LSE Students' Union - Athletics Union

Athletics Union

The LSE Athletics Union (LSEAU) is the body responsible for all sporting activity within the university. It is a member of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS). Sports teams are wide-ranging from football (where the School excels nationally) to fencing, squash, badminton, aqua-hoc, polo, ultimate Frisbee and raquets. Particular rivalry is found with King's College London and also University College London. The Union operates the Natwest Gym in the Old Building, as well as numerous squash courts, badminton courts, a gymnasium, an indoor basketball court and tennis courts at the School’s central London location, with ownership of twenty-five acres of playing fields at Berrylands in south London, easily accessible by train and also by coaches which depart each day.

Students are permitted to use the facilities of other University of London colleges, and those of Energybase at ULU, comprising its own sports halls, courts, multigym and swimming pool. LSE’s cricketers use the indoor and outdoor facilities at Lord's Cricket Ground year-round. The LSE has a particularly strong association, along with the University of London, in rowing, and has a boat house situated on the River Thames at Chiswick. In distinction to the ‘blues’ awarded for sporting excellence at Oxford and Cambridge, London’s outstanding athletes are awarded ‘purples’.