Badminton

Durham University Badminton Club is a welcoming, determined and successful badminton club at Durham University. We field three men's teams and three women's teams in the BUCS league, train together as one mixed squad at Maiden Castle, and run a Development Squad open to students of every standard.

Badminton - Web size images for header

Badminton training at Durham

Being one of the few clubs that train together as a mixed team, Durham University Badminton Club has a great social atmosphere, with long-lasting friendships created every year between members. Squad players train several times a week during term time at Maiden Castle, with coaching and strength and conditioning built into the programme.

Development Squad — badminton for all abilities

The Badminton Club is also proud to promote diversity and inclusivity. Our Development Squad is very popular amongst students wanting to progress into the competition squads: in these weekly two-hour sessions, students are coached by our own team players. The club welcomes anyone to attend, and team members are regularly recruited from the Development Squad into team training.

How to join

Trials for the competition squads are held at the end of Freshers' Week. Beginners and social players are welcome at the Development Squad with no trial needed. Come and find us at the Freshers' Fair, or email du.badminton@durham.ac.uk.

Coaching

Durham University Badminton Club is coached by Matt Train, who oversees the badminton programme at Durham. A freelance Level 2 badminton coach since 2006, Matt competed on the national circuit for over 20 years, reaching career highs of top-20 rankings in both singles and mixed doubles. He also coaches the British Army badminton team and works with players of every level across the North East, and his previous roles include assistant coach at the Teesside performance centre and tutor on the Junior Leader Awards.

Play your way

We welcome players of all ability levels, from complete beginners to experienced athletes. Our clubs provide high-performance environments alongside inclusive team culture. Our sports programmes also offer undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship opportunities, with all equipment provided to ensure accessibility for players.

Within our College Sport Programme, there are a variety of badminton opportunities that champion belonging for all.

Find out about sport in our Colleges

Our College sport - the UK's largest intercollegiate programme - champions participation, inclusivity and belonging for all students, from beginners to competitors.