The largest UK university esports community have organised another round of their online Women and Non-Binary (WND) League of Legends (LoL) university tournament on March 19.
Esports team Starlight secured their second victory in the NUEL spring WNB tournament, following their previous win in the WNB October tournament last year.
During the Spring Tournament playoffs, which employed a double elimination format and involved ten participating teams, Starlight competed in back-to-back matches and won all five.
Lauryn Halpenny, League of Legends Product Manager at University Esports UK & Ireland, said: “The tournament has been a key way for us to open the door for marginalized individuals, allowing them to become part of a welcoming and inclusive community.
“I believe that the most important aspect of running the tournament is the ability to provide our community with a platform to showcase their amazing skills and talent, free from any harassment or judgement.”
The tournament highlights can be found on NUEL’s Twitch channel.
Previously, in collaboration with League of Legends developer Riot Games and GGTEch, NUEL debuted the Rising Stars tournament in November.
The event, exclusive for women, features Starlight among 31 participating teams.
Jessica Whitney, Starlight member and astrophysics and machine learning PhD student at University College London (UCL), said: “I’m so stoked about winning the tournament.
“This is our second win, and I feel like we’ve become the team to beat.
“The quality of the teams this term felt really high, we knew if we slipped into autopilot, or didn’t play with good macro, we’d definitely be punished for it.”
NUEL’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity reaches beyond League of Legends, branching out to encompass Valorant and Overwatch 2, including organizing 22 WNB tournaments.
Halpenny also pointed out that some high-rated players in their tournaments have joined esports organizations such as the Northern League of Legends Championship (NLC) and Women and Non-binary League of Legends (W&NB).
She added: “These are key indicators that our tournament is a great stepping stone, giving individuals the confidence to make this transition on their personal esports journey and contributing to a more inclusive ecosystem as a whole.”
To stay informed about the latest updates, join NUEL’s official Discord server or follow @UniEsportsUKI on X.
Image source: NUEL
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