What is Ireland Esports Collegiate Series?

The Ireland Esports Collegiate Series was established back in 2017 and is the official esports competition on the island of Ireland.

It enables students to represent their university or college across a range of titles — including League of Legends, Valorant, CS2, Rocket League and many more.

With recognised pathways into professional teams for players, casting, event production, coaching and team operations, the series supports student engagement those looking to build their career in esports and gaming.

How long has collegiate esports been available for students in Ireland?

Collegiate esports has been active in Ireland since the 2017/18 academic year. It began as a grassroots movement known as Irish Collegiate Esports, later rebranded to Legion Collegiate in 2021/22, then to Nativz Collegiate in 2022/23, and now operates as the Ireland Esports Collegiate Series.

Over the years, it has grown into the island’s largest esports competition, welcoming both performance-level players and those seeking a social, community-driven experience.

How does the Collegiate Series tournament work?

The series runs across two semesters (Winter and Spring). Each game title follows a structured tournament format with regular rounds across 8 weeks leading into a finals week.

Matches are played remotely using our competitive gaming platform Nemesis, with teams typically co-ordinated by university esports societies or their equivalent.

Each week we deliver a daily broadcast for the game of the round in each game title with past and present students involved in the production.

What structure and support is in place to deliver the Collegiate Series?

The Collegiate Series is operated by Nativz Gaming, with guidance from our Collegiate Advisory Committee, made up of representatives from participating institutions. Our Leadership Team is made up of experienced esports leaders, the majority of which are Collegiate Series Alumni.

We also evolving to mirror traditional student sport frameworks which are led by Student Sport Ireland. The structure accommodates both competitive players aiming to perform and social participants looking for fun and connection.

What support is available for universities and colleges that want to enhance their esports focus?

Nativz Gaming actively support institutions that want to grow their esports offering — whether that’s through launching a student society, hosting tournaments, or developing campus gaming spaces.

We offer strategic advice, case studies, templates, and direct support for building out an esports vision, including co-curricular value, wellbeing impact, and alignment with digital skills and student engagement goals.

To find out more email [email protected]