University students in east London have access to state-of-the-art sports facilities at the Olympic Park in a new deal from next month.

The students’ union at London University’s Queen Mary College in Mile End has landed an agreement for their club sport members to train and compete at the 7,000-seat Copper Box arena in Stratford.

Student union president Sarah Sarwar said: “Our student clubs will now be able to get priority access to such a fantastic world class Olympic venue.”

Queen Mary’s has also secured the Copper Box venue for an awareness event during the ‘Fresher’s period’ at the start of the autumn semester for its recreational sport programme and displays linked to community volunteering and social enterprise.

The Copper Box, now managed by GLL social enterprise charity, is London’s third largest indoor arena, the venue for handball, modern pentathlon and Paralympic goal ball during the London 2012 Olympics.

Queen Mary’s student body is also expecting regular reservations at the aquatic centre’s swimming pool when it reopens next April for extra training space for their swimming and waterpolo teams.

The aquatic centre has been transformed into multi-use sports for the public, which will benefit the college’s badminton, basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, netball and tennis teams.