2026 Club Anniversaries

Established in 1901, the Men’s Hockey Club is celebrating its 125^th anniversary, marking more than a century of excellent on and off the pitch!

A brief history of the Men’s Hockey Club:

A founding member of the modern Scottish Hockey Association, the club quickly established itself as a force in the sport, producing five Scottish internationalists by 1902 and enjoying an unbeaten 1908/09 season that saw six players selected to represent Scotland. 

The club continued to thrive throughout the decades, dominating the Scottish Inter-University Championships during the 1930s and earning 16 Sports Union awards in the 1980s, including three Club of the Year titles. The appointment of Head of Performance Graham Moodie in 2012 helped transform the club into one of the UK’s leading university hockey programmes.

Recent Notable Achievements:

In recent years, the club has enjoyed unprecedented success, including

• BUCS National Vase Champions (2022 & 2025)
• BUCS North Premier Champions & promotion to BUCS Premier National (becoming the first Scottish men’s university side to reach the top flight of BUCS hockey)
• Scottish Regional League Champions (2XI)
• Scottish Cup Champions (the first men’s university side to win the competition)
• 2026 Scottish Premiership Champions
• Qualification of the Euro Hockey League (EHL), becoming the first men’s university side in Europe to qualify for the competition since Loughborough in 2007.

The club’s impact continues to be felt at the highest levels of the game, with current players earning international recognition and representing Scotland on the world stage, reflecting a legacy of excellence that has defined Edinburgh University Men’s Hockey Club for 125 years. 

What makes Edinburgh University Men’s Hockey Club special is its ability to combine high-performance sport with one of the strongest club cultures anywhere in university hockey. Whether it is competing for national titles, representing Scotland internationally, or boogying away in Mash House after a Wednesday fixture, the club has built an environment that generations of members continue to care deeply about. Over the past few years especially, the club has continued to grow both on and off the pitch, establishing itself as one of the leading university hockey programmes in the UK, while still maintaining the traditions and community that make it unique.

Ben Burton (Club Member 2024-present, Student Official of the Year 2024/25 & 2025/26)

When I joined the club, I was only two years into playing recreational hockey; training was playing Wednesdays or Saturdays […]. I knew I was never going to be a top player […] but when other things at university caused stress or grief, the club and the camaraderie was great for getting your life back on track. My experience at the club helped me restore my connection with the sport when I started umpiring and coaching for my younger daughter’s school team later in life. It’s a connection I maintain through following the club’s progress on the Scottish Hockey website.

Robert Martin (Club Member 1974-78)

Celebrating 125 years of the Men’s Hockey Club Alumni Event

This year the club is hosting a 125^th Anniversary Alumni Weekend in September, including a Friday drinks reception, Saturday home fixture and Gala Dinner to celebrate the club’s history and support the 1XI’s upcoming Euro Hockey League campaign. 

Established in 1926, the Women’s Lacrosse Club celebrates its centenary in 2026, marking 100 years of growth, achievement and community.

From humble beginnings, when members gathered simply to play occasional matches, the club has evolved into one of the largest and most successful student lacrosse programmes in the country, now boasting more than 150 members across four competitive teams, a beginners’ squad and a mixed recreational team.

Recent Notable Achievements:

The club has enjoyed a particularly successful recent period:

• 2025/26 BUCS Premier 2 title (Women’s 1s)
• 2025/26 BUCS National Trophy Winners (Women’s 1s)
• 2025/26 Scottish Conference Cup Winners (Women’s 4s)
• Runner-up in the Ken Galluccio Cup

The club’s influence extends far beyond Edinburgh, with generations of players progressing to the international stage. Edinburgh alumni continue to form a significant part of the Scottish national programme, with nine former players and two members of coaching staff selected for the squad competing at this summer’s World Championship in Tokyo. 

Alumni have also represented Great Britain at the highest level, demonstrating the lasting impact of a club that has spent a century developing players, fostering lifelong friendships and championing women’s sport.

Playing lacrosse meant being a team player and for me it brings back memories of camaraderie at Peffermill, despite primitive facilities. We had excellent support from staff based at Pleasance who coached us and umpired matches. We also had opportunities to travel to other universities and clubs as a team. These are things that I really valued. Also having the opportunity to hold office on both the lacrosse and EUWAC committees gave me skills which have been useful throughout my life.

Gillian Hoehnke (Club Member 1958-62, Blues Recipient 1961, Winifred Bailey Trophy winner, 1962)

Celebrating 100 Years of the Women’s Lacrosse Club

This year, the Women’s Lacrosse Club brought together the Edinburgh lacrosse community in a joyful celebration, with plenty Ceilidh dancing, to celebrate the club’s rich history, lasting friendships and shared achievements. 

Established in 1956, the Rifle Club celebrates in 70^th anniversary in 2026, marking seven decades of sporting excellence and a proud tradition of developing some of the finest target shooters in university sport.

Notable Achievements

Across 70 years of success, the club’s legacy is reflected in the achievements of its members:

• Winning the British and Scottish University Championships on numerous occasions
• Seven alumni being inducted into the University’s Sports Hall of Fame
• Former club members have gone on to become Olympians, world champions and Commonwealth medallists
• Collectively, generations of Edinburgh shooters have set more than 100 British records

Today, the club continues to thrive from its home at the Pleasance Range, with a membership of around 120 members. Renowned for introducing newcomers to target shooting and developing talented novice athletes, the club remains one of the largest and most active shooting clubs in the UK.

Alongside its competitive success, members have recently undertaken work to preserve and document the club’s rich history, safeguarding records and stories that span more than seven decades.

Having started shooting with the club 4 years ago, it has drawn me into the sport in a way nowhere else could. Edinburgh University Rifle Club produces some of the best novice shooters in the country, with a membership which continues to strengthen, and fullbore and air rifle/pistol disciplines which continues to rebuild post-Covid. What makes the club special is its ability to bring new people into our sport like no other club can; our ties to the university and Sports Union have maintained us as one of the largest target shooting clubs in the country

Neil Sinclair (Club Member 2024-present)

The Rifle Club was incredibly special to me as I made lifelong friendships there (and met my husband). However, it also holds an incredibly special place as the start of my high-performance career in target rifle shooting. During my time as a student, I was surrounded by exceptionally good shooters who pushed us all to be the best we could be. And this led me onto a shooting career after university that took me around the world, with a few successes on that journey

Susan Jackson (Club member 1991-95)

Established in 2001, the Jiu Jitu Club celebrates it’s 25^th anniversary in 2026, marking a quarter-century of competitive success, personal development and community.

Since its formation, the club has established itself as one of the leading university martial arts clubs in the UK, earning recognition through national titles, individual sporting honours and a reputation for welcoming students of all backgrounds and experience levels.

Recent notable achievements

Recent years have seen the club reach new heights:

• Crowned National Atemi Club champions in 2025
• Recognised as TJJF Club of the Year in 2025
• Hosted National TJJF Summer Ball in 2025

A key part of the club’s success has been its inclusive culture. Today, the club boasts its highest-ever proportion of female and non-binary members, who make up the majority of the membership, as well as one of the strongest representations of female senior grades across the national and international foundation. 

I’ve always wanted to do a martial art, but I never realised what it could give me. Not only has being part of Edinburgh Jiu Jitsu made me feel stronger and more secure in myself, it has brought wonderful people into my life and given me an opportunity to practice skills, engage with people and try incredible physical feats that I never would have dreamed of”

Madeleine Ferris (Club President, 2026/27, Colours Recipient, 2025/26)

All of my memories of the club and the other members are special to me. The members of this club became and remain my closest friends. […] A key memory for me was the day we had our photographs taken by the Sports Union. I was President of the club at the time; we were the first committee to do it; it was the first time in the club’s history that we elected 3 women to the Exec Committee. I still have the photo and it reminds me of what we achieved together

Chloe Bruce (Club Member 2015-2018)

Celebrating 25 Years of the Jiu Jitsu Club

The club’s anniversary celebrations reflected this strong sense of community, with more than 60 alumni and former members returning to Edinburgh from across the world to mark the occasion. Through training sessions, social events and the sharing of memories old and new, the celebrations highlighted the enduring impact of a club that has spent 25 years bringing people together through sport. 

Established in 2006, the Takewondo Club celebrates its 20^th anniversary in 2026, marking two decades of sporting achievement, personal growth and a thriving club community.

Since its formation, the club has introduced hundreds of students to the martial art, providing opportunities for members of all abilities to develop their skills, build confidence and represent the University in competition. 

Recent notable achievements:

• UK Student National Championship (BUCS): 2x Bronze (A-class), 3x Gold (B-class)
• Scottish National Championships: 1x Gold (A-class), 1x Gold (B-class)
• Lanarkshire Open: 1x Gold (B-class)

Beyond competition results, the club’s greatest strength has been its supportive and welcoming environment. Generations of members have found a community that encourages personal development both on and off the mats, helping students gain confidence, resilience and lifelong friendships. 

Practicing taekwondo allows me to destress and completely focus on the moment. The club gave me the space to grow confident in being loud and the mental resilience to take criticisms, ultimately allowing me to get better and better. As I watch the club evolve, give back to the community and embody the taekwondo mindset, I feel incredibly rewarded to be part of this journey.

Sophie Addison-Smyth (Club Member, 2022-26)

EUTKD gave me some of my fondest memories at university, becoming a big part of my uni experience. Coming in with no TKD background, the training pushed me well beyond what I thought I was capable of, while sometimes challenging, but ultimately rewarding in what it taught me about myself. What made it special was the community that built around it; the longer I was involved, the more the feeling grew. It was wonderful to see the club expand during my time, welcoming more new members, embracing beginners and becoming more involved in representing Edinburgh University at competitions.

Sumit Sah (Club Member 2015-2019)