British University & Colleges Sport (BUCS) has announced their 2020/21 league and knockout season has been cancelled due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement released early this week, BUCS cited “the unpredictable nature of nationwide lockdowns and restrictions” as the reason why it would not be possible to start their season at the end of January as planned.
This cancellation includes all BUCS lacrosse league and knockout competition for the 2020/21 season.
England Lacrosse has also made the decision this week to postpone the BUCS 8s tournament until the summer, depending on restrictions.
The BUCS statement goes on to say:
“We still intend to run an Outdoor Cricket league in Term 3. We will continue to prioritise student safety, demand and viability to guide our decision making.
“No individual events will happen before March. However, these events are only postponed - we are hopeful that these will take place later in the year. More information on each event is available on the individual sport pages. Our aim is to remain flexible and react to the changing situation as quickly as possible.
“Whilst physical sport is unable to take place for the next few months, we continue to provide virtual activity and other engaging opportunities. The launch of Challenges on the BUCS Play app enables healthy competition between individuals, teams and universities, and more Challenges will be released over the next few months.
“Over the last few months, we did all we could to try and make sport happen. We very much recognise the importance of sport, and the part it plays in the physical and mental wellbeing of students, especially at the moment.
“This news of the League and Knockout competition cancellation will be disappointing for many, especially those in their final year, who won’t have the opportunity to play final matches with the teams that have become a second family over their time at university. However, whilst our overarching goal is to deliver the best student sport experience, to put competition on during this time would risk player welfare and safety, and that is not a chance we are willing to take.”
The statement can be read in full over on the BUCS website.