UK Student Archery Association

BUTC 2026 hosting announcement [11/Feb/26]

BUTC 2026 will be hosted by Exeter and it will take place on Sunday 29th March, at Exeter's Tennis Centre, see the BUTC Tournament Info page. This announcement has been a while coming - thanks for your patience.

Does the venue sound familiar? Exeter previously hosted BUTC in 2025 and as a result, they will become the first club to host BUTC twice in a row. Defending champions are Sheffield, after they beat Birmingham in a see-saw final. If it's a long journey for you in 2026, as it might well have been in 2025, remember that the 2027 event will also need hosts. If you have the enthusiasm, but lack the venue, talk to your regional league neighbours - joint bids are always welcome.

It is hoped that BUTC 2026 will feature the repechage round for the teams who lose in round 1 of the knock-out phase. This would guarantee all teams who enter at least 2 rounds on the discs - providing the competition is full.

Whilst there's no denying that Exeter is at one geographical extreme of the UK, BUTC has only been in SWWU twice before: Exeter in 2025 and Swansea in 2009. Exeter also hosted BUCS Indoors back in 1999 and 2006.

The following paragraphs are taken entirely from last year's equivalent editorial:

Exeter are one of only eight teams to have actually lifted the BUTC trophy, doing so in Nottingham in 2005. This was the first time the Beiter hit miss discs were used and it was also Exeter's first ever appearance at BUTC. They qualified third and overcame Nottingham B and Imperial B before beating Loughborough impressively in the QFs. They beat SWWU rivals Bath in a tightly fought semi, before surviving a spirited comeback from Edinburgh (B) in a final watched that was watched by well over 100 people, including Werner Beiter. Their winning trio was Andy Tan, Louise Colville and James Suckling. Louise Colville became the first woman to win a BUTC gold medal. Exeter's B team also reached the QFs in 2005. The following year, an identical Exeter A team qualified fourth and again beat Loughborough in the QFs. They lost out narrowly to Edinburgh in the semi - their first defeat in their ninth KO match - and finished fourth after a shoot off in the bronze medal match against Warwick. This was the first ever shoot off at that stage of the event.

More recently, Exeter reached the quarter finals in 2018. They knocked out Cambridge 11-3 then in round 2 they beat league rivals Swansea 12-7. Their quarter-final was against Loughborough - yet again - but this time it was the Midlanders who edged through, 10 hits to 9. Exeter's 2018 team was Ben Trudgill, Adam Banks and Connor Williams.

BUTC entry form will appear in the BUTC section of the site.