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Partnership supporting rugby at Twickenham
13/04/05
This Saturday Leeds Met students and staff will be playing rugby union at Twickenham when Leeds Tykes compete in the Powergen Cup Final and Morley will play for the Powergen Intermediate Cup.
A partnership between Leeds Rugby Ltd and Leeds Metropolitan
University, signed in February 2004, is providing major benefits
for both partners. As the university aspires to be a world class
regional university its work with Leeds Rugby is developing its
regional role in world class sporting achievements. Leeds Met
is synonymous with Headingley among the supporters, players,
coaches and support staff at Leeds Rugby many of whom are students
at Leeds Met or take part in activities and programmes at the
university's campuses in Headingley and the Civic Quarter in
Leeds.
Leeds Tykes team players, including Tom Biggs, and academy players
Jonathan Hampsey, Simon Worrall and Max Lewis, are also students
at Leeds Met. Tom, Jonathan and Simon have been awarded Carnegie
Sports Scholars by the university. As Carnegie Scholars the players
have the opportunity to develop their sporting performance alongside
the pursuit of academic studies. They receive technical and financial
support and a dedicated sports advisor for each scholar liaises
with academic tutors to ensure that progress is being maintained.
Flexible arrangements are also made for their courses to enable
studying, training and competition to be combined.
The support offered by Leeds Met has enabled Tom, who is a business studies student at Leeds Met and is a Carnegie Ambassador, to secure a new two-year contract with the Tykes whilst continuing with his studies. In addition to Tykes players studying at Leeds Met, promising rugby union players from the university have the opportunity to play with the Tykes academy teams.
In an unprecedented move the Leeds Tykes share coaches with Leeds Met, which has the largest coach education unit in Yorkshire.
Colin Stephens, former Wales fly-half, was recently appointed
Director of Rugby at the university and as coach at the Leeds
Tykes Academy. In his first season he has overseen the promotion
of Leeds Met's men’s first team in the British Universities
competition and Leeds Met's women’s team achieved a place
in the British Universities shield final to be played on 27 April.
Colin, who is also a playing coach for Morley Rugby Union Club,
said, “The relationship between the Tykes and Leeds Met
has invaluable benefits for both partners and has already proved
to be a great success.”
On the relationship between Leeds Met and Leeds Rugby Director, of Rugby Phil Davies says: “At the Tykes we are always striving to be the best and set new standards both on and off the field. The groundbreaking initiative with Colin Stephens and Leeds Met is the envy of other professional clubs and shows that our partnership is great for both the Tykes and Leeds Met. Leeds Met are part of the club, not just through sponsorship, but also by helping our young players fulfill their potential off the field as well. As a professional club we have a responsibility to give young players a holistic upbringing as a rugby career can be cruelly short and the partnership with Leeds Met is ideal for this.”
Playing alongside Colin Stephens at Twickenham will be brothers Karl and Simon Bradshaw who are also students at Leeds Met. Karl is studying civil engineering and Simon is a leisure and sports studies student.
The brothers started playing for Morley at the age of four and have come up through the ranks. Both are delighted to be playing for their home-town team and are looking forward to the challenge that faces them on Saturday.
Women’s rugby
Women's rugby at Leeds Met has provided new opportunities for
many female students. Karli Wilkinson, aged 20, from Hartlepool
began playing rugby when she started studying for her second
year at Leeds Met in September 2004. She has already been picked
to play for the Yorkshire Women’s rugby team in addition
to playing scrum half for Leeds Met’s Women’s rugby
team and Leodiensian Ladies’ Rugby Union team in Alwoodley.
Now in the second year of a BA (Hons) Physical Education Degree,
Karlie combines her studying with a new found passion for the
game of rugby union.
Karli said: “The support from the Leeds Met women's team
is great. We have a brilliant time – they're a good bunch
of girls. I’d definitely encourage other women to take
part in rugby.”
Third year sport and recreation student Allie Hill is the club captain of Leeds Met’s Women’s rugby team. She captained Yorkshire last year and has played for the Welsh Development Squad. Allie, who is from Wales, is on the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) at Leeds Met, which is a Government funded programme.
Allie started playing rugby when she was 22-years-old, having previously been involved in athletics. Under Allie’s club captaincy the Leeds Met team has made it to the British Universities Sports Association shield finals, due to be played on 27 April against Chichester.
Allie, who plays full back, said: “I have been involved in athletics for a long time and wanted to try something new when I saw a poster advertising my local rugby club. Rugby’s a game you can’t get bored of – after years of playing I’m still learning more about the game.
“We have a strong team at Leeds Met with no weak links – we
also have great coaching.”
