Sport

Bath Rugby has unveiled a new, multi-millionaire owner who has immediately made clear his intention to elevate the club to the very top of European rugby.

Bruce Craig, born and bred in Bristol, is a self-confessed rugby fanatic, a former player and a long-term Bath Rugby supporter with a real passion for the long term future of the club – a key factor in previous owner Andrew Brownsword’s decision to hand over ownership after up to two years of discussion. The amount of money changing hands has not been disclosed.

The Gladiators' season has gone very smoothly this year; they've won all of the matches in their league. The team were hoping to add another win to their collection today and secure promotion from Tier 2 to Tier 1 with a cup final showdown against Bristol 1sts.

Last week saw Bath University Boat Club’s senior men attend the Head of the River Race in London. This event runs over the same course as the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, and is the culmination of the winter season, with all entrants racing in crews of eight. The event attracts entrants from a number of different countries, including Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic to name a few, along with a number of current and former Olympians.

Whilst the Bath spectators clearly had the upper hand in the off-pitch banter match (UWIC onlooker: “If you’d like to turn to page three of your song sheet”, drunken Bath lad: “Oi, your mum’s on page three!”), Bath Hockey 2nd XI unfortunately lost out to UWIC's (University of Wales Institute Cardiff) 1st XI in the BUCS Western Conference Cup Final.

The status of the University of Bath's men’s water polo team over the last few years has been somewhat of a social club foremost and a sports club as an afterthought. That viewpoint has somewhat changed this year thanks to the arrival of a number of talented players – the starting outfield players have all held international honours at some level – and the following years look likely to bring the status of the sport at the university more into the limelight.

Having won the National 2nd Division at the 2009 BUCS Championships, Bath’s BLT arrived in Sheffield optimistic about their chances of winning the division again. The team were unlucky to miss out on a place in Division 1 at Western Regionals and were keen to prove that they deserved a place amongst the country’s top university teams.