CLUBS AND SOCIETIES

Joining a club or society is a great way to make friends, develop yourself or try something new. Have you always wanted to try rowing, archery or Latin dance? Perhaps you’re a rising star in football, badminton or volleyball. Maybe you want to meet other LGBTQ or international students.

Whatever you’re passionate about, you’ll find it here. There are over 150 sports clubs and societies on offer at our University – all run by students and supported by the Union. Many of them will be looking for new members during the Freshers’ Fair in September, so look out for their stalls.

Sports clubs

Think of a sport and there’s probably a club for it here. From individual sports like archery, boxing, swimming, trampolining and even weightlifting, to team sports like football, rugby (union and league), cricket, netball, table tennis, American football, dodgeball and cheerleading.

Around 16 sports clubs enter teams into the BUCS league (British Universities and Colleges Sport league) so you can compete against other institutions. We’re currently at our highest ever BUCS position!

Team Derby playing American football
Team Derby women playing rugby

Thanks to our close proximity to the Peak District, there are also clubs for outdoor and adventure sports – particularly at our Buxton Campus. These can be a great way to try activities that are otherwise expensive or difficult to arrange, like climbing, caving, canoeing, horse riding and more. See the full list of sports clubs

You can also find out more about sport at the university, including facilities, scholarships and performance development programmes.

Societies

By joining a society, you can meet people with similar interests, outlooks, cultures or backgrounds. Societies can be related to:

Societies usually organise regular activities and events for their members so they can be a safe and affordable way to get out and have fun. They are always in need of more committee members and organisers too, so they offer opportunities to do something worthwhile and boost your CV.

Our societies