QUB Floorball World Cup

Aim

We aim to enhance the university experience by increasing participation in floorball, particularly among female and international students!

Who are we?

We are Queen's University Floorball Club, established in 2015 and named 'Most Improved Club' by Queen's Student Union in 2020. We train regularly as a club at Queen’s PEC and proudly compete in the UK's University Floorball League.

Floorball is a fast-paced indoor sport similar to hockey, where men and women play together on the same team. Our diverse squad includes students aged 18-45 from Belfast, Malaysia, Czechia, Canada, and beyond. We travel across the UK multiple times per year for tournaments, building friendships and representing Queen's with pride.

We believe in empowering everyone - from students to local players - to have fun while being active and to connect with others through floorball, regardless of background or experience level.

Why are we crowdfunding?

Floorball isn’t as widely recognised as other major sports in the UK, so many international students simply don’t know we exist. They’re missing out on a sport that’s perfect for newcomers as it’s easy to learn and welcoming to all genders and abilities.

The benefits are endless, as not only is staying active crucial for physical and mental health, but by joining a team sport, women and international students also have the opportunity to meet new friends and make memories that will last them a lifetime. We believe sport breaks down language barriers and combats the isolation students can feel when far from home.

With your support, we plan to run a ‘World Cup’ Camp to introduce more people to the game. This programme will guide newcomers through floorball fundamentals - learning rules, practicing essential skills, and playing small-sided games - before competing in an exciting knockout tournament alongside experienced club members.

We’re timing this for late January so that it falls after ReFreshers’ Fair and when second-semester students arrive, while still giving newcomers time to learn the sport before we host UFL Finals in March. This means students who join us in January could be representing Queen's at a national tournament just weeks later!

However, to deliver an authentic experience, we need a floorball rink. A rink is essential for proper matchplay, and not only will this investment enhance our tournament, but it will elevate our regular training, and make us the first club on the isle of Ireland to own a rink!

Programme Overview:

We plan to deliver this programme over two weeks within January 2026, with sessions held on successive Saturdays: 24th and 31st January.

The programme will:

• Break down barriers to sport participation.
• Introduce floorball through progressive coaching over 2 weeks.
• Build participants’ confidence and skills, culminating in a mini-World Cup tournament.
• Foster team bonding and community spirit through shared experiences on and off the pitch.
• Create opportunities for women and international students to explore a sport that promotes both physical and mental well-being.
• Equip participants with confidence to join regular club sessions and represent Queen's.

Programme timeline:

~Session 1~

• Welcome to Floorball: Introduction to the sport’s rules, equipment and stick handling.
  • Key focus areas: Safety of all playing, ensuring players have the correct equipment.
• Floorball Basics Coaching: ensuring all attendees are equipped with the essential skills needed to play. 
  • Key focus areas: Dribbling, passing, shooting and defending.
• Scrimmage Play: Gameplay practice in small-sided games.
  • Key focus areas: Positioning and team work.

~Session 2~

• Warm-up: Minimising injury risk, recalling skills learned in session 1.
• Intermediate Coaching: teaching more advanced skills ahead of match-play
  • Key focus areas: tackling technique and game management.
• Knockout Tournament: Splitting players into teams, each representing a country. 
• Teams will compete for victory, with all teams getting plenty of game time.
• Celebration event: Awards, participant feedback and an invitation to regular club training and events.

Budget Breakdown

Your support will help us deliver a high-quality programme that focuses on inclusivity and skill development. Our initiative reflects a total target of £6,055, with 50% match funding from Sport NI’s "Creating Opportunities" programme.

Through previous club fundraising efforts and generous sponsorships, we have secured partial funding and made progress towards our goal, but we still need your help. This Crowdfunder campaign will cover the remaining costs needed to make this programme a reality.
Below is a detailed breakdown of costs:

Equipment:

Cost: £6055

• 1x Rink (£5455)
  As our club enters its tenth active year, we are ready to level up our game play with this investment, making this programme deliverable at the proper standard.

Facility Hire:

Cost: £0

As a university sports club, we have the privilege of access to an appropriate hall within Queen’s PEC for no cost.

Coaching Fees:

Cost: £0

Due to an existing relationship with our accredited coach, we have secured a full subsidy for this initiative. 

Programme Coordination and Marketing:

Cost: £600

Details: Covers paid social media advertising, promotional material design, event photography, and administrative support.

Community Impact:

Our club welcomes students from all Northern Ireland universities, as well as non-student players aged 18+, creating an inclusive space where the Queen’s and Belfast communities can connect through sport. As one of the few sports where men and women play together without gender segregation, floorball offers a unique environment for students to build diverse friendships.

This rink will make us Ireland's first fully-equipped floorball club, a milestone that extends far beyond our squad. Our partnership with an emerging club in Dublin means this equipment serves players across the island. It also positions us to put Northern Ireland on the national floorball map, as currently, our lack of rink experience puts us at a competitive disadvantage against other university teams. This equipment will allow us to train in realistic, match-like conditions and establish QUB Floorball as a strong contender within the University Floorball League.

How you can help:

1. Make a donation. Every donation helps us hit our target and bring this programme to life!

2. Spread the word. Share our project on your social media pages and tell the world to get behind us! The more people we reach, the more support we will get.

3. Offer rewards. Get involved if you are a local business by donating things we can offer to our supporters to encourage more donations.

4. Fundraise for us. If you want to run your own fundraiser – maybe a sponsored activity or similar – use the 'contact project' button at the top of our page to let us know. Setting up your own page only takes a few minutes and you won’t need any bank details. Just a fun idea!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made