Cambridge University Sport: alumni newsletter | Michaelmas 2026

The Inside Track: welcome from Director Mark Brian 

Launching the first-ever Cambridge University Sport alumni newsletter is a significant moment. It is an opportunity not only to celebrate our rich sporting heritage, but also to strengthen the connections between generations of athletes who have proudly represented Cambridge and its Colleges.  

For nearly two hundred years, sport has been woven into the fabric of Cambridge University. From historic Varsity encounters and treasured College rivalries to national championship success and international representation, generations of student-athletes have shaped a remarkable sporting legacy. Today, we are delighted to welcome you to the very first Cambridge University Sport Alumni Newsletter.  Whether you competed for your College, represented the University on the national stage, wore Light Blue in a Varsity Match, or played your part behind the scenes, you are an important member of a community that spans decades, continents, and countless sporting memories.  

Through this newsletter, we aim to bring together everyone who has contributed to the story of Cambridge sport. We will share updates on our evolving sports strategy, celebrate the achievements of our current teams as they compete in BUCS, Varsity Matches, and other traditional fixtures, and provide access to exciting developments such as our new streaming service, bringing Cambridge sport to audiences wherever they may be.  We will also shine a spotlight on the people behind the history. Through interviews with alumni from across the generations, we will explore the experiences, lessons, friendships, and achievements that have defined sporting life at Cambridge. 

Alongside these stories, we will delve into the fascinating history of Cambridge University sport, uncovering the traditions, moments, and characters that have helped create one of the most distinctive sporting environments in the world. 

Most importantly, this newsletter belongs to our community. We want to hear your stories, celebrate your successes, and preserve the memories that connect past, present, and future generations of Cambridge athletes. Together, we can build a vibrant and engaged network that honours our heritage while supporting the continued development of sport across the University. 

In future editions I will be talking about our sports strategy and big-ticket items that are having a profound impact on our current students from grass roots participation opportunities to supporting our very best student athletes and exciting infrastructure projects.  

Thank you for being part of this journey. We look forward to sharing the stories of Cambridge sport with you and, together, celebrating all that has been achieved while inspiring all that is yet to come. 

A little bit about me 

I came to Cambridge in January 2025 having work for seven years at Durham University as the Head of Sport. Whilst there, I oversaw the strategy for Sport, focusing on high-performance participation programmes, including College sport and community engagement.  Prior to this I worked for the national governing body for student sport British Universities and Colleges Sport, formerly BUSA, and UAU for 17 years overseeing the largest sporting programme in Europe. I believe that right now at Cambridge we are entering an exciting time for sport. We are growing our facility base, increasing the number of programmes for students, staff and the community and have full support from the senior leadership team. We will discuss this and more in the later editions.