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Team Ireland at the 2025 World University Games
Student Sport Ireland Names 22 Strong Team to Compete at the World University Games.
Student Sport Ireland has named the Irish team to compete at the 32nd World University Games which gets underway in the Rhine-Ruhr region of Germany next Thursday.
More than 8,500 athletes and officials from over 100 countries are expected to travel to the largest metropolitan region in Germany to compete in 18 sports over 10 days in what is expected to be the one of the largest multi-sport competitions held in 2025.
Student Sport Ireland has selected a total of 22 student athletes in 6 sports including Archery, Athletics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, and Tennis.
A very strong track and field team features three Paris Olympians in Kate O’Connor (Heptathlon), Sophie O’Sullivan (1,500m), and Nicola Tuthill (Hammer), and who will be joined by Toluwabori Akinola (100m), Oisin Lane (20k walk), Laura Nicholson (1,500m), Ava O’Connor (Steeplechase), Jack Rafter (400m), and Lauren Roy (200m).
That honour of being the first Irish Table Tennis players ever to compete at the World University Games falls to Queens University Belfast students Adam Faulkner, Ben Watson, and Joe Sheard, and the University of Galway’s Cillian Kirby.
Backstroker Lottie Cullen (University of Houston) is the sole swimmer selected while Maynooth University’s Rowanna Hanlon is joined on the Archery team by three TU Dublin students - Rogan Cunningham, Sam Delaney, and Fionn Roche.
Indeed, TU Dublin has the largest contingent of students from one University on the team with a total of 6 athletes selected to compete.
Joining the 3 archers will be Taekwondo sparring partners Leroy Nsilu Dilandu and Ryan Doyle, with Ammar Elamin pairing up with Conor Gannon (University of Memphis) on the tennis team. This will be the first time since 2009 that Irish tennis players will have competed at the Games.
Speaking at a photocall to formally announce the team Head of Delegation Niamh O’Callaghan said “The World University Games is a pivotal moment in an athlete’s journey — a chance to compete on the global stage, represent Ireland with pride, and showcase the incredible standard of student sport in this country. We’re incredibly proud of this team and can’t wait to follow their progress.”
The event, held at the TU Dublin Grangegorman campus, was attended by a distinguished group of guests, including Team Ireland athletes and officials, TU Dublin President Dr. Deirdre Lillis, Student Sport Ireland Board Chairperson Morgan Buckley, National Governing Bodies representatives, and Student Sport Ireland representatives and staff.
You can follow the Team’s progress, athlete competition schedule, and all the latest team news via the Student Sport Ireland World University Games Hub (www.studentsport.ie) and Student Sport Ireland social media platforms.
Team Ireland at the 2025 World University Games
Archery
Rogan Cunningham (TU Dublin)
Sam Delaney (TU Dublin)
Rowanna Hanlon (Maynooth University)
Fionn Roche (TU Dublin)
Athletics
Toluwabori Akinola (University College Dublin)
Oisin Lane (University of Limerick)
Laura Nicholson (University of Toledo)
Ava O’Connor (Adams State University)
Kate O’Connor (Ulster University)
Sophie O’Sullivan (University of Washington)
Jack Raftery (Dublin City University)
Lauren Roy (Tarleton State University)
Nicola Tuthill (University College Dublin)
Swimming
Lottie Cullen (University of Houston)
Table Tennis
Adam Faulkner (Queens University Belfast)
Cillian Kirby (University of Galway)
Joe Sheard (Queens University Belfast)
Ben Watson (Queens University Belfast)
Taekwondo
Ryan Doyle (TU Dublin)
Leroy Nsilu Dilandu (TU Dublin)
Tennis
Ammar Elamin (TU Dublin)
Conor Gannon (University of Memphis)
Team Officials
Niamh O'Callaghan (Head of Delegation)
Noreen O'Connell (Deputy Head of Delegation)
Noel Holohan (Team Administrator)
Keith Hanlon (Archery Team Manager)
Neil Martin (Athletics Team Manager)
Kevin Anderson (Swim Team Manager)
Marcus McDonnell (Table Tennis Team Manager)
Robert Taaffe (Taekwondo Team Manager)
John McGahon (Tennis Team Manager)
Johnny Loughrey (Physiotherapist)
Declan Monaghan (Physiotherapist)
Colin Nash (Physiotherapist)
Shauna Clinton (Team Photographer)