Now entering its third year, our Pre-Season Universities Tournaments have rapidly become a staple in the UK university beach volleyball calendar. After hugely successful 2024 and 2025 editions, featuring teams from University of Bristol, Swansea University, UWTSD, University of Bath, Cardiff University, Cardiff Met and many others, the momentum continues to grow.
For 2026, we are expanding to two fully hosted Pre-Season Tournaments, giving even more opportunities for student athletes to compete, train, and proudly represent their university. This year’s events will take place in the stunning coastal town of Exmouth on the 26th April 2026, and the dynamic city of Cardiff on the 16th May 2026, offering two unique environments to kick-start your pre-season.
Both tournaments follow the same structure, pricing, and entry requirements, giving universities the chance to attend one or even both events.
About the Tournaments
Created specifically for university beach volleyball enthusiasts, these tournaments allow pairs from across the UK to compete directly against other institutions in a dedicated student environment. Whether you’re aiming for peak performance ahead of BUCS or stepping into the sand for the first time, these events offer the perfect mix of competition, development, and fun.
Each tournament is capped at 16 teams per gender, keeping the format competitive but accessible. The entry fee is £30 per team, making it one of the best-value pre-season opportunities available to student athletes.
Why Take Part?
These tournaments offer more than just gameplay. They are a chance to represent your university with pride, build team culture, meet players from across the UK, and experience the excitement of pre-season competition. With the growth of university beach volleyball in recent years, there has never been a better time to join the community and get involved. Many universities participated last year, helping make the event a standout success. With two host locations now available in 2026, we expect even more institutions to get involved, creating an inspiring and competitive atmosphere at both venues.
Spaces sold out quickly last year, and with demand growing, we encourage early entries to avoid disappointment.
Exmouth — 26 April 2026
Hosted on the beautiful sands of Exmouth, this event marks the opening tournament of the 2026 pre-season. With its stunning coastline and vibrant beach atmosphere, Exmouth provides the perfect backdrop for a day of competitive university beach volleyball. Teams from across the UK will come together to challenge themselves, build partnerships, and proudly represent their university. Whether you’re fine-tuning ahead of BUCS or stepping onto the sand for a new experience, the Exmouth edition promises an exciting start to the season.
Tournament Structure
Both the Exmouth and Cardiff tournaments will feature two competition tiers to ensure players of all experience levels can take part:
Elite Tier
Ideal for high-level pairs preparing for BUCS Beach Championships. Expect fast-paced matches, tough opponents, and a fantastic opportunity to assess your team’s readiness for the season ahead.
Challenger Tier
Perfect for beginners and developing players who want to gain tournament experience in a friendly but competitive environment. This tier allows teams to grow, refine skills, and enjoy the energy of a university-focused beach volleyball event.
Who Can Enter?
Entry is open exclusively to current university students, regardless of level or experience. Whether you’re an elite athlete or giving beach volleyball a try for the first time, the event welcomes all who want to compete, improve, and enjoy.
Spond: The Fireball Events Hub
All pre-event communication, schedule and seedings will go out through our Fireball Events Spond app. You can also use Spond to help find someone to play with and ask any questions.
This is a free app-we are asking all players to join our Spond here.
Cancellation policy
Our cancellation policy can be found here. Our events will go on in most weathers – so please be prepared to come along! Pulling out due to rain or cold on the day will not be treated as an acceptable excuse, and you will not receive money back.
If the event is cancelled for any reason, you will receive a full refund.
If your circumstances change and you cannot attend, please let us know with 48 hours notice to receive a full refund. Between 48 hours and the event start time, you will receive a half refund; after the event start time you will not receive a refund.
