Scottish University Men’s Indoor Regionals: 2025 Preview

by AJ Strang and Dan Lindsay

AJ: Whelp, UXIR sucked, but we’re moving on to University Men’s Indoor Regionals (UMIR) next week, back in the freezer that is the Dundee RPC! For those of us who were busy crashing rental cars into cows in the Australian outback last cycle, what happened last year, Dan?

Dan: Glad to be moving onto another weekend after the tragic ending to the last one. Last year’s UMIR saw a little more success for St Andrews as we overcame a defeat to Strathclyde in the power pools to make a run through the brackets and win the whole thing after an exhilarating 12-11 final. The team on the other side of this scoreline was Stirling, who had an incredible weekend as they upset Glasgow and Strathclyde in quarters and semis, respectively, to claim a consecutive spot at Div 1. Edinburgh won the 3rd place match to take the last spot, whilst Strath, Saints 2s, and Heriot-Watt took the tickets to Div 2 Nats in Hull. Thankfully, Strath did Scotland a big favour by retaining their title and adding yet another bid for Div 1; hopefully this year they can finally take it themselves.

AJ: After guest predictor Charlotte convinced us to move Edi 1 down and tried to sell us on a Nats appearance for Glasgow 2 last week, Dan and I have decided to trust our own instincts this time. Once again we have 14 teams entering, but this time we have four Division 1 nationals bids and two Division 2 bids up for grabs. Let’s get into the predictions.

1. Edinburgh 1

Dan: It seems only fair to predict Edinburgh to win this tournament after their commanding performance at mixed, going undefeated over both days, albeit in some close matches. The return of Xander Frogatt and the contributions of new pickups, as well as the solidity of Alba’s Joe Hurley, were all instrumental factors in this victory. They won’t be surprising anyone this weekend and will be the team to beat, which definitely invites another level of pressure, but this squad has yet to look fazed.

AJ: You have to respect Edi after their performance at mixed. While I waxed lyrical about the strength of their women’s side last week, their men were relentless. The performance of their mixed 2s, who finished 6th at UXIR, also bodes well for their depth. Their performance in the G1D open division does give some pause, but that will not be the same squad they bring this weekend.

2. Saints 1

AJ: While it wasn’t the performance we were hoping for, Saints did showcase their depth, with all 3 mixed teams making the Top 8 bracket. Saints also took down both Stirling and a weakened Edi team in the open division G1D, so a bounceback performance as we switch back to open should be expected. Also, some talented players will be eager to take advantage of their long-awaited debuts on the UMIR 1s.

Dan: It’s difficult to predict ourselves to finish second, but it absolutely does not change my ambitions for our team this weekend, and I am determined to get our revenge and retain the title. The depth of this team is unmatched, and if we gel well throughout the Saturday, we’ll be a force to be reckoned with on the Sunday. I don’t think there is any university in the UK that this team can’t beat on their day.

3. Strathclyde 1

AJ: After the much bally-hooed FMP superstar failed to materialise on Sunday, Strath bowed out to Stirling in an upset in the quarterfinals. I tried to tell you Becca was irreplaceable. Still, Strath is the team that *technically* finished first among uni teams in the open division at G1D and has the athleticism and structure to pose a threat to every team in the division. 

Dan: I didn’t get to watch Strath much at UXIR, but you can always rely on them to provide a strong showing at men’s regionals, with a deep squad of athletic players. As mentioned earlier, they will be determined to reap their rewards for their success in Div 2 and make an appearance at the top tier of UK university ultimate. And I think they will do that along with a medal to top it off.

4. Glasgow 1

AJ: A very strong performance from the Glasgow 1s at UXIR, but their shortage in the depth department really showed. Both the Glasgow 2s and Glasgow 3s didn’t make the bracket. While my club teammates Kabir Adkoli, Michael Black, and Gavin Angus were nearly flawless in the 2v3 game, I fear they will suffer without Ailsa Cameron and Charlotte Mcfadzean getting open practically at will.

Dan: Agreed. I worry that the second half of the roster will cause issues for Glasgow and will keep them out of a podium position this weekend. Their mixed 2s and 3s certainly did not lack enthusiasm, but their lack of indoor and rules knowledge really showed.

5. Stirling 1

Dan: Stirling has been full of surprises in recent years and I would be wary of underestimating them. That being said, I see a clear gulf between the top 4 and this team.

AJ: Last week, I said captain Will Harrison had lost all his favorite targets. He proceeded to abuse the iso weave over and over again with the Stirling FMPs to great success. Let’s see if he can adapt again and get his promising MMP teammates more involved. Maybe he’ll even take a point off and let them throw to each other. 

6. St Andrews 2

AJ: A lot of the focus will be on GB U24’s Tony Kavalam making his annual indoor appearance (he’s even been to morning indoor training this year!), but don’t underestimate the rest of this squad. The MMPs of the mixed Saints 3s helped drive them into a surprising quarterfinals run, and unlike the Achilles heel of most second teams, Saints 2 will have more experience than many of their first team opponents.

Dan: Saints 2s will be a well-drilled squad with high vibes being a major contributor to their success. Prepare for crazy chants and creative celebrations as I back them to harness the ‘power of friendship’ and claim a nationals spot.

AJ: Why can’t we harness the power of friendship, Dan?

Dan: I’ve spent too much time with you.

7. Heriot-Watt 1

Dan: I know a little less about Heriot-Watt, but I’m well aware of the skills of Heck’s Logan Norris-Lambe and what he can offer to an indoor team. It seems as if they’ve picked up a lot of talented beginners, so they have the potential to improve over the course of the weekend for sure.

AJ: A lot has been said about the infamous Watt zone, and it proved to be quite effective yet again, holding semi-finalists Stirling to a draw last weekend. However, after an extensive study session on Saturday night, mixed Saints 2 did prove the zone has holes as they took down Watt ~in a well-spirited game~ to secure the final spot in the quarterfinals. I think they will make the quarters this week, but I don’t see the same upset potential as last year. 

8. Aberdeen 1

AJ: After skipping UXIR and bailing on the BUCS season, everything is riding on this for Aberdeen’s uni season. While this squad may lack the competitive reps against other Scottish unis, their alumni community has made sure their practices are no less intense. I back Daniel Heltberg, Scotland’s most underrated MMP. If only he didn’t look so annoyed to see me every time I run into him at the water fountain.

Dan: It’s always nice to see Aberdeen field a team and make their way down to regionals. I’m not sure there is enough experience on their squad to bring them into contention for a nationals spot, however.

 

9. Dundee 1

Dan: Dundee showed a lot of potential at UXIR but were sadly riddled with injuries. Hopefully those players are doing better and recovering well, but this might play a big factor in limiting their potential given the competitiveness of the top 10 or so teams here.

AJ: I’ll say this for Dundee: they have an innate ability to frustrate me. While their iso weave dominator is potent, I don’t believe they will be able to keep it up on Sunday, and they will miss out on bracket play.

10. Strathclyde 2

Dan: Hard to see Strath 2s putting on much of a fight for nationals this year; maybe they’ll be in the contest for the coveted ‘nine-als’ title.

AJ: Ahhh, Gaspar and the NPCs. Honestly, one of my favorite teams to watch because I never have any idea who is who. They’re all reasonably athletic, above average in height, and have the same brown hair, posing problems for teams who won’t be able to tell them apart on the line. I also disagree a bit with Dan here; I think they will be the surprise team to make the quarterfinals.

11. Edinburgh 2

Dan: I think this 2s team should have a decent bit of experience, but I can’t say I would gamble on them beating too many 1s teams. This unfortunately limits them to fighting for spots around this level.

AJ: If I didn’t know many people on the Edi 1s, I definitely don’t know anybody on the 2s. Nevertheless, I have underestimated Edi before, so if they go on a run I promise I wasn’t being disrespectful. But if you’re going to make fun of our predictions on @ediuniultimate, at least include our criticisms of your Instagram account. Why are you announcing “UMIR Teams 1s & 2s” in one post but only including a slide of the 1s? Why are you then releasing the second team as a separate post instead of just editing the original post? Charlotte may have been wrong about your MMPs, but she was dead right about the ‘gram.

12. St Andrews 3

AJ: It hurts to place our 3s near the bottom, but unlike previous contributors, we took a sacred oath to remain impartial. That being said, I have no doubt this team will be sufficiently motivated after many of their compatriots decided to bail at the last second. I look forward to channeling their fire and rage into visionary throws, savage cuts, and extremely questionable spirit calls.

Dan: This is a really talented team with lots of experience. They’ve not been able to play much as a group which might be a limiting factor, but I think they have a high ceiling and a chance to beat some 2s teams if they can gel quickly.

13. Glasgow 2

AJ: Call this an overcorrection, but the Glasgow MMP depth looks a step behind the other Scottish unis after disappointing results at both G1D and UXIR. I’m sure Flung will chastise me for criticising a squad I know little about, but when I tried to conduct additional research, their meme page provided me with no intel to work with.

Dan: Glasgow 2s will face both Edi’s and Strath’s second teams in their group on Saturday, which should be a quick tell as to how they compare. It’s tough to know how strong this team could be, but I’m inclined to say they will end up the lowest of the second teams this weekend. Kinda cool how international they are though.

14. St Andrews 4

Dan: It’s always awesome being able to send 4 teams to regionals, especially since it provides such a great experience for these beginners. I have high hopes for this team to have a good time and develop a lot over the weekend.

AJ: This is practically a complete beginner squad, but hopefully Dan’s stern message to the group chat about the importance of committing to the tournaments you sign up for has inspired greatness. As a veteran of the Indoor 4s, I learnt that when you have nothing to lose, the best thing you can do is to play like it. It only takes one upset…or one injury and they die iron-manning the rest of the tourney.

AJ and Dan’s Final Standings:

1. Edi 1
2. Saints 1
3. Strath 1
4. Glasgow 1
5. Stirling 1
6. Saints 2
7. Heriot-Watt 1
8. Aberdeen 1
9. Dundee 1
10. Strath 2
11. Edi 2
12. St Andrews 3
13. Glasgow 2
14. St Andrews 4

AJ: Think we’ve put your team too low? Remember to put your own predictions here.

Dan: We’ll see you in a couple weeks for UWIR, which AJ and I will be TD’ing to earn that sweet, sweet cash for USTA Ultimate.

AJ: Maybe we should get paid for this too.

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Follow the schedule and see AJ and Dan get their predictions wrong (or right?) in real time! And don’t forget to make your own predictions – deadline is 2pm on Saturday.