A new strategic partnership has been created between The University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Academy of Sport and Carmarthen Quins RFC to provide a pathway for students to combine their academic and rugby aspirations through Higher Education and semi-professional rugby.
The learner is central to the UWTSD Group, and their commitment to providing an excellent learning experience is at the heart of their activities. Both organisations aim to support students involved in high-performance rugby while they study.
Both organisations have already collaborated on key academic and sporting ventures, and this partnership further strengthens their relationship.
This partnership will provide students with access to professional-level rugby coaching and strength and conditioning training, as well as advice on nutrition, diet, and lifestyle. The students will have a range of academic options as well as playing in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Rugby Union League / Cup structure.
Supporting them alongside this will be Carmarthen Quins RFC who have player pathways through their highly successful mini and junior sections, through to their Youth Team into their Semi-Professional 1st team that competes in the WRU Premiership which is the highest level of rugby below the professional regional game in Wales.
Lee Tregoning, Head of the UWTSD Academy of Sport said:
“We are constantly looking to enhance the linkages between high-performance sport and higher education to create unique pathways such as this for academic excellence and high-performance in rugby that will benefit our learners.
“We welcome the opportunities this creates for greater alignment between both organisations. We aim to develop and enhance our partnership and to maximise further, higher education and Semi-professional rugby opportunities for learners in both academia and rugby.”
Gareth Potter, Head of rugby at UWTSD commented:
“The services that both UWTSD and Carmarthen Quins RFC provide will give a student a pathway where they can train and play at the highest level in college, university sport and semi-professional rugby while also achieving their academic goals.”
Carmarthen Quins RFC Rugby Manager, Steff Thomas said:
“This is a really exciting partnership that will offer so much for both parties. We have seen many of the products of our outstanding mini and junior section moving away from the area to study at university and then playing semi-professional rugby closer to where they have gone to study. This partnership will give the local player the opportunity to study and play semi-professional rugby in Carmarthen. The rugby programme that the university runs alongside the studies, together with the Quins semi-professional programme will give any player the opportunity to fulfil their potential.”
Jeff Davies, Carmarthen Quins RFC Club Chairman adds:
“This partnership is excellent and sees a real vision to support future generations and offer an opportunity for the talented aspiring rugby player to fulfil his potential both academically and as a rugby player. It offers real growth opportunities for both parties and we are excited to be working with UWTSD and promoting both organisations and the town of Carmarthen and the surrounding communities where many of our talented players come from.”
UWTSD Carmarthen Campus Provost Gwilym Dyfri Jones said:
“This is a valued partnership that will enable the University’s Sports Academy to further grow and develop and allow the future rugby talent of West Wales to benefit from a higher education experience within the region. We are excited to be working in collaboration with such an ambitious rugby club that has a proven track record of developing talented players for the semi professional and professional game in Wales.”
