AoC Sport National Championships at the University of Nottingham

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1650 student athletes from further education and sixth form colleges across England and Wales will be heading to the University of Nottingham later this month to compete in the AoC Sport National Championships.

The National Championships are the pinnacle of the college sport year, with students representing their region as they battle to win the Wilkinson Sword Trophy, and it will take place over the weekend of 21-23 April.

The University of Nottingham’s brand new David Ross Sports Village will host a number of events, while others will take place at the Nottingham Wildcats Arena, Trent Bridge, Nottingham Hockey Centre and Nottingham Tennis Centre.

Now entering their 39th year, the National Championships are a celebration of competitive sport in further education and sixth form colleges, providing recognition, enjoyment and a unique opportunity for students to compete. They also remain the largest annual student sporting event in the UK, with nearly 1,800 college students taking part last year.

AoC Sport managing director, Marcus Kingwell, said: “We are delighted to be able to confirm the University of Nottingham as hosts for the 2017 AoC Sport National Championships. We are very impressed with what the team at Nottingham Conferences and their associates have to offer. Ours will be the first major Multi-Sports event to take place at the David Ross Sports Village, and we believe the standard of the facilities will provide students with an incredible experience. We could even see a future Olympic champion in action at the Championships.”

Marketing Nottingham and Nottinghamshire has been working closely with organisers. Chief Executive, Brendan Moffett, said: “It is great news for the largest college student sporting event in the UK to be held in Nottingham, England’s Home of Sport. We are attracting a large number of high-profile sporting events to the city and county this year, which has a positive impact on the local visitor economy. Not only can participants enjoy the many excellent sporting facilities we have to offer, including the University of Nottingham’s new David Ross Sports Village, where the majority of the events will take place, they can experience the many other attractions the region has to offer too. One of our aims is to attract the best young talent to Nottingham and this event will help to showcase what a great place Nottingham is to study or work.”

Andrew May, General Manager at Nottingham Conferences, said: “We are delighted that Nottingham Conferences and our partners have secured the AoC Sport National Championships, re-enforcing the City of Nottingham status as ‘The Home of Sport’. The Championships provide an amazing opportunity to showcase both the City and University’s sporting infrastructure. The University of Nottingham has invested heavily in sport over recent years to create class-leading sporting facilities for future students. I am delighted that AoC Sport competitors will have a great opportunity to experience them first-hand.”

College teams and individual competitors can qualify to represent their region at the Championships through regional tournaments hosted throughout the academic year by AoC Sport. In 2017, events will take place across 13 different sports – including badminton, 7-a-side football, cross country and indoor cricket – with 300 staff and volunteers helping to ensure the occasion is as successful as ever.