All Photos: Rocker Davies Media

The 2026 BUCS Softball National Championships took place at Farnham Park on 9–10 May, with BaseballSoftballUK once again delivering the event on behalf of BUCS, supported BASU from an umpiring capacity over the weekend.

Twelve universities competed across two days, with 58 games played in total. Saturday’s group stage was competitive throughout, determining seeding for Sunday’s gold and silver knockout brackets.

Sunday produced two major semi-final upsets. Reading defeated an unbeaten Loughborough side 19–6 in emphatic fashion, while Lancashire edged past Nottingham to book their place in the final. For the first time in the competition’s history, neither Nottingham nor Loughborough reached the final, guaranteeing a new national champion would be crowned.

The final was a competitive affair throughout, but Lancashire came out on top 7–5 to secure gold and become new BUCS National Champions. Reading claimed silver after an impressive tournament run, while Loughborough took bronze ahead of Nottingham in fourth place.

BaseballSoftballUK’s delivery once again underpinned the success of the event. From operating the facility at Farnham Park to sourcing umpires for all 58 games and coordinating communications with participating universities, the weekend ran smoothly across both days of competition.

Final finishing positions:

1 Lancashire
2 Reading
3 Loughborough
4 Nottingham
5 Oxford Brookes
6 York
7 Essex
8 East Anglia
9 Surrey
10 Bournemouth
11 Edinburgh
12 Southampton

The students reflected on a great weekend - and year of competition.

Katie Morse, Team Captain for Reading:  "It has been an honour to captain such an incredible team. With a majority final-year players, earning a BUCS medal for the third time in three years feels especially bittersweet. For some, this may be the last time we ever play softball, so ending the 2025/26 season on such a high means the world. We can’t wait to see what the coming years hold for Reading Knights Softball."

Izzy Smith, Bournemouth Captain:  "BUCS Softball was a fantastic experience, excellently organized with a clear and fair structure throughout both days. As captain, I couldn't be prouder of how our squad performed and represented Bournemouth alongside so many passionate teams!"