New UK secondary school esports league Adaplay emerges

Dom Sacco, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 15/10/2020

A new London-based tournament organiser is helping UK schools take part in esports competitions.

Adaplay allows secondary school students across the UK to take part in Rocket League and Fortnite tournaments, without needing to be in the same location.

Each tournament has a £500 prize pool.

Adaplay says its mission is to ‘create an inclusive, safe and secure environment in which young people can play competitive video games’.

It costs competing schools £5.99 per student to take part.

Adaplay says it’s confident that interest in esports will increase during the pandemic and that it’s seen an increased interest from teachers and head teachers since the new academic year started.

Adaplay’s Twitter account said: “Due to overwhelming demand from students and teachers asking for an extension to the beginning of the Autumn season, because the Covid-19 pandemic has made the beginning of the school term more challenging, we have decided to start the Autumn season on October 27th.

“There’s now more time for more players and schools to sign up and get involved in the fun.”

Awareness of esports has increased further in the UK – and globally – in recent years. There are esports courses at college and university level, and access to grassroots tournaments is there for those interested.

Other providers that allow students to take part in esports tournaments in the UK include Ukie (Digital Schoolhouse) and the British Esports Association (British Esports Championships).

“Adaplay focuses on team based and strategy-oriented games such as Rocket League and Fortnite, and research has shown that structured gaming helps to improve students’ grades, attendance and behaviour,” Adaplay said in a press release.

Dom Sacco, Senior Editor

Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He has almost two decades of experience in journalism, and left Esports News UK in June 2025. As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late '80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He also previously worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation.

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