![\"Liam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/LiamHignett-1200x630.jpg\")
\nCaptain Liam Hignett – Player of the Match – celebrates after winning the point that secured the Championship for Stirling.<\/p>\n
Cathy Gallagher, Executive Director of Sport at the University of Stirling, said: \u201cIt was a great finish to BUCS Big Wednesday with our Men\u2019s First Tennis Team winning the National Championship, adding to their league, doubles and singles titles. The team has dominated at UK university level throughout the season, and their achievements are to be celebrated \u2013 congratulations to the players and their coaching and support staff.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was also proud to see Shayne Humphries put in an excellent performance to win the Mixed Wheelchair Basketball Championship for the second year in a row.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Scotland\u2019s University for Sporting Excellence, we were well represented here at BUCS Big Wednesday, and we shouldn\u2019t forget all the teams that competed here today \u2013 well done to all and we look forward to getting back here next year.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Shayne](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/ShayneHumphries-766x1200.jpg\")
\nShayne Humphries won gold at BUCS in the Mixed Wheelchair Basketball Final.<\/p>\n
The Men\u2019s First Team took on last year\u2019s title winners University of Nottingham in the Tennis National Championship Final. Stirling dominated from the start, with pairings Malesevic and Cowley and Hignett and Fryer winning their doubles matches. McKay put in an impressive performance to win the first of the singles matches just seconds before captain Hignett overcame his opponent to seal victory for Stirling.<\/p>\n
Hignett, who was awarded Player of the Match, enjoyed the win \u2013 but admitted there were mixed emotions as it could be his last in Stirling green, as he is due to graduate with a BA (Hons) Sports Studies this summer. Speaking after hitting the winning shot, he said: \u201cThere are so many happy emotions, but there\u2019s a bit of sadness too because I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s my last one.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat a team we have this year, especially with Nemanja coming in; he has been an amazing addition. We all gel so well together, every day we train hard \u2013 and this is the end product of the work that we put in, it\u2019s an absolute delight.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also paid tribute to Scott MacAulay, Lead Tennis Coach at the University, who was awarded Performance Coach of the Year at the Tennis Scotland Awards 2026. In addition to the National Championship win, MacAulay has also led the Men’s 1s to this season’s BUCS National League title, the Doubles title – with Hignett and Cowley winning, and the Individual Championships title, with Malesevic crowned the best student player in the UK.<\/p>\n
Hignett added: \u201cI think we\u2019ve got it right \u2013 the atmosphere is brilliant, we all get on well and Scott is a great leader. I think this is the first time that one university has taken all four men\u2019s titles in the same season \u2013 and that\u2019s testament to the hard work, leadership and facilities with which the University provides us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unbelievable<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the win, MacAulay said: \u201cIt was an unbelievable performance \u2013 to win it without losing a rubber was great. We\u2019ve had a fantastic year \u2013 winning all four titles in the same academic year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese guys have shown great dedication to the programme, training every day, in the gym five days a week, playing national and international events away from student competition too. They have put in hard work and dedication and now are reaping the rewards \u2013 I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll be celebrating.\u201d<\/p>\n
David Bond, Director of Performance Sport at the University of Stirling, said: \u201cCongratulations to our Men\u2019s First Team in tennis and to Shayne on his personal achievement. They\u2019ve worked very hard all year, and it has culminated in them bringing home big wins from Loughborough.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving five teams at BUCS Big Wednesday is the greatest representation we\u2019ve ever had there, showing the strength of our high-performance programmes at the University of Stirling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Results<\/p>\n
In other tennis results, the Men\u2019s 2s narrowly missed out on gold in the National Vase, coming up short in a shootout against Loughborough 2s; while the Women\u2019s 1s lost 4-1 to Loughborough in the National Championship Final and the Men\u2019s 3s were beaten 4-2 by Nottingham 3s in the National Trophy Final.<\/p>\n
In football, the Men\u2019s First Team \u2013 who this season won BUCS Premier North for the fifth time in six years \u2013 were defeated 3-1 by Nottingham. Chris Geddes\u2019 side have an opportunity to bounce back later this week, as they play two further finals \u2013 Cumnock Juniors in the South Challenge Cup on March 29 and Heriot-Watt University in the Queen\u2019s Park Shield on April 1.<\/p>\n
Scotland\u2019s University for Sporting Excellence<\/p>\n
The University of Stirling is Scotland\u2019s University for Sporting Excellence. Through the powerful and inspirational combination of performance sport, recreational sport, research and education, we are delivering medals on the world stage, improving the health and wellbeing of the nation, and producing the next generation of leaders within sport.<\/p>\n
At Stirling, athletes have access to world-class facilities, including a 50-metre pool, a state-of-the-art indoor golf studio, unrivalled outdoor space, and state-of-the-art strength and conditioning suites. In addition to its coaching and facilities, Stirling\u2019s International Sports Scholarship Programme \u2013 one of the largest high-performance programmes in the UK \u2013 offers athletes funding support, academic flexibility, equipment and kit. It has supported hundreds of athletes since its inception in 1981 \u2013 with many competing on the world stage, including at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Core sports include tennis, golf, triathlon, football, swimming, rugby and curling, while individual scholarships cover all Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports.<\/p>\n