How I met my people through sport at Brighton University

Hi, I’m Kameron Forward and I study mechanical engineering at The University of Brighton. Joining the University”s Rugby Union team in my second year completely changed my university experience. I went from never playing the sport before to it quickly becoming the highlight of my time here. This blog post shares how sport at the university helped me find my closest friends, build confidence, and opened doors I never expected – such as a role as a Movember ambassador, and playing against the Norway national team!

How trying a new sport at uni helped me find my place

When I rocked up at my first training session at Falmer, I thought I would feel completely out of my depth. I envisioned everyone would know exactly what they were doing, who each other were, and what friend groups had already been set. However, from the second I arrived, whilst I still had a lot to learn, the team made me feel like I belonged there. I didn’t realise it at the time, but those early training sessions were the start of friendships I now can’t imagine doing university without. Whether it was someone explaining a drill, checking in if I’d had a rough day or was a bit off, or cheering me on in matches I suddenly had a family around me who genuinely cared and wanted me to succeed. It made my life in Brighton feel more connected, and more like somewhere I could call home. Sport at uni also gave me a break from academic stress. No matter how intense a week felt, I knew if I could make my way through it I’d have a chance to fully switch off, focus on something completely different, and be around my mates.

New opportunities I never expected

If you’d told first-year me that joining rugby would give me half of the opportunities I’ve had, I wouldn’t have believed you, but it opened doors that I didn’t even know existed.

Movember Student Ambassador

One opportunity I’ve had was becoming a Movember Student Ambassador. Being surrounded by a family where everyone is there for each other made me want to get more involved in supporting men’s mental health on campus, especially as I’d relied on the support of my teammates before and saw firsthand how important it is to feel able to speak up. The role has given me experience in leadership, organising events, and speaking to students from across the university. All skills that transition into a professional role.

Networking at socials

Another unexpected part  has been the networking opportunities. Chatting after training or a drink after matches led to conversations about careers and aspirations after uni. The sports community at Brighton is huge and full of people from diverse backgrounds doing amazing things and being part of that opened opportunities I never would’ve experienced on my own, including graduate job opportunities.

Playing rugby

And then there’s rugby itself. Joining the university’s team led to me playing for local clubs, meeting new teammates, and taking part in many matches. One of the standout memories was playing in a training match against the Norway national team as one of our coaches was their head coach.

Joining a sport society at Brighton university in my second year was one of the best decisions I have made, and it ended up completely shaping my university experience in the best way possible. It gave me confidence, friendships, and opportunities I never expected, and I strongly recommend to anyone thinking of joining a sport society at university to just go for it!

Find out more about Brighton University Societies.