AoC Sport and British Esports Association launch the AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup

Following the success of the Lockdown Championships in 2020, AoC Sport is once again partnering with the British Esports Association (BEA) to offer students the chance to represent their college in the AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup. Registrations are open now and competitions will run weekly beginning March 3 until May on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4. With students across the country continuing to learn from home, the AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup offers a great opportunity for them to stay connected and represent their institution on a national stage. Dean Hardman, AoC Director of Sport and Student Experience said: “It’s fantastic to once again be working with BEA to increase competitive opportunities for further education colleges and their students across the country. Last year, alongside our members, we were able to engage hundreds of young people to compete and enjoy the many benefits esports can offer. On behalf of our member colleges and their students, I would like to thank the British Esports Association for their ongoing support.” The continued impact of Covid-19 and lack of face-to-face contact, both socially and academically, means opportunities to stay connected are of ever-increasing importance. At a time when students are not able to develop skills through playing sport physically, esport competitions can have a vital role in enhancing the same attributes such as teamwork, communication and sportsmanship. Alice Leaman, Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer for British Esports, added: “We are excited to once again be able to work with AoC Sport to provide further opportunities for students during lockdown to get involved in esports, join an online community, and to represent their college during this difficult time. Following the huge success of the AoC Sport FIFA tournament last year, we hope to see many new, and returning, colleges discovering esports and the skills involved.”

Format and dates

Students will form teams of three, each playing a 12-minute match (six minutes per half) against opposing teams. Rounds will take place every week from Wednesday 3 March 2021. Although staff members will take overall responsibility for the esports team, Colleges are encouraged to appoint a student as captain to take charge of their team, arrange match times with other teams and enter their scores online. AoC Sport members have until Wednesday 24 February to enter their college HERE and submit their top players’ names/gaming IDs. There are plenty of resources and support available from British Esports to enable college tutors to understand the new FIFA tournament, whether they are familiar with esports or not, such as how to run internal competitions to find their top three players. A staff webinar for all colleges involved in the competition is also planned for Monday 1 March. The tournament will be run under BEA’s dedicated code of conduct to ensure the values of fair play and respect are adhered to throughout. Please note: this tournament is not affiliated with or sponsored by Electronic Arts Inc. or its licensors. The AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup will be run in partnership with the British Esports Association for teams of three on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to compete nationally every week from March. A staff member from each college will still be fully responsible for the organisation and leadership of the esports team, such as through communicating fixtures to the student players, raising any issues with an admin, and submitting scores on the site. For information about the AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup please contact Rachel.Walker@aoc.co.uk For further information about British Esports and how they can support your college to develop its offer, please contact Alice Leaman, School & Colleges Liaison Officer for British Esports.