Beyond the Pitch: Why Sports Clubs are the Backbone of University Socialising

Everyone tells you that your degree comes first, but there is so much more to life in the bubble. For many students, the single biggest factor shaping their experience isn't found in a lecture hall—it's on the field, court, or water.

Students joining a Saints Sports club don’t just benefit from having training and matches to play each week. They’re walking into an instant, ready-made social setting. For many, especially freshers, joining a sports club is the easiest way to transform a large, anonymous university into what feels like a tight-knit community. 

These bonds are not just built on the pitches and courts either. Wednesday night socials are perhaps one of the most fondly forgotten nights at St Andrews. Whether you’re a fresher, walking into the year’s first social, getting hit with the surreal chaos, leaving you dazed by a club's bizarre old traditions, or an older student simply looking to de-stress from a tough dissertation, a good sports social offers a unique opportunity for people from various years and degrees to regularly mix. A long bus back from a BUCs away day or the collective panic trying to piece together a questionable costume creates an intensity of experience that fast-tracks friendship. 

Ultimately, the first piece of advice offered across the country to incoming students is simply this: join a sports club. Whether you're an elite athlete or a complete beginner, whether you drink or not, and regardless of how introverted you are, sport is the most reliable social blueprint a student can find. It’s not just about the game; it’s about instantly belonging to a team, transforming your time at university from a place where you study to a place where you truly live. 

Source: Athletic Union website