2016 was huge for Loughborough University sport – here are just a handful of the defining moments of our fantastic year!

The Lightning family was expanded as the KIA Superleague women’s cricket team and NBL badminton side both had their first seasons. KSL Lightning finished their season mid table having enjoyed three fantastic home games at Haselgrave ground, winning three and losing two out of five games overall.

In March, Loughborough Student’s 1XV team reached the finals of the BUCS Rugby Union Championship at the prestigious Twickenham ground. It was a huge spectacle, with live coverage and wider media attention. However, the lads were pipped to victory by just two points, with Exeter taking the trophy.

Our international status and huge variety of facilities continued to impress worldwide. In July, NFL side Jacksonville Jaguars came to Loughborough University to host a Jaguars Academy camp, where players were invited from across Europe to come to Loughborough.

We once again hosted a tremendously successful Loughborough International Athletics meet on the 22nd of May, with crowds flocking to see Jessica Ennis-Hill perform in her first event of her Rio preparations.

The new BUCS Super Rugby league was launched at Twickenham, and Loughborough 1st XV are currently sitting first on the league table as the season finishes for Christmas, with plenty more exciting games to come!

We couldn’t mention Loughborough’s sport successes in 2016 without mentioning the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games. With the two images above as a taster of our outstanding success, there’s loads more to see on our dedicated website.

Our BUCS winning streak continued as we scooped our 36th award. Can we make it 37 next year?!

Towards the end of 2016, but definitely one of our sporting highlights, the wonderful Judy Murray joined us to host a tennis coaching workshop for students and staff. There was also opportunity to ask her questions.

The 2016 School Games, a national competition for hundreds of young athletes, came to Loughborough this year. It’s a mini-Olympics and was right here on campus, drawing the likes of recent Olympic and Paralympic champions, Max Whitlock, Liz Johnson and Alex Danson.

We welcomed two Loughborough sporting greats to the Loughborough Sport Hall of Fame this year – swimmer Liam Tancock who graduated in 2011 and coach Carl Johnson who graduated in 1959.