Athletics and Recreation

Fitness and Recreation Facilities

The cost to access campus fitness centres is included in your tuition, so don't just sit there. Climb a rock wall. Jump in the pool. Give yoga a shot! If you’ve got the energy, we’ve got a program for you.

Waterloo Athletic Complex

The Athletic Complex in Waterloo, home of Golden Hawks Basketball, includes an Olympic-length pool, a triple gymnasium, dance studios, a climbing wall and a large fitness centre. Outside, Ansley Alumni Field offers a full-sized, FIFA-certified, artificial surface for varsity, intramurals and club teams. University Stadium is home to Golden Hawk football and rugby.

Laurier Brantford YMCA

The Laurier Brantford YMCA has an aquatics centre with a two-tank pool, a double and a single gym, a fitness centre with state-of-the-art equipment and Wi-Fi capabilities for fitness programs, three studios, multi-purpose spaces, and a lounge for Laurier students.

Intramurals and Sport Clubs

Every year, half our student body participates in our award-winning intramural program. Whether you want to lace up your sneakers for dodgeball, sharpen your skates for ice hockey, or don a swimsuit for inner tube water polo, there is an intramural sport for everyone.

Looking for a social sporting experience? Check out our sport clubs, run by students for students. With more than 20 different clubs available, you can participate in a wide variety of competitive and recreational sports and activities, including men’s lacrosse, ball hockey, equestrian and field hockey.

Varsity Sports

Laurier has 600 varsity athletes on 22 varsity teams, including baseball, basketball, cross-country and track, curling, football, golf, soccer, hockey, lacrosse, rugby, swimming, cheerleading and more.

Cheer on our Golden Hawks as they compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference – Laurier has won 18 national and 84 provincial championships.

Many of our varsity teams are based in Waterloo, but in addition to two varsity teams, Laurier's Brantford campus also has “extramurals” – tournament-based competitive sports – where the Golden Hawks compete in three sports against other colleges and universities across Ontario.

Interested in Varsity Sports?

Visit laurierathletics.com/recruiting and complete the recruiting form, which will be sent directly to the coach. Except for football, every team hosts open tryouts, so don’t hesitate to come out and give it your all.

Varsity Highlights

• In 2025, the Golden Hawks football program recorded its second consecutive undefeated regular season, en route to making a Yates Cup appearance for the third year in a row.
• In 2025, the men's golf team won the program's second OUA championship while Dayton Price took home the individual title.
• The cheerleading team defended its national titles, capturing first place in both the All-Girl Game Day and Premier All-Girl divisions.
• Sammi Hessels was named OUA Women's Rugby Rookie of the Year.
• Ethan Jordan was the OUA Football Most Valuable Player and Hec Crighton Award winner. 
• Cathy Pardy and Kelly Paton were named OUA Coaches of the Year for men's swimming and women's hockey, respectively.