BUCS Questions
What will the BUCS season look like next year?
BUCS do not set sporting guidelines so are also dependant on NGB guidance, as well as input from all their members. We have been and will continue to work very closely with BUCS to ensure we can compete as often as we can next year and we will keep you updated on what next year will look like as soon as we have updates from BUCS.
Will the competitive season start in the autumn term?
It is clear that competitive sport will not resume in October for all but a very small number of sports which have no contact with teammates and competitors. We continue to work with BUCS to ensure we enter teams where we can and where safe competition is allowed.
Will there be promotion and relegation within BUCS leagues in 2020/21?
The main aim for next year is to create as much safe competition as possible but all University's accept that the BUCS league structure in place in 2019/20 will be ‘paused’ to support this and teams won’t be disadvantaged as a result of Covid-19.
Can clubs choose not to enter BUCS?
Yes, but we will need to know by the end of July if this is a decision you want to make.
Will not entering BUCS help our club finances or is our withdrawal for a year just funding another club?
It won’t help your club finances, you are given a separate BUCS grant which is ring-fenced for BUCS activity only. Your club finances won’t be affected by anything BUCS related.
What about clubs who have one-off competitions compared to clubs who have leagues? What will be the differences in delivery here?
As we’re not yet clear on what the competitive season looks like next year, we are making provision to be able to financially support BUCS league and on-off competitions. Once we have a clear picture of the options that are available to each club, we will work with clubs to confirm who enters which competitions. We will not force any teams to enter competitions and we will continue to follow any guidance on travel issued by the University.
SU Focus
Will we be able to circle and go to pop?
The SU will be following Government guidance and if it is safe to do so the Copper Rooms will open for both POP and circling. We will update all interested parties as soon as we know anything.
What will Sports Fair look like?
Sports Fair will be virtual, but there will still be club involvement - for example through online chats. We’re unsure how a virtual fair looks at the moment, but the SU’s marketing department are in touch with the university to see how they run their online career’s fair and we’re researching a few different platforms which Sports Fair could be hosted on. It’s not suitable to have an in-person fair, because every single person in the hall would have to be 2m apart, so you’d maybe get a couple of hundred people through when we aim for a couple of thousand. We also recommend making sure your SU club page is fully up to date and has links to any social media or external websites you may have.
Should we still employ a coach?
We suggest holding off until August, to see how much money there is left in your club account after clawback. If there isn’t enough left, then we suggest waiting until the grants are allocated until confirming employment with a coach. Consider some of your training may not be sports specific, at least for Term One, so is it essential that you employ a coach during this period?
Why should we bother to pay affiliation fees to NGBs if there’s limited sport?
Consider how affiliation to your NGB currently benefits your club (e.g. allows you to play in a local league) and whether the club needs it for the next 12 months.
Are clubs still being held to the minimum 30 members rule?
We appreciate that this year is like no other! As a result we will continue to work with clubs to ensure they are viable. This ‘rule’ is written into the SU Regulations so it is not simple to change, but Charlotte is proposing an amendment at Student Council on 9th June to get this rule waived for the 2020/21 academic year.
What does my £32 Sports Fed membership cover?
It covers insurance and club grants. A small amount is held back for the club hardship fund which is given to clubs who are struggling financially in Term 2.
For more information regarding memberships and facilities, please see the Warwick Sport FAQ page here: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/sport/together/faq/.