A group of ten students from the universitys Carnegie School of Sport took on key operational roles during the showpiece rugby league games at Allegiant Stadium, supporting areas including media operations and talent movement. The opportunity was brokered by a former national rugby league player who now lectures in Sport Management at Leeds Beckett, helping connect students with organisers of the high-profile event. The Las Vegas showcase saw some of rugby leagues biggest names from both hemispheres come together as the sports culture and fanfare took over the famous strip. Throughout the week-long trip, the students contributed across a range of events. These included the headline Leeds Rhinos vs Hull Kingston Rovers Super League fixture and additional Super League matches. There was also a Rugby League 9s tournament featuring Hunslet RLFC and a schools tournament. Third-year Sport Business Management student Patrick Wilkinson worked at the heart of the event throughout the week, including roles in media and talent movement. Patrick said: The trip was full of learning, networking and unforgettable experiences. Every experience added a new layer of understanding about how major sporting events are delivered, promoted, and brought to life on a global stage. Being part of the media and talent movement operation for such a major international event reinforced just how much coordination, precision, and teamwork goes into elite sport off the field. Seeing it up close was an invaluable learning experience and a brilliant way to end the trip. Im heading home motivated, inspired, and even more excited about whats next in sport. Sport Management lecturer James Webster praised the students contribution throughout the week. He said: What an extraordinary week it has been for the students. They were given the incredible opportunity to contribute to a major global sporting event in the worlds capital of sport. A special mention must go to their outstanding contribution to the world-famous Fremont Street fan event, as well as their involvement on match day itself. Our sincere thanks to the NRL team for making this truly unique and invaluable experience possible.
Yee, an Olympic triathlon champion and ad honoris graduate of Leeds Beckett, clocked 2:06:38 - the second-fasted marathon time ever recorded by a British runner, trailing only Mo Farah. Yee prepared for Valencia by training with the elite marathon runners - Team GB Olympians Phil Sesemann and Emile Cairess - and coaches based at LBU's Leeds Talent Hub. Phil was hot on Alex's heels, setting a new personal best of 2:07:11 - his second 2:07 marathon of the year. Emile - who finished fourth in last year's Olympic marathon and was himself the second fastet Brit until Alex's run on Sunday - was on pacing duties. Leeds Beckett's Head of Athletics Andy Henderson and physio support from James Wilkinson had played key roles in group's training block leading up to Valencia. This remarkable performance underscores what the Leeds Talent Hub does best: provide Olympic-calibre athletes, global contenders and emerging talent with world-class coaching, cutting-edge sport science and high-performance preparation at our Headingley campus. Yee's result was not achieved in isolation. Two other Talent Hub runners were among the top 7 British female finishers in Valencia, Katy Wood running 2:34:23 on her debut, and Sarah Potter with a personal best of 2:34:26. Head coach Andy Henderson said: "We're really pleased Alex recognised that Leeds Beckett is the place to come for a marathon training block. Our Talent Hub is home to many of the best marathon runners - add an athlete of Alex's calibre and the results in Valencia show how much it helps everyone."