The University of Stirling has opened the 2025/26 season with a series of dominating performances across American football, swimming, tennis and student athletics. With national titles, record-breaking swims and key wins already secured, the early months of competition point to one of the university’s strongest starts in recent years.
The Stirling Clansmen delivered the first major result of the semester with a 62–0 victory over Heriot-Watt. The side controlled the contest from the opening minute, building pressure on both sides of the ball and stretching the lead throughout the second half. The margin reflects the squad’s improvement and determination, especially across the running game and defensive line, and gives the Clansmen an early statement win as they look to push further into the Scottish season.
In the pool, Stirling produced a landmark performance at the 2025 BUCS Short Course Championships in Sheffield. Across three days of racing, the team collected 11 gold medals, 10 silvers and 6 bronzes, placing the men’s squad second overall and the women’s squad first. In the combined standings, Stirling finished second, only ten points behind Loughborough. The championships also brought a remarkable number of records. Stirling swimmers set five new BUCS records through Sam Downie, who broke two, Mikhail Andriushkin, Angharad Evans and the open 4×50 medley relay team. On top of that, the programme claimed four Scottish records, achieved by Lucy Grieve, Katie Shanahan, Sam Downie and the women’s 4×50 medley relay. The breadth of results confirms Stirling’s status as one of the most successful university swimming environments in the UK, with both elite and emerging swimmers contributing to the total.
Success continued on the tennis courts, where Stirling won the BUCS men’s doubles championship for the first time since the 2013–14 season. The pairing of Rob Cowley and Liam Hignett produced a composed run through the draw, handling tight contests and building momentum into the final. The title adds to Stirling’s growing list of national achievements in university tennis and reflects the programme’s consistency across both singles and doubles formats. For the squad, the win provides a timely boost ahead of the main stretch of the BUCS season.
Stirling athletes added further medals at the Scottish Student Cross Country Championships. Ryan Martin claimed gold in the men’s race with a controlled performance that saw him break away on the final section of the course. In the women’s event, Alice Jones secured bronze, helping Stirling achieve team bronze in the overall women’s standings. The results reinforce the programme’s strength in distance running and set a positive tone ahead of the indoor athletics calendar, where several Stirling athletes are expected to compete for medals.
Taken together, the early-season results show breadth as well as strength. American football, swimming, tennis and athletics are all contributing national-level performances, giving the university momentum as the BUCS year begins to take shape.
Coaches across the programme have highlighted the intensity of pre-season preparation, the impact of returning athletes and the quality of new recruits as key reasons behind the success. With major league fixtures, national championships and indoor seasons still ahead, Stirling moves into winter competition with confidence and a clear platform for further success.
The opening months of 2025/26 have already delivered headlines, and the university’s athletes now head into the next stage of competition looking to build on a start defined by discipline, depth and standout results across multiple sports.
Image Credit: University of Stirling.