Oxford University Rugby League Scholarship

[Fraggle]

worcesterwigane r posted:
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.

That's very interesting. Although I'm not sure if our Head of Widening Participation would agree with the idea of the union clubs and societies taking on some of this responsibility, someone might decide that he doesn't need so many staff himself! But anyway, good luck with this. Despite working at a competitor university, I'm all in favour of anything that promotes rugby league and gets people interested in non-traditional RL areas.

[Fraggle]

jinkin jimmy posted:
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....

It's, um, internet research time...

[jinkin jimmy]

Fraggle posted:

jinkin jimmy posted:
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....

It's, um,internet research time...

In that case please accept my humble apologies. I thought you were on here purely for recreational purposes. I didn't realise you were actually working

[cpwigan]

Thanks for posting it. I have helped 1 or 2 working class students get to Oxbridge. We used to have a few go tyo Gordonstoun as well.

I believe Psycho is a potential Oxbridge candidate

[the_cow]

I heard something about this idea a couple of years back- old housemate plays for Loughborough Uni RL Firsts and mentioned it. Glad its come to something as anything that promotes RL in a union dominated uni is good.

The first team here at Loughborough usually does very well each year but they get very little accolades from the university- theyre not allowed to use the first ru team pitch and are usually forced to play in some far flung corner of the campus. Its all purely political as the top of the hierarchy love RU.

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.

Could the aim of the schlorship also be to improve the standing of the oxford RL team as they traditionally whipping boys? Plus surely a good oxford RL team will mean a nailed on varsity win?

It does annoy me a little that it seems patronising that they are using RL as a means of recruiting 'underprivaliged northerners from those 2 counties that play that funny game' if you catch my drift.

But anything that spreads the word about RL to the masses is always a positive- i try do my own little bit around lufbra by wearing the shirt and chewing peoples ears off about how good rl is when im drunkered.

[worcesterwiganer]

Could the aim of the schlorship also be to improve the standing of the oxford RL team as they traditionally whipping boys? Plus surely a good oxford RL team will mean a nailed on varsity win?

Yes, absolutely, and given that the annual Varsity Match against Cambridge is televised live on Sky Sports it's clearly important to achieve the highest standard of rugby possible. The scholarships help to do that.

Apparently the Varsity Match event is the biggest annual earner for Student Rugby League so it helps the whole student game if this is a success. Ideally Cambridge would also have a scholarship scheme and it would be great if other university teams organised similar.

OURLFC obviously wants to improve the quality of its own players, but the overall aim is both to enhance applications to Oxford AND to promote the game as a whole outside its 'heartland'

It does annoy me a little that it seems patronising that they are using RL as a means of recruiting 'underprivaliged northerners from those 2 counties that play that funny game' if you catch my drift.

I do, but we've found that the scholarship scheme actually attracts players from London, where more and more schools are playing the game, as well as Wales and even Australia! But the truth is that state schools in the NW and NE are still underrepresented in Oxbridge applications and if this goes some way to addressing that it has to be a good thing.

[ancientnloyal]

We have to get rugby league properly into Lancaster University first of all.. im sick of all the prats who dont turn up, who'd ather play pool... and lose to bloody ... Durham.

[worcesterwiganer]

We're fortunate that at Oxford, Rugby League has been played since 1976, with a Varsity Match against Cambridge for the last 25 years or so. There is also a thriving Old Boys club for alumni who support the current students and have their own fixtures, tours etc. I guess it takes some time to establish these things but Rugby League is certainly thriving at British Universities.