UoG students celebrate success across the world of sport

University of Gloucestershire students are celebrating a series of impressive sporting achievements across archery, rugby league, powerlifting and gymnastics.

Sports scholars Chloe A’Bear and Alex Coulam – both Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) athletes – won team gold at the BUCS Indoor Archery Finals at the University of Warwick, combining to secure top spot in the Compound Women standings.

In the individual Compound Women competition, Chloe finished second overall and Alex finished seventh, after they met in the quarter-finals.

Three rugby league athletes, James Boyles (BEd (Hons) Primary Education), Oli Winterbottom (BSc (Hons) Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation) and Tega Rume-Tabiowo (BEng (Hons) Mechatronics Engineering), have been selected for the England Universities Squad this summer.

Their selection follows a strong season for the University rugby league team, who have won their league and secured promotion for next year.

The success extends beyond the players, with Jay Woodley selected as assistant coach for the England Universities rugby league squad, in recognition of his work with the University team and the South representative squad from which the players were selected.

Cara Mackay (BSc (Hons) Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation), a Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) athlete, has been selected as the top senior for the 2026 Great Britain rhythmic performance pathway squad after winning overall gold at the 2025 Scottish National Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships.

In powerlifting, Jack Whitaker (BSc (Hons) Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation), a University sports scholar, recently competed in the 66kg class at the European University Games in Mérignac, France. He delivered a strong performance, winning bronze in both the squat and bench press and finishing fourth overall in the competition. His next event will be the British University Championships on 11-12 April 2026.

The University’s sports scholarship programme helps talented athletes, officials and aspiring coaches achieve their ambitions across a wide range of sports, including access to leading experts and current practitioners, and scholars are able to combine this bespoke support with any degree programme.

Matt Tansley, Head of Sport and Active Life, said: “We have a proud tradition of supporting elite sporting talent at UoG. It is sometimes quite hard to imagine how much effort and sacrifice these talented individuals make every single day, balancing full-time study and elite sport.

“So, it’s wonderful that we are able to celebrate their achievements and it’s always very special to see them earn their rewards. They absolutely deserve it.

“We are the only Sport England TASS accredited university in the county and we are seeing increasing numbers of talented athletes choosing to study with us because of the high-quality care and support we offer, alongside a positive education experience.”

Image: left to right, Jay Woodley, Tega Rume-Tabiowo, Oli Winterbottom and James Boyles