The esports team finished in the top spot of the first ever British University Esports Championship (BUEC) – and were presented with their trophy in a ceremony at the new Sports and Wellness Hub.

Warwick submitted 100 players into the championship, across over 23 teams, securing podium finishes in five out of 13 tournaments proving their ‘fearsome reputation’ is to be believed.

The tournament is organised by National Student Esports (NSE) and supported by British Universities Colleges Sport (BUCS) – it saw Warwick come out on top from a field of 79 teams.

The champions finished with 1104 points – 196 more than second-place Loughborough University.

Warwick Esports was founded two years ago and key matches are streamed online.

Since forming, the team has been the dominant force in University esports – which is often regarded as a stepping stone to the professional ranks.

The players competed in six different games, including Counter Strike: Global Offensive, DOTA 2, League of Legends, Rocket League, Overwatch and Hearthstone.

Jack ‘Coach’ Fenton, coach of Warwick Esports’ League of Legends team and society president, says this is a proud achievement for a team in its second year.

He said: “We’re very proud to be the first team to receive this title and will be working tirelessly to retain it next year.

“Sam ‘Montagne’ Hine, the previous society president and co-founder alongside myself, was instrumental in helping the society get to this point and his importance is unquestionable.

“We train every week, like a regular sport team and each team has its own head coach. It has been fantastic to see some our players being scouted to play professionally too.

“For two years now we have led the way and we’re very proud to represent the University of Warwick.”

esports is one of the fastest growing sports worldwide, with the League of Legends World Finals attracting a crowd of 23,000 people in the stadium – and online viewing figures bigger than the Superbowl.

Members of the Warwick Esports team have already gone on to be signed-up as professional players – including Kallon ‘Kerberos’ Ram with Diabolus Esports and Joshua ‘Cokey’ Price with Bulldog Esports.

Lisa Dodd-Mayne, Director of Sport and Active Communities at the University of Warwick, said: “It was a proud moment to present the esports team with their trophy at the Sports & Wellness Hub.

“The dedication of the team is clearly evident and this is a brilliant achievement by all.

“They really are leading the way nationally and flying the flag for Warwick.”