Badminton: Individual Championships 2025-26 (Part of BUCS Nationals)

Friday 13 - Sunday 15 February 2026

English Institute of Sport Sheffield, Badminton Hall

Coleridge Road

Sheffield

S9 5DA

Tuesday 25 November 2025

Tuesday 13 January 2026 at 23:59 – Student / Competitor Deadline

(Students / Competitors must apply by this deadline)

Thursday 15 January 2026 at 23:59 – Institution Administrator Deadline

(Institutional Administrators are given 48 hours after the student / competitor deadline to approve entries)

Please note that for doubles entries, both individuals must enter on BUCS Play as per the entry closing dates above.

Singles Entry - £41.75

Doubles Entry - £60.75 (£30.375 per person) 

This competition operates a staged entry process. Entries received before the Stage 1 entry closing date (Tuesday 13 January 2026 at 23:59) will be accepted where the competition allows (if the competition is not at capacity). After this deadline, Stage 2 entry may open where the competition allows and entry closing dates will be published here. Please note stage 2 is not guaranteed to open. Priority will remain with the entries received before the Stage 1 entry closing date.

Entries received after the Stage 1 entry closing date and before the Stage 2 entry closing date that are accepted into the competition, will be charged an additional 20% fee. We will not accept any late entries under any circumstances.

Each institution is allowed one guaranteed entry into Open Singles (OS), Female Singles (FS), Open Doubles (OD), Female Doubles (FD) and Mixed Doubles (XD) competitions.

Each institution may submit an additional two non-guaranteed entries per competition. Non-guaranteed entries may be accepted for each competition following the entry closing date if the competition allows. Each competition draw is limited to 112 competitors at the start of Round 1 (excluding the top 16 seeded competitors/pairs). The top 16 seeded competitors/pairs will join the competition at Round 4.

Please note that for doubles entries, both individuals must enter on BUCS Play as per the entry closing dates above. When entering doubles pairs, please ensure these are ranked accordingly i.e. if two pairs are being entered, the first pair of competitors should be ranked as 1, 1 and the second as 2, 2.

Consultation and seeding of the additional entries accepted into the competition will be taken with the BUCS Badminton Sport Advisory Group (SAG).

Singles Eligibility:

• Individuals eligible for either the Female Singles or the Open Singles may only enter one of these, not both.

Doubles Eligibility:

• Female Doubles: Partners must both have been assigned female at birth.
• Mixed Doubles: Partners must be of a different birth sex to each other.
• Open Doubles: Partners must have been assigned the same sex at birth, either both female or both male. As the competition is Open, pairs may play against pairs assigned the opposite sex at birth.
• Individuals eligible for either the Female Doubles or the Open Doubles may only enter one of these, not both.

Institutions may submit a list of up to 10 reserve competitors (5 open and 5 female) which may be used should withdrawals occur in advance of the competition starting. Reserve competitors must be entered online via BUCS Play within the ‘Reserve List’ before the entry closing date. There is no cost for submitting competitors to the reserve lists. Institutions are encouraged to fully utilise the submission of a reserve list.

Reserves will only be charged an entry fee if they are accepted into the competition.

To apply for the competition all eligible competitors must follow these steps:

1. Competitor to apply to the event on BUCS Play (Instructions on how to do this can be found here)
2. Institution administrator approves entry (Instructions on how to do this can be found here)
3. BUCS approves/denies entry into competition and publishes confirmed entry list

Any data will be handled in accordance with BUCS Privacy Policy

By participating in this event you agree to adhere to BUCS General Event Disclaimer

To check whether you are eligible to compete in BUCS competitions, please visit REG 4 Individual Eligibility.

Please note that for doubles entries, both individuals must enter on BUCS Play as per the entry closing dates above.

Please see Appendix 1 and Reg 6 for available BUCS Points.

Badminton Rules and Regulations

All competitors should be familiar with and understand available gender categories and regulations under REG 4.3. Please find further information on gender eligibility here.

All competitions are run using a straight knockout stage.

Specific competition start times for all competitions will be published in the pre-event information.

The seeding of competitors and draw will be made under the supervision of a neutral referee. Institutions should include details of competitor’s past performances for the guidance of the referee in making the draw, which will be made according to the international draw system (adapted).

Where possible competitors from the same institution will be placed in different quarters of the draw.

Badminton England will provide the opportunity of qualifying grading wins, providing that both players are Badminton England compete members.

When entering individual competitors an institution is required to:

1. Provide the competitor's Badminton England Membership Number, Badminton Wales Membership Number or Badminton Scotland Membership ID (if available). This will provide access to the competitor’s ranking and grading.
2. Badminton England grading
3. Badminton England ranking
4. Provide the competitor's Badminton World Federation Ranking (if applicable).
5. Provide the competitor's Badminton World Federation Member ID (if applicable).
6. Provide additional information regarding previous playing experience and achievements including international or national rankings and honours (if applicable).

Institutions can make changes to their entries through until the entry closing date.

Changes, including withdrawals, after the entry closing date must be made in writing by an athletic union or students’ union and emailed to the BUCS Event Coordinator, Tanyel Mustafa.  Please use the format outlined below.

Withdrawals after the entry closing date will still be charged the entry fee. Withdrawal of a competitor does not guarantee a replacement into the competition. Appropriate replacements due to withdrawals will be selected based on the competitor’s information provided with their entry.

Institutions can only make changes to their entries from competitors listed as guaranteed, non-guaranteed, or on the reserve lists. The reserve lists must be entered via BUCS Play before the entry closing date.

Competitors who do not withdraw, and do not register at the venue, will be classified as a ‘no-show’ and charged the entry fee. An additional £20 fine payable by the competitor’s athletic union or students’ union will be issued.

Please see REG 7.9 for our withdrawal policy.

BUCS are delighted to announce Milk Every Moment and Subway as the supporting partners of Nationals 2026, and Ashaway as the Sports Programme Partner for Badminton.  

Milk Every Moment is a campaign showcasing milk, the timeless classic in your fridge; it’s more than just a beverage, it's a nutritional powerhouse. Loaded with essential nutrients, it's a top-notch source of high-quality protein and has all you need to build and repair muscles after a workout. Whether you're gearing up for your race or looking to recover post event, take a look at the website for more information and useful recipes. You will find Milk Every Moment ambassadors located across the venues during the event, where they'll be offering the opportunity to win some exclusive giveaways.

Subway joins Nationals 2026 as a supporting partner through its wider BUCS collaboration, encouraging students to get active as part of its ‘Fresh Moves’ initiative. During the event, Subway will be present across venues with fun activations, games, and more opportunities to win exclusive giveaways.

Ashaway returns as the Sports Programme Partner for Badminton, providing high-quality equipment and support to ensure the competition is delivered to the highest standard.

Our Nationals 2026 partners are excited to be supporting you as you take on a thrilling weekend of sport. You can also find further information about our partners on the official event webpage.

This will be released w/c 2 February 2026.

Anyone wishing to take photos or video at this event must complete the BUCS Media Accreditation Form prior to the event.

BUCS reserves the right to prohibit photography equipment being used at a BUCS event. BUCS reserves the right to request that the individual ceases to take photographs, deletes any images and, if considered necessary, leaves the venue.

If you wish to take photos or videos at this event, please contact the BUCS Event Lead. 

BUCS’ mission is to provide exceptional student sporting experiences that inspire, develop and unite.

Critical to our success is our commitment to always providing safe, friendly and enjoyable environments for all participants. Whether competing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, working or spectating at these events, the welfare of all is critical to our mission.

To find out more or report a concern, please click here.

All questions should in the first instance should be directed to your Institution Administration.