To clarify, Loughborough has not withdrawn from BUCS, so you can rest easy. An assortment of April Fools' Day jokes were published today and The Telegraph has a collection of the best here.
For your amusement, Label's own attempt can be found below. A few of you believed us!
Loughborough University is set to withdraw from all BUCS competitions with immediate effect on Monday.
In the annual vote, students chose to disaffiliate by a margin of 56% to 44% and therefore Loughborough’s 32 year reign as British Universities and College Sport champions will inevitably come to an end.
Students’ Union officials have refused to rule out the formation of a new national universities sport federation. Sabbatical officers at Bath, Leeds Metropolitan and Birmingham Universities have all told Label that they would consider joining a new ‘rebel’ organisation that included the reigning champions, in light of Loughborough’s withdrawal.
A leaked email from AU President, Adam Rae, to officials at the Sports Development Centre reveals a plan to fiddle the results in order to retain Loughborough’s BUCS membership, a plan claimed to have been agreed by both the Vice President for Democracy and the Council Chair.
The email states however that Rae felt he “could not maintain the façade” and that the “students had spoken”.
An anonymous source on the AU Executive spoke to Label this morning:
“This is what happens when you give power to students who don’t know what they’re voting for. Someone must take responsibility for this debacle and resign.”
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) is the governing body for university sport in the United Kingdom and was formed in June 2008 following a merger of the British Universities Sports Association and University College Sport.
Loughborough has won the overall title 32 years in a row and currently sit proudly at the top of the 2011/12 standings on 4124.5 points, well clear of Durham University in second place with 2744.5.
With well over 50 Athletic Union clubs participating in BUCS competitions, this decision is set to have wide ramifications for thousands of students, while also being a significant dent to the University’s reputation.
Both Adam Rae and the Sports Development Centre declined to provide a comment.
More to follow.
