UK Student Archery Association

BUCS Regional proposals [08/Oct/18]

BUCS have published initial proposals for competitive change across a wide range of sports - the proposals affecting archery are essential reading.

The chief proposed change for archery is "to incorporate the existing Student Leagues in to the BUCS programme" - that might include the E-League too. The report notes that any changes would involve consultation with the existing organisers. Changes are to be discussed during 2018/19 and could not come in to place before the 2019/20 season at the absolute earliest.

Each Athletic Union/Sport Union should now have received the BUCS Sports Review framework. Each university is required to complete a questionnaire (on behalf of all sports) by Wednesday 17th October. If you have any points or questions you wish to raise please get in touch with your Union before this date.

Read the Framework here - archery is pages 5-7.

Such a proposal concerning incorporating Regional Leagues into BUCS was discussed several years ago, but was roundly rejected by at least BUTTS.

Potentially the Regional Leagues would effectively replace the separate BUCS qualifying events. Some clubs would find making hall bookings easier (i.e. because it would be for a BUCS fixture) and archers could save money if Sports Unions contribute towards BUCS event costs like travel.

However, any archer savings might well be lost as BUCS would control entry fees. Going down this route would likely mean the re-drawing of regional boundaries too, possibly along the lines of the 12 BUCS Regions - or presumably some combination of regions, to avoid numerical mismatches. There would be centralised control over competitive structure. It would also mean that any central organisational "issues" would be magnified.

A BUCS takeover of the E-League might give this competition some extra edge, although the current divisional set up and calendar would presumably have to be looked at.

So an important bit of reading here. A reminder that the deadline for submitting fully completed online questionnaires is Wednesday 17 October 2018, so contact your relevant Union types if you want to suggest/comment. Feedback will be shared with sports in October whilst finalised, fully-formed, proposals will be submitted back to the membership in January 2019. The document is very clear that the decision making process rests with BUCS membership and would not be forced through.

The Editor must thank Alexandra Kaye and Marc Tamlyn for some of the material in this article.