Oxford University Rugby League Scholarship

[worcesterwiganer]

For anyone who has applied to Oxford University for entry in 2007, just to let you know that there is a scholarship available for those interested in Rugby League (either male students who play, or male or female students who coach, referee or who have appropriate physio experience). The scholarship is worth £1000 per year of your degree. Further information is at http://www.ourlfc.org/new/scholarship.htm , or reply to this post if you have any questions.

[Wigan_forever1985]

LOL! a wiganer at Oxford? lol

Tutor "Yes, now can one disclose which of these chaps in stood next to me is the captain of this rugby league team"

Wigan lad "aye! that'd be yon mon over theer!"



only joking, wish there had been one at lincoln univeristy when i went

[worcesterwiganer]

One of the current Scholars is a Wiganer from Winstanley College!

The aim of the scholarship scheme is to encourage applications to Oxford University from traditionally underrepresented areas - by demonstrating commitment to Rugby League at the University. Oxford recruits on merit, regardless of background, and we want the best students from all areas of the UK to apply, including from traditional Rugby League-playing areas.

As a Wiganer and Oxford graduate I'm proud to be associated with this scheme and would love to see another Wiganer win one of the Scholarships this year.

[Fraggle]

worcesterwigane r posted:
The aim of the scholarship scheme is to encourage applications to Oxford University from traditionally underrepresented areas - by demonstrating commitment to Rugby League at the University. Oxford recruits on merit, regardless of background, and we want the best students from all areas of the UK to apply, including from traditional Rugby League-playing areas.

Oh gawd, I never thought I'd see the day when HEFCE's Widening Participation initiatives would invade this message board, I get enough of that at work...

[worcesterwiganer]

Could you elaborate?

[Fraggle]

worcesterwigane r posted:
Could you elaborate?

This business of "encourag[ing] applications to [every] University from traditionally underrepresented areas" ultimately comes from pressure from the universities' funding council (HEFCE) and ultimately the Government as part of their policy to try and get 50% of young people into Higher Education by 2100 or some such date. It's all very laudible, and this is actually one of the better initiatives as it's something that might appeal to people apart from the purely academic stuff, but I hear too much about this "widening participation" stuff at work. All universities are involved with this, but more so the traditional universities like Oxbridge, Manchester, etc.

I just get a bit depressed when work and rugby get mixed up! But every credit to Oxford for looking down routes like this, Manchester barely even acknowledges the existence of rugby league despite being so close to the M62 heartland. We've got an RL team, but it's not really a sport that's encouraged so we wouldn't be in a position to offer that kind of incentive.

[jinkin jimmy]

BAH! I'll have a bloody PhD emptying my dustbin next.....

[worcesterwiganer]

Interesting. This is an initiative started by the Rugby League Club (ie the students and alumni) at the University rather than the University itself (although of course they fully support it, otherwise it wouldn't be happening). The funding comes from external sponsorship.

We found that the University was very happy to facilitate the setting up of the Scholarship once they had been approached about the idea, but it was up to the Club to do the legwork. Maybe this is a route Manchester and other universities could also take. So far this is the only scholarship of its kind in the UK, as far as I know.

[Fraggle]

jinkin jimmy posted:
BAH! I'll have a bloody PhD emptying my dustbin next.....

But only after a detailed thesis into the environmental impacts of rubbish disposal, a scientific analysis of the cost-effectiveness of different rubbish disposal methodologies and interviews with a variety of Domestic Household Waste Disposal Engineers to find out their opinions on the different types of gloves to be worn when disposing of rubbish.

[jinkin jimmy]

Why aren't you 2 at work? I pay all my tax educating you hippies and then you spend your time on sites like this instead of earning a living....