University Men’s Indoor Nationals 2024: Scottish Preview
This weekend, University Men’s and Women’s Indoor Nationals are taking place, with Division 1 Nationals in London, and Division 2 Nationals in Motherwell. We thought we’d give you a sneak preview of the Scottish teams going to get you hyped up. We’ve already given you the women’s goss, so now it’s time for the men’s!
Just like in the women’s divsion, a lot has changed for the Scottish university men’s indoor scene in the past 5 or so years. In and around 2018, simply put, Scotland was dominating. Glasgow and Strathclyde were fighting it out for the top spot at Div 1 nationals, with Glasgow coming out victorious in an extremely nail-biting final (2018). And the following year, it was Strathclyde that lifted the trophy (in all 3 divisions). Glasgow has now lost it’s superstar players, however the club has benefitted from their focus on younger players and fantastic coaching programme. Strathclyde has also lost their big names but with talented players nonetheless, they’ve been able to compete at the top of the UK up until recently.
Stirling hasn’t qualified for Div 1 for quite some time, but that all changed this year after they snagged one of the two Scottish bids, so things are looking good as they possibly enter a new era. Aberdeen and Dundee seem to be struggling at the bottom of the pack, but hopefully there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for them in the near future after a few development years.
Edinburgh continues to be doing well, with a young and athletic squad, all brimming with potential. Their neighbours, Heriot-Watt had some big players in the past, and sadly just missed out on a nationals spot this year after a universe-point loss to Strathclyde. Despite St. Andrews dominating the Scottish BUCS league so far this season, this hasn’t translated into a similar indoor success, with a surprising loss to Stirling in the game to go to Div 1 nationals.
However, looking ahead to the weekend, with experienced core players and an athletic team, St. Andrews is well-placed to take Div 2 gold. But with that said, Glasgow is hungry to improve on last years’ 3rd place so they are a likely threat for St. Andrews. Stirling may have reached Div 1, but will they be able to compete with the English teams? And will Strathclyde be able to break seed and climb up the rankings? There’s plenty of room for speculation here, but what’s certain is that we’re rooting for all teams to show the southerners how it’s done and bring home some glory.
The final standings at regionals were as follows:
1 Edinburgh 1 (Q1)
2 Stirling 1 (Q1)
3 St Andrews 1 (Q2)
4 Glasgow 1 (Q2)
5 Strathclyde 1 (Q2)
6 Heriot-Watt 1
7 St Andrews 2
8 Edinburgh 2
9 Aberdeen 1
10 Strathclyde 2
11 Edinburgh 3
12 St Andrews 3
13 Glasgow 2
14 Dundee 1
15 Glasgow 3
You can find the full gamelist here.
We spoke with the captains/coaches of the teams attending Div 1 and 2 Nationals to see how they’re feeling about the weekend.
DIVISION 1
Edinburgh (9th seed):
Captain – Xander Froggatt
How did regionals go for you?
Pretty well. A nice gold medal to show for it. Team was feeling really good all weekend, spirits were always high and we enjoyed the victories!
Tell us a bit about your team.
Awesome mix of players on the team of different experience levels. Good vibes guaranteed. Everyone loves playing with each other, making me a proud captain. We also have the dynamic duo of our Germans Max and David, adding some Euro-swagger to the handler weave.
What are you goals & expectations for nationals?
Going for first. Has to be the aim. We’ve got a stunning team heading down so let’s bring the gold back to Scotland.
How are you planning on seeing these through?
Throwing blades. And catching them hopefully.
What’s your team hype song?
Ro Sham Bo by NITTI | Wuki
How will you spend the long journey & what will you be doing with your Saturday night?
We will be taking the team plane down (courtesy of Ryanair) then the team bus (no. 154) to the team accomodation (courtesy of Travelodge). Only the best for Ro Sham. Saturday night will feature some intense team bonding – specifics TBC but will likely feature some pub grub and bevs.
Stirling (10th seed):
Captains – Ronan Kelly & Daniel Ewen
How did regionals go for you?
Regionals went great, to say the least. We went into it with the aim of qualifying for Division 2, but after some strong games on the first day we realised we had strong potential to qualify for Division 1. We had a team this year unlike any I’ve seen from Blaze. With some incredible study-abroad pickups, and incumbent players working hard in the off-season to improve for these tournaments, our trust and faith in each other was great to see. The second day started a bit shaky as I think the nerves got to a few of us, but after our initial game we found our stride again, and despite not making it to the final we were able to finish off the tournament in second place.
Tell us a bit about your team.
We think the team vibes are impeccable. We have our pregame ‘rituals’, most notably Glutevations, that every member participates in, bringing us together before the first pull. Every one of the lads makes sure everyone is involved in everything, from warmup throwing to having a laugh. We think this strong team spirit is also what sets us apart from other teams, as it means there’s a trust between each other that we’ll get the job done. It has been a big focus of ours this year to develop the team community and we think we’re on the right path with that.
What are you goals & expectations for nationals?
We are really just looking to compete, represent Scottish ultimate well, and enjoy being there. We want to go and show that we are able to play at that high level. But in terms of placement, it’s difficult to say – we don’t know how teams from other regions are looking and (at the time of writing) seedings haven’t been released just yet.
How are you planning on seeing these through? Do you have any secret weapons or USPs?
The main thing for us is to play our game. We’re good at adjusting when things aren’t working and we have a good range of players with different styles, so using everyone to their full potential will be important. We need to keep our heads as well; sometimes, we get wrapped up in the moment and start doing silly things so that is definitely something to keep in mind. Our secret weapon is probably having some more experienced players who’ll be able to keep it cool and help those around them to not get caught up in the moment.
What’s your team hype song?
We have a bunch on our huge hype song playlist, so it’s hard to narrow it down to one. Love Story deserves a shout out, as well as Sweet Child O’Mine and Unwritten.
How will you spend the long journey & what will you be doing with your Saturday night?
We’ll probably be spending the 8hrs playing car games, LOTS of contact, some karaoke, but also some napping. Saturday night, we’ll go out and have some food together as a team and have a little celebration as our youngest player will be celebrating his 18th birthday.
DIVISION 2
Saint Andrews (3rd seed):
Captains – Daniel Lindsay & Tony Kavalam
How did regionals go for you?
Following a slow start with one draw and one loss on the Saturday, we were in 6th coming into the brackets. We rallied in the knockouts, coming out strong and defeating Strathclyde and Stirling to reach the final. After a hard-fought close game, Edinburgh came out on top as the better team, leaving Saints with a tough game-to-go against Blaze. This was a fiery tight match in which the opposition came out on top, leaving Saints in 3rd and qualifying for Division 2 nationals.
Tell us a bit about your team.
This year sees a big squad with a blend of returning names and new names on the team sheet. With a large chunk of the squad graduating this year, the team is hungry to go out with a bang and perform well at nationals. We’re hoping to have positive, energetic vibes which will allow us to have the best time possible.
What are your goals & expectations for nationals?
After the disappointment of not qualifying for division 1 nationals, which was our goal at regionals, Saints have decided to use this to propel themselves and are aiming to win division 2 nationals in Glasgow and earn an extra spot for Scotland.
How are you planning on seeing these through? Do you have any secret weapons or USPs?
The return of Matthew Miller to the team this semester will be a big strongpoint, as well as the continued presence of experienced players Benjamin Tang and Tom Box. We will also look to several new plays we have kept secret in preparation for nationals, so look out for those. Overall, we want to play with the team in mind and be strategic with each point in every game.
What’s your team hype song?
OMG! – Marteria.
What will you be doing with your Saturday night?
Enjoying the longest Saturday night journey of any team going.
Glasgow (8th seed):
Captain – Adam Lafferty
How did regionals go for you?
I think regionals was a double-edged sword for us. Overall, our main goal of qualifying for nationals was achieved, but we were all disappointed that we missed out on a medal. There were a lot of good teams there and I think the level took us a bit by surprise. With some long drives and late finishes each day, a lot of lessons were learnt that weekend. Despite the weekend not panning out as hoped, it gave us a lot of determination moving forward; the commitment and intensity at training since has never been higher. Regionals showed us that if we want to get a medal at nationals, we really need to put in the hours and work for it.
Tell us a bit about your team.
Most of the team has played together for a few years now, so we are a team built on trust. It really helps to know exactly where your teammates are wanting to go on the pitch and what throw they want. Building that level of trust has taken a lot of time in training, and I am really proud of the guys’ commitment to training this year. We run a Monday morning session at 6:30am, and despite the early start, we regularly see high attendance of players eager to get the extra practice in. This, combined with some amazing coaches and a great ultimate community in Glasgow, means that we have a deep squad with a large skillset. We work best when not one player feels like they have to do everything on the pitch.
What are your goals & expectations for nationals?
We want to win! Last year, we came away with a bronze medal and everyone felt like there was room for more. After regionals, the intensity really went up at training and we have grown a lot throughout the season. I think with the commitment at training and how we have developed as a team, there is no reason for us not to come out on top!
How are you planning on seeing these through? Do you have any secret weapons or USPs?
We measure each game on three key metrics: trust, grind and communication. We feel this is what a team needs to win, so our game plan will be to approach each game ready to give 100%. All season during training, the underlying goals have been working together, being patient and grinding out each point, so this is the exact mentality we will bring to nationals. Nationals is being held at Ravenscraig in Motherwell which is around 20 minutes from Glasgow, and a venue we have played at many times. I think the home-court advantage will kick in with the team feeling comfortable on the pitch. We are also hoping for some support from the club on the sideline to really help boost us over the line.
What’s your team hype song?
“Hot Lava Sex Machine” by Gallowstreet and “Sh-Boom” by the Chords.
What will you be doing with your Saturday night?
Since nationals is being hosted at home, I think everyone will take full advantage of getting to sleep in their own bed. I’ve made some of my favourite memories in frisbee from weekends away with the team. I think a team dinner will help us wind down from the day, then chatting through the games with a pint or two will ensure that everyone properly resets for the Sunday.
Strathclyde (16th seed):
Captains – James Rayfield, Daniel Lynch and Ninian Grant
Written by coach Ben Cornelius
Tell us a bit about the team.
We have a strong roster of players that are capable in all positions, which makes all of our players equally threatening. We have swapped our leadership about and one captain must always be in Spain at any one time.
What are your goals & expectations for nationals?
I have really high hopes for the Horses at this tourney. I believe that they have a good shot at coming away with a medal, despite being last seed…eeek. We will run some controversial offence structures and will want to play aggressively. I do think any one of the Scottish teams have a good shot at a medal place. Both St Andrews and Glasgow are looking strong and we do hope to avoid playing them in the crossover games. But we wish them the best of luck!
What will you be doing with your Saturday night?
We are blessed that the tournament is this side of the border and so our Saturday night will be a peaceful one of reflection in the comfort of our own beds, although I’m still going to push for a Nandos. Overall, I think it will be great to see what the Scottish teams at Div 2 have to offer.
Thanks to the captains/coaches for giving us your thoughts! You can see the full seedings and schedule for Div 1 Nationals here, and Div 2 Nationals here.
A lot of teams looking to take gold, especially in Div 2 – but will any of them come out victorious? Will we see a Scottish final once more? Let us know your thoughts!