British Universities and Colleges Sport BUCS Rugby League Impact Report 2025-26 Season

British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the national governing body for higher education sport in the UK. Produced with the Rugby Football League, this report looks back over the four seasons from 2022-23 to 2025-26, during which the number of women playing BUCS rugby league rose by 63%. Key figures from the report: Male players in BUCS rugby league rose from 1,300 in 2022-23 to 1,500 in 2025-26, a 15% increase. Abi, a Northumbria student, switched from hockey to rugby league through university sport and now plays in a community setting. Working with the Rugby Football League, BUCS runs rugby league competitions for university students across the UK.