Team GB Students is kicking things up a gear — and the Taekwondo squad is officially locked in for the FISU World University Games this July in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany!
Three dynamic athletes will be stepping onto the mats to represent the UK, combining sharp technique, serious dedication, and the kind of grit that defines university sport at its best.
Team leader Steven Turner said “The World University Games is the most prestigious event in the world for university students, and for taekwondo in particular, where many of the world's leading athletes are enrolled on university courses, this is an incredibly high level event.”
“For the three British athletes this is a great opportunity for them to test their skills against some of the worlds best and compete on one of the biggest stages of all.”
“Within the British contingent we have three experienced international athletes, all of whom have represented the Great Britain National Team on previous occasions and all have won medals on the international taekwondo circuit.”
“Matthew Howell is currently a member of the GB Taekwondo World Class Performance Programme and trains full time at the National Taekwondo Centre in Manchester, Sohrab Alipour is a former member of the World Class Performance Programme and Erin Shaw is a former member of the GB Taekwondo Junior Development Programme.”
🥋 Meet the Team:
- Erin Shaw – University of Glasgow
Erin has competed for GB at several major championships, European and world. She is a British National Champion in 2024, an Asian Open silver medalist and was previously a member of the GB development team. And maybe more importantly a BUCS Champion too.
- Matthew Howell – University of Nottingham
A two time European university games G1 champion in 2022 and 2023 and Silver in the Turkish open G2 2025 (-68kg), are just some of the accolades Matthew has collected already, a powerhouse competitor ready to step off the plane in Germany.
- Sohrab Alipour – St Mary’s University, Twickenham
A National Champion and EUSA European Games Bronze Medallist Soharb will bring precision and power to the squad, a great competitor to round off our Taekwondo team for Rhine-Ruhr.
Ready for the Fight
The Taekwondo competition at Rhine-Ruhr 2025 will feature the world’s best student martial artists, and our GB trio is ready to show up and stand out. From fast-paced clashes to technical brilliance, this team is bringing energy, discipline, and pride to every bout.
Follow the Journey
Make sure you're following @BUCSsport on socials for all the latest from Germany — including match updates, highlights, and behind-the-scenes content straight from the Games.
Let’s get behind Erin, Matthew, and Sohrab as they step onto the global stage!
