

“I’d also like to pay tribute to Gordon Benson, who reached Olympic standard while studying for a demanding degree. He’s played an important role in helping the Brownlees achieve the success they have and deserves credit.”

Alistair Brownlee completed his Sport Science and Physiology degree at the University of Leeds in 2009 and studied alongside his elite level training at the Leeds Triathlon Centre.

Jonny Brownlee completed his degree in History at the University in 2012, and the same year won the International Triathlon Union world title. He is also a member of British Triathlon Squad training at the Leeds Triathlon Centre.

Both brothers along with Gordon Benson received support balancing their studies alongside training and competing internationally from our Sport Scholarship Programme whilst studying here at Leeds.

During the race itself, the University’s expertise in sports was called upon several times by the media. Dr Mark Hetherington from the Faculty of Biological Sciences explained to Sky News how the on-campus Environment Chamber helps triathletes acclimatise to weather conditions similar to those in Rio.

From January the medal winning athletes will be based at the first centre in the world dedicated to elite level triathlon training at Sports Park Weetwood. The University is working with a number of partners to renovate the existing pavilion and create a closed loop cycle track with transition area, the elite athletes from the Leeds Triathlon Centre, including Alistair, Jonny and Gordon will be based at the new facility. Funding from the University, Sport England via UK Sport and British Cycling is making the project possible.

“We will have the world’s first centre bringing together all three triathlon disciplines, which combined with the great coaches and clubs we have in Leeds will ensure we can sustain the city’s success in the sport into the future.” Said Stewart Ross, Director of Commercial and Campus Support Services at The University of Leeds.

Find out more about the new centre here. 

 

Your Varsity Needs You!

Lucy Wood
August 12, 2016

Students, are you still in Leeds this summer? We’re looking for models to be a part of this year’s Varsity campaign which will be displayed all over campus in the run up to this year’s event – and don’t worry you don’t have to play sport to be a part of the campaign. This is a fantastic opportunity to get involved with the biggest sporting event in the University calendar. The photo shoot will take place on Friday 19th August from 9am – 5pm (schedule tbc).

If you are interested and available on the aforementioned date, please contact L.V.Wood@leeds.ac.uk for more information before 12pm Wednesday 17th August.

 

New! – Free Access for Training and Matches

Tilly Hall
August 12, 2016

At Leeds we are committed to providing you with the best sport and physical activity experience in the UK. So from September 2016 all Sport Clubs Student participants will automatically be able to access pre-arranged training sessions and matches for free.

You won’t need to purchase a Sports Pass, just join your favourite sports club and you will automatically have access to the pre-arranged training sessions and matches associated with your club.

A full list of Leeds Gryphon sports clubs who will receive this free access can be seen here.

Staying Fit and Healthy
To really stay on top of your health and fitness this academic year you will still need an Edge membership to enjoy fantastic facilities including the swimming pool, fitness suite and exercise class programme.

BUY ONLINE
 
MEMBERSHIP INFO

Casual Sport Access
If you are not interested in the gym, pool or classes but do want to access sports facilities generally or outside of your club sessions e.g. casual squash, badminton, 5 a-side, basketball bookings or climbing sessions then you can still purchase a Sports Pass.

BUY ONLINE
 
MEMBERSHIP INFO

This exciting new change is all part of our commitment to reducing the cost to individual students of playing sport at the University of Leeds. Find out more here.

Any questions on memberships please contact:
E- edgemembership@leeds.ac.uk
T – 0113 343 7406

 

 

Gallantree takes 6th in Rio

Lucy Wood
August 8, 2016

Rebecca in Rio

University of Leeds alumna Rebecca Gallantree and her diving partner, Alicia Blagg, kicked started the British Diving’s team Olympic competition this Sunday, in the womens’ 3m synchronised springboard event.

The Chinese pair ran away with the event by a massive 32 point margin leaving it a hotly contested, 4-way fight for the bronze medal spot. The Leeds based pairing started promisingly in their first two dives, but following a number of improving dives by the Australian and Canadian Teams, the duo ended up with a respectable 6th on 292.83 points.

Student volunteer heads to Rio

Lucy Wood
August 3, 2016

University of Leeds student and women’s hockey club member, April Leeson (pictured left), is currently half-way through her 6 week stay in Juiz de Fora, Brazil. Here she is studying Portuguese through an intensive language course. This August, she will be making her way to Rio de Janeiro to participate in the Olympic Games as an official volunteer. She will be part of the accreditation team, where she will be using her language skills to welcome athletes, officials, the media and VIPs onto the park and helping to assist them during their time in Rio.

April, who studies Arabic and Spanish, said:

“This is an excellent opportunity for me to develop her foreign language and communication skills, as well as learning about South American culture, before moving into my final year at the University of Leeds”

Find out more about our Gryphons that are out in Rio here

 

7th University Graduate Rio Bound

Tilly Hall
August 2, 2016
Laura sugar running over the line on athletics track

Laura Sugar, who graduated from the University of Leeds in 2012 has been selected to represent Team GB at the Rio Paralympic Games this September.

Laura who previously competed for Wales in the national Hockey side swapped her stick for the track in 2012 and hasn’t looked back, recently winning Silver in the 2016 Muller Anniversary Games.

Laura competes in the 200m T44 Classification and will be taking centre stage on the 14th September when she represents Great Britain at the Paralympics for the first time in her career.

Find out more about Laura and the seven other athletes from the University competing in Rio on our webpage here.