As another academic year draws to a close, we reflect on the remarkable achievements of our student-athletes on Heriot-Watt University’s Sport Scholarship Programme. These young talents have not only demonstrated outstanding prowess in their respective sports but have also excelled academically, embodying the true spirit of what it means to be a Sports Scholar at Heriot-Watt University.

Heriot-Watt University Sport Scholarship Programme

Our Sport Scholars have excelled in multiple British University and College Sports (BUCS) Events throughout the 2023/24 season, earning BUCS Points representing Heriot-Watt University.

Sports Scholars Excel in Athletics

Popular events in the Athletics calendar are BUCS Indoor Championships at the end of February and BUCS Outdoor Championships at the start of May. First year Sport & Exercise Science student and decathlete, Adam Hoole, has had an exemplar performance in his first season, competing against the best university athletes in the UK. Adam secured the Gold medal in the Long Jump final at BUCS Indoor Champs and at the recent BUCS Outdoor Championships, won Silver and Bronze in the Long Jump and 110m hurdles respectively.

Our Sports Scholars Are Making a Splash

BUCS Swimming Short Course Championships in Semester One, saw two of our Swim Scholars, Yasmine Hamerlaine and Hannah Bowley, make podium in the B Final of both of their events. Yasmine came 1st in the 50m Freestyle and 3rd in 50m Backstroke, while Hannah came 3rd in both the 100m and 200m Breaststroke. Both HWU Scholars are also part of the Edinburgh University Performance Swimming Programme, a partnership which is hugely beneficial, allowing the scholars to train in a performance environment with exposure to an experienced coaching team.

Reaching New Heights

New to the sphere of Sport Climbing, Heriot-Watt welcomed first year Speed Climber, Andrew Goodall, to campus. In his first week of the academic year, he won the Bronze medal in the Senior Men's British Lead, Speed and Para-climbing Championships 2023, at just 18 years old. In Semester 2, Andrew represented Heriot-Watt at the National University Lead and Speed Climbing competition at Warwick University, taking 1st place as he scaled the 15m climbing wall in 6.02 seconds.

Martial Arts on the International Stage

The Sport Scholarship Programme currently supports four Judo Scotland athletes. Sunny, James, Daniel and Jacob liaise closely with the Scottish Institute of Sport for all their sport science support therefore value the scholarship programme for Academic Flexibility during competition season. Karate sports scholar, Kori Fital, has comeback stronger since ankle surgery in July 2023, winning Double Gold at the Wado European Karate Championships in Belgium in both the U21 and Senior Female 68kg category.

Scholars in the Scrum

Glasgow Warriors rugby player, Ally Miller, is one of the longest-standing sport scholars on the programme as he studies his Economics and Management degree part-time as a dual career athlete. Ally, has had a successful season with Glasgow Warriors in the United Rugby Championships (URC) and has signed contract extension until 2026. He has made 26 appearances for the Warriors to date, including 11 this season, and was called into Scotland's training squad during the recent 2024 Six Nations.

Heriot-Watt University sport scholar, Ben Muncaster, also had 3 match appearances with Edinburgh Rugby in the URC 2023/24 season, with one of the highlights being named in the South Africa traveling Squad, competing against Stormers in Cape Town. Edinburgh Rugby Academy player, Issac Coates and Freddy Douglas, had an exciting start to their first year at HWU as they were selected for Scotland Rugby U20's Six Nations campaign, during Semester 2.

In Women's Rugby, second years Sport and Exercise Science student, Molly Poolman, was invited to join the Scotland Women's squad for their Six Nations preparations, which was a rewarding achievement for Molly.

Our Volleyball Ace

In Volleyball, Ewan Ramsay captained Scotland's U20 team to victory at the Small Countries Association Championships in Dublin in February. This was a pivotal win to secure Scotland's historic spot at this summer's 2024 European Championships Finals in Serbia and Greece. Scotland has never reached the finals of a European Championships before and have only won their Zonal Championships three times previously (U20 Men in 2014, Senior Men in 2019, Senior Women in 2021). This qualification guarantees a top-15 spot in Europe and a mountain of World Ranking points. Good luck to Ewan and the U20’s Team.

Scholars on the Hockey Pitch

Scottish Hockey player, Jamie Green, has a jam-packed summer schedule as he trains with both the Scotland U21 & Senior Men’s Squad in preparations for the U21 European Championships in Switzerland and the Senior EuroHockey Championship Qualifier A in Vienna in August.

Our student athletes' dedication and success are a testament to their hard work and the support provided by their coaches and HWU Sport Scholarship Programme. We look forward to more outstanding performances in the future!

Football Scholarship Programme

The second year of Heriot Watt University’s Football Scholarship Programme has been a roaring success both on and off the pitch.

Heriot-Watt University Men's Team

The Men’s Football Scholarship Programme has continued to thrive, with the team securing promotion to BUCS Premier Division, the highest tier of university football in the UK and maintaining their position for another year. Additionally, the team triumphed in the prestigious Queen’s Park Shield and reached two cup finals in the East of Scotland Football League. The active involvement of the Football Scholars in supporting the broader university football programme further highlights the positive impact and success of the Football Scholarship Programme.

Heriot-Watt University Women's Team

Heriot-Watt Women’s First Team won back-to-back promotions in the BUCS League. Promoted into Scottish Tier 2 at the beginning of the 23/24 academic year, the women’s team finish top of the league for the second year in a row, gaining promotion into the top division of Scottish Women’s Football in the BUCS League. The women’s team has grown consistently over the past two years, in terms of player commitment and performance level. This has enabled the women’s football scholarship programme to reach a wider audience due to the recruitment of talented players competing in both Scottish Women’s Premier League 1 and 2.

Squash Scholarship Programme

The 2023/24 season has been a historic year for our Squash Scholarship Programme, with unprecedented achievements and milestones.

Heriot-Watt University Men's Team

Heriot-Watt Men's Squash 1st Team Made history by reaching BUCS Wednesday for the first time! This is the university team finals event showcasing Championship and Trophy finals across 6 league sports, which is a significant achievement for any Heriot-Watt University team across all sports. The team’s remarkable journey culminated in a stellar performance, finishing 2nd in the UK National Championship. A highlight of their campaign was the thrilling semi-final victory against the University of the West of England (UWE), the current UK No. 1 team and defending champions.

Heriot-Watt University Women's Team

Our Women’s Squash 1st Team also had an outstanding season, finishing equal 1st in BUCS Scottish Tier 1 and earning a spot in the National Championship for the first time. Their success continued as they clinched the Scottish National League title, which secured their qualification for the European Club Championships, taking place in London this September 2024.

These accomplishments reflect the dedication and talent within our Squash Scholarship Programme and set a new standard for future athletes. We are incredibly proud of both our men’s and women’s teams and look forward to even greater achievements in the season to come.

The Year in Reflection

As we celebrate the culmination of another successful year, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all our sports, football and squash scholars for their outstanding achievements and unwavering commitment to excellence. To those graduating or moving on, thank you for your contributions to Heriot Watt’s Sport Scholarship Programme and we look forward to witnessing your continued success and endless opportunities in your career and the sporting world.