Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Leeds Beckett University strengthens partnership with Leeds Tykes
The university and the Tykes have a strong history of working together. The new Memorandum of Understanding deepens the relationship with the club training at the Carnegie School of Sport and working closely with its academic experts. The Tykes will also provide a pathway for the University’s BUCS Super Rugby players into the professional game.
Phil Davies, Director of Rugby for Leeds Tykes, said: “It’s great to be able to provide a pathway, not just for playing students, but for staff and non-playing students to get experience and a pathway to National One Rugby.
“We’ve had to totally reset the club and start again, so partnerships like this and being able to get the boys back on the pitch will help us.
“I watched a bit of Super Rugby before Covid-19, and also since they’ve started playing again, and it’s a high level of rugby with a great intensity and high level of skill, and it’s great preparation for players to move on to the National League and Championship.”
Lara Wilson talks the players through the facilities available at the Carnegie School of Sport
Colin Stephens, Director of Rugby for Leeds Beckett University and a former Leeds Tykes player, said: “The partnership will improve our rugby programme a huge amount, not only in the recruitment of players, but also with putting graduating students on a pathway that they can use to get through to the Tykes.”
There are currently more than 15 players who have studied at Leeds Beckett, or played for the BUCS Super Rugby team, and who are part of Leeds Tykes’ first team squad.
Colin added: “Having graduates playing for the Tykes now just shows that the pathway is working already and offers a great opportunity for the guys to perform on a Wednesday in BUCS Super Rugby then potentially move on to Leeds Tykes and play professionally.”
While the agreement helps support the university and the club on the pitch, the Tykes will also receive support from experts within the Carnegie School of Sport.
“We hope the partnership will strengthen links with our own university rugby programme, provide opportunities for our students to both work and research within a high-performance rugby union environment, and ultimately enhance performance on the pitch, supporting the club’s promotional aspirations.”
PhD student Lara Wilson is one of three students working as part of the Rugby Research Centre. Lara’s research focuses on nutrition, and her PhD is a collaborative project between the university and Scotland Rugby Union’s Women’s team.
Although Lara’s research is focused on Scotland Rugby, Lara will also be providing insights and expertise to Leeds Tykes.
Lara said: “The Tykes will have access to the expertise of our Masters students, PhD students and academics.
"The team can come to the university with any performance related issue, whether that's nutritional performance analysis, or something else, and hopefully collaborate with us to answer any questions, which will allow us to get more of our practitioners into the sport and to research any questions that the Tykes need answers to.”
Phil believes the agreement is another important milestone for the Tykes as the club aims to rebuild and gain promotion back into the Championship.
Phil said: “We’re ambitious, we’re in Leeds which is in the middle of Yorkshire, the biggest rugby playing county in the country, and we want to try and grow the Tykes back to where they were within the Premiership and the Championship.
“The first port of call is being sustainable and winning National One and moving up in the next couple of years. Partnerships like this will help our ambition.”
