º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ students compete for the 2026 Varsity Cup
The third University of the Highlands and Islands (º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½) Varsity tournament brought together students from across the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ partnership for a day of sport and friendly competition.
The annual event, held on Wednesday 1 April, took place for the first time at the Academy of Sport and Wellbeing at the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth campus. Organised by Active Campus Coordinators, it welcomed 110 students across 16 teams from º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray and º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth, competing in football, volleyball and basketball.
º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth were crowned champions, taking home the Varsity Cup after strong performances across all three sports. They take the title from º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness, who had held it for the previous two years.
Now a highlight of the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ sporting calendar, the event plays an important role in encouraging students to get active while strengthening the student community across º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½’s unique geography. It offers opportunities for students to meet, compete and build connections in a supportive and inclusive environment.
In volleyball, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 1 dominated, winning all their matches and defeating º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 2 in the final. º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness secured third place after a narrow win over º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray.
In football, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray and three º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth teams reached the semi-finals, with º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 1 defeating º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth ESOL Team 5 -1 in the final.
In basketball, º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness Team 1 took first place, followed by º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness Team 2. º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 2 and Team 1 placed third and fourth, with º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray Team 2 and Team 1 finishing fifth and sixth.
Jack Whyte, Active Campus Coordinator at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray said:
“A highlight of basketball was the sportsmanship shown. More experienced players supported beginners both on and off the court, which was fantastic to see and really captured the spirit of the event. We’re also grateful to those who stepped in to help with scoring and refereeing.
“º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray students loved the event, particularly getting to use the amazing facilities at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth. It allowed our students to feel part of a wider institution by building cross campus relationships.”
Chloe MacGregor, Active Campus Coordinator at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness said:
“It was amazing to see so many students come together for º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Varsity 2026. To watch them congratulate each other and show great sportsmanship is what this event is all about. All the planning and hard work has been worth it, and I couldn't have asked for better teammates than Jack and Lindsay to run this event with.”
Lindsey Brown, Active Campus Coordinator at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth said:
“It was an honour to host º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Varsity at the º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth campus, with 2026 being the biggest event to date. While the event brings heated rivalry across competitive sports, it also brings together our partnership in a unique way. Providing students with opportunities to excel outside the classroom and connect with other students is extremely rewarding, we can't wait to do it all again next year!”
Planning is already underway for next year’s Varsity, for what promises to be an even bigger event with students from all º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ campuses invited to take part.
For sponsorship opportunities or to support º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ sports teams, please get in touch.
*ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages. It refers to English language courses designed for non-native speakers living in the area to improve their language skills, build confidence, and integrate into the community. º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth is the largest ESOL provider in Perth and Kinross.
º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Volleyball Team 1 collect their medals at the Varsity eventActive Campus Coordinators Lindsey Brown (º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth), Jack Whyte (º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray) and Chloe MacGregor (º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness)Lindsey Brown, Active Campus Coordinator at º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth, celebrates with the Varsity Cup.º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness Basketball Teams 1 and 2º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness Team 1 celebrate their basketball victory. Photo Fraser Band/ º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½.º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness Volleyball team in actionº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness Football Teamº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness volleyball playersº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Inverness Volleyball Teamº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Moray Football Teamº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Basketball Team 2º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth ESOL Football Teamsº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 1 celebrate their victory in the football competitionº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Football Team 1º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Football Team 2º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 1 celebrate their win the volleyball competition. Photo Fraser Band/ º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½.º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 1 face º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth ESOL in footballº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth volleyball player in actionVolleyball action: º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 2 take on º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Morayº¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth Team 1 face º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth ESOL in footballGroup shot of all the players at Varsity 2026º¬Ð߲ݴ«Ã½ Perth volleyball player in action