As uni students, we often feel like doing something fun outside our curriculum and staying active. That’s when you turn to sports societies. So, you fancy joining one but let me stop you there. The first question you need to ask yourself isn’t, are you aware of the rules of this sport or are you good at it, it’s how much money have you got? Less than £50? Hit the road, dude. This ain’t for you.
From my own experience, I absolutely love cricket, so I spent a long time finding the cricket society and going to their trials. But looking at their membership costs almost made me fall off the Information Commons’ stairs. As an international student already paying almost 30k in tuition fees, I can’t bankrupt my family like this. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad but this was genuinely my initial reaction. Being new to the UK, seeing a £100 membership fee scared the life out of me.
Obviously, it depends on which sport you’re looking at, so I went around asking students which societies they had joined or wanted to join but ended up deciding not to. One student I spoke to said she thought archery looked cool but she hadn’t done it before and the membership was £60 a year. Quoting her words: “I’d rather go thrifting with that money and look pretty, because at least I know I’ll love what I get.”
But not everyone thinks the same way. Another student I spoke to liked football and had played quite a bit back in school. According to him, the £160 membership fee was basically just paying £13.33 per month, which doesn’t really seem like much when he took the socials, matches and training sessions into account. The team also had tours around the country and abroad throughout the year, which players could join if selected. If you look at every membership like this, then they actually don’t look that bad.
Then I met a student who went to a £1 Muay Thai GIAG session. She enjoyed it a lot, and the £95 membership, according to her, was great value for money as she said “it included everything” which is insurance cover, free access to all university-run sessions and club equipment.
The cost might seem like a lot to us students, but if we take a look behind the scenes, societies have their own expenses to cover. From kits and equipment to pitches, nets and the hours spent organising events, there is quite a lot that goes into running a society smoothly. I also spoke to a society treasurer, who explained that they genuinely want as many students as possible to join, so membership prices are decided while keeping affordability in mind. After all, they’re students too, and they know what it’s like.
For those who wish to take a step further, some societies also have teams competing in BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport), allowing selected students to represent the university in competitions against other universities. However, costs can vary depending on the sport and team, so it’s worth checking whether match fees and transport are included in the membership or charged separately.
The university offers Participation Grants of up to £150 to help students take part in sports and other activities. It can cover membership fees, costs related to tournament fees or additional costs due to disability and even for essential kit, equipment and group hoodies. However, it’s only available to students who meet quite specific eligibility criteria. Even then, receiving the full £150 isn’t guaranteed if demand exceeds the available funding.
At the end of the day, whether a membership is worth it really depends on you, the sport you choose and how much you’re willing to spend. If you want to try something new but don’t want to commit for a whole year right away, GIAG sessions or pay-as-you-go options are actually a pretty good place to start. You might discover a sport you genuinely enjoy, meet some great people or simply find something fun to look forward to outside of lectures. Just make sure you know what you’re paying for before handing over your money, because nobody wants to spend £100 on something they end up using only twice all year.
