Edinburgh's Home Nations

THE biennial Home Nations Tournament, involving basketball, football, hockey, netball and rugby sevens and featuring squads of student sportsmen and women from English, Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh universities, takes place in Edinburgh from Monday.

Edinburgh has hosted five previous editions of the event and Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt Universities have donated facilities at the National Hockey Academy at Peffermill and the Heart of Midlothian FC Academy at Riccarton.

More than 500 competitors will represent their country of residence in the event lasting three days with the ultimate aim of being crowned BUCS Home Nations champions.

Everyone will be accommodated at the University of Edinburgh's Pollock Halls and the event is hosted by Scottish Universities Sport (SUS) on BUCS' behalf.

SUS Sports Manager Stew Fowlie said: "Volunteers from across the SUS network will be on hand to help make a good event great. Our aim is to provide the competitors and visitors with a memorable and enjoyable week."

English Universities will begin the tournament as overwhelming favourites, having never failed to lift the overall trophy since the inception of the event in 1993.