Varsity 2025

The 97-94 scoreline reflects the fiercely competitive nature of the event - just two results out of nearly 60 matches would have seen purple ribbons on the trophy once again.

The week's competition started in front of a sell-out crowd for the Netball, Futsall and Korfball on Monday evening, with thousands more students taking in the sporting spectacle across both campuses over the last three days.

Rugby union's whitewash was matched by the tennis team, extending an unbeaten streak which began in 2014.

The Polly Ollies

Leeds Beckett alumni rugby legends The Polly Ollies were cheering the rugby teams on at the Varsity finale.

The group were instrumental in establishing the tradition of rugby union at Leeds Polytechnic and were the first Polytechnic team to play against University of Leeds. Their inaugural match was held back in 1976 at Weetwood, winning the game with a final score of 12-7. They also generously established the Poly Ollies Scholarship for many years, which supported students from the Carnegie School of Sport.

The group were thrilled to see their legacy in play on the field and to see that the calibre of rugby was as strong as ever.

The group will return at Varsity 2026 when they will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of their very first university league match.