BUCS, the governing body of sport in the U.K. (it's their version of the NCAA or NAIA) has issued the following statement regarding playing university sport this upcoming year: 
“Next season, the majority of BUCS leagues will take place between January and April 2021. 
The decision to focus on Term 2 is a result of feedback from our members, who want to be able to support students in their preparation for returning to competitive team sport. 
The 2020-21 season will be considered a ‘bridging season’ with no promotion or relegation at the conclusion of competition. League standings from 2019-20 will be used to create the 2021-22 league structures for those institutions who maintain affiliation to BUCS in 2020-21. 
Please note, the size of leagues, and the inclusion of cup knockout competitions alongside the league programme, is still under review.” 
Read the full story here: https://www.bucs.org.uk/return-to-play.html

The U.K. Government recently announced a new route enabling international students to remain in the u.K. for two years post-graduation of studies.
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“Key Points:
●      The Graduate Immigration Route will be available to international students who have completed a degree at undergraduate level or above at a Higher Education Provider with a track record of compliance and who have a valid Tier 4 visa at the time of application.

• Successful applicants on this route will be able to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for a maximum period of two years. Graduates will be able to switch into skilled work once they have found a suitable job.
• The new route will be launched in the summer of 2021, meaning that any eligible student who graduates in the summer of 2021 or after will be able to apply for the route. This includes students who have already started their courses. Universities will also be able attract students starting in the 2020/21 academic year on the basis that they will benefit.
• The launch of the route demonstrates the government’s support for our education sector, and commitment to the International Education Strategy, which sets out our ambition to increase education exports to £35 billion and the number of international higher education students to 600,000 by 2030.
• The graduate immigration route will require a new application.
• It will include the payment of a visa fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. The exact fee will be set out in due course.

●      Those who graduate and whose Tier 4 leave expires before the route is introduced will not be eligible, however, most of these students will have had no expectation of benefitting from such a route when they applied to study in the UK.
“Source:
https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2019/10/14/fact-sheet-graduate-immigration-route/
More InformationThis means that any student who successfully completes their degree-level course at an undergraduate or postgraduate level from a qualifying institution (all of our partner universities are qualified) by the summer of 2021 or after will be eligible. Those whose Tier 4 visas expire before the route is introduced will not be eligible for it. These students can still benefit from the provisions available which allow them to switch in the skilled work route on favourable terms, more information in the link below.
What comes after the Initial 2-years?
Graduates who find an appropriate job and meet the requirements will be able to switch into skilled work, which is a route to settlement. This will require obtaining work from an employer who is able to sponsor an international worker via a Tier-2 skilled worker visa (although there are a few other routes available). More information about this option can be found on the uk.gov website here:
https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/work-visas
Individuals applying for the Graduate Immigration Route will not need a sponsor. Tier 4 sponsors will not need to fulfil any sponsorship duties for their students if they switch onto the Graduate Immigration Route and students will not need a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) to apply under this route. Tier 4 sponsors, however, will continue to be responsible for their students while they are studying.