Roehampton students selected for English Universities Southern Squads
- Thursday, February 8, 2018
Two of Roehampton's top sportsmen will compete against teams from across the UK and Northern Ireland as a part of the Home Nations tournament.
Two Roehampton students, Samuel Sly and Kristian Willmott, have been selected to compete in the Home Nations, a university sports competition between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Both students will be representing the English Universities Southern Squad, with Sam chosen for men’s hockey, while Kristian has been picked for the men’s football team.
The Home Nations takes place every other year with the next competition taking place in 2019. It sees all four nations competing in a selection of sports across two days to crown one nation as overall champions. This year, trials are being held to represent either the North or the South with the two teams playing each other among other fixtures.
England took part in the relaunch of the Home Nations in April 2017, participating in Men's and Ladies hockey, Men's and Women's rugby sevens and Men's and Women's football. Scotland were victorious overall, with 15 points in total, England followed closely behind with 13 and Wales came third with 8 points.
Sam said, 'It is a great feeling to be selected for the English Universities Southern Squad and to represent the University at this level is a great achievement. I am looking forward to playing in the challenge cup and pushing for a place in the Home Nations in 2019'.
Kristian said, 'I'm very pleased to be selected for the Southern Squad and I'm really looking forward to what's involved and the opportunities it can give. I've always enjoyed playing University football as I believe the team we have is very talented and it's very enjoyable to be a part of. I've been playing football from a young age and always get great enjoyment from playing in every game and training session. I'm looking forward to the next session with the Southern Squad'.
Sport Roehampton would like to congratulate both players and commend them on this fantastic achievement.
Home Nations Programme
2017-2018 Timeline:
November/December 2017 – England North & South Trials
February 2018 – England North v South Finals
2018-2019 Timeline:
November/December 2018 – England Trials
April 2019 – Home Nations (England, Scotland, Wales & N.Ireland)