Back in the Game: Saints Sport Brings back Multi-Club Discount

Saints Sport has abandoned their plan to get rid of multi-sport discounts just three weeks into the semester following backlash from students.

The Athletic Union was initially planning to remove discounted rates for students joining more than one sports club this academic year. However, following objections from students and club committees, the subsidy will instead be phased out over the next three academic years. 

Over the summer Athletic Union President Amy Gordon sent an email to sports clubs explaining that the Athletic Union was “no longer able to subsidise discounted rates for students purchasing multiple club memberships.” The Athletic Union argued that the proposed changes would ensure a “fair, transparent, and sustainable pricing structure.”

Credit: The University of St Andrews

A university spokesperson told The Stand that the decision to scrap the multi-sport discount was made as part of a wider plan to make the membership system “simpler, more transparent, equitable and financially sustainable for the future,” with students paying the same amount for access to each club.

However, this decision received significant pushback from sports clubs. For smaller sports clubs which rely on students taking them up as a second, or third sport, one major concern is that removing the discount could turn trying something new into an expensive experiment. The captain of the Taekwondo club warned that this would “particularly affect smaller clubs, which rely on multi-club memberships,” as students may eventually have to choose which single sport they can afford.

Second year medical student, and St Andrews influencer, Sejan Vigneswaralingam, points out that the subsidised memberships allowed him to take part in several different sports in first year. Vigneswaralingam told The Stand that “the discount incentivised people to buy more memberships.” Vigneswaralingam argued that without the discounted prices, students were more likely to “commit to one sport” and “not diversify.” 

A university spokesperson told The Stand that the subsidy on multiple memberships was put in place in 2021 and has been used by around 600 students. Following discussion with students and club representatives, Saints Sport has gone back on their decision and will no longer be removing the subsidy in one fell swoop.

Moving forward, the subsidy will be gradually phased out over three years. In the 2026-27 academic year 75% of the subsidy will remain, falling to 50% in 2027-28, and 25% in 2028-29. From 2029 students will pay full price on each sports club membership. 

However, many of the grievances shared by sports clubs were not just about what had changed, but how they found out about it. The original email communicating this decision was sent out to sports clubs in June 2026.

A university spokesperson acknowledged this mistake in a statement to The Stand —“We recognise that communications shared with club committees do not always reach every individual club member,” they noted that “both the rationale for the changes and the communication around them could have been clearer and reached a wider audience.”

Co-president of the Karate club, Connor McLanaghan, told The Stand that they were “appreciative of the AU (Athletic Union) listening to the concerns of students and acting accordingly in a swift manner.” However, they said the effects may have already begun to show: “as a club that relies on second members, we have watched our memberships decrease so far this year [compared to last].” The club now hopes that with the reinstatement of the discount “it’s not too late,” for membership numbers to recover.

Other clubs were similarly happy that the discount would no longer be eliminated entirely but worry that the phased introduction has not solved the underlying issue. A representative from the Taekwondo club told The Stand: “While it is positive that the multi-sport discount has been reintroduced, the current arrangement is only a temporary measure.” 

Another committee member from an affiliated sports club, present at the meeting with the Athletic Union, who wishes to remain anonymous, agreed that the phased system was a clear improvement on the original plan of immediate removal —  “the solution buys us time,” they said, but added that “there is, of course, a ticking clock.”

The Athletic Union has confirmed that introducing the phased transition was a “direct result” of concerns raised by students and club committees. It promises that Saints Sport will continue to monitor, and listen to the effects of the changes on clubs and participation.

Students who have already purchased memberships for multiple clubs can request a refund for the appropriate difference, and any students yet to purchase an additional membership can do so through Saints Sport reception in order to receive the subsidy.

So for the next few years at least the multi-sport discount is back in the game.