Leeds Beckett partnership developing next generation of women’s professional cricket squads and grass-roots coaches

Alongside Leeds Beckett’s Athletic Union (AU), the scheme offers female cricketers access to high quality indoor and outdoor facilities with intensive training and coaching. There is one men’s UCCE team and one women’s UCCE team, which is a partnership between Leeds Beckett and University of Leeds.

Four female students currently play for Northern Diamonds and Northern Diamonds Academy, and another four are involved at Yorkshire county-level. Two previous UCCE students are regularly playing for England, and another plays full-time in professional regional cricket. 

The programme has facilitated a number of careers in sports broadcasting, physio, research, and health and wellbeing, and set others up for higher levels of study. Many players in the women’s game are giving back through teaching and coaching roles at grassroots level.  

Arathy Jayapal, a Leeds Beckett UCCE graduate of 2022, has undertaken a sports development role for women’s cricket at Sedbergh School. She manages an Under 15s team who recently competed at Headingley Stadium in an indoor tournament, alongside 80 other girls from schools across the whole North region. 

Rick Holland, Head Coach for the Women’s UCCE programme, said: "The UCCE journey is one that sees young sportspeople take responsibility for training together to reach new standards for themselves and as a group. Great friendships and memories are made on that journey, with an insight into what high level performance looks like. 

"What Leeds does exceptionally well is respect and value what individuals bring and provides an environment where different versions of excellence can grow. Top class players pass through this scheme; as important though, is that groups of self-motivated and engaged people are brought together and support each other's development as players and people."

In the fast-changing landscape of recent years, the coaches and interns within Sport and Active Lifestyles at Leeds Beckett have supported the development of squads and invest in women’s cricket.

The relationship between franchises and the new structures in women’s cricket are continuing to strengthen, as players are now relocating regionally with the sport in mind. Leeds Beckett’s reputation as a forerunning cricketing hub continues to grow, with players set to join from the Sunrisers (East) region and Cricket Scotland as part of September’s new cohort.

For more information on the UCCE partnership at Leeds Beckett, see here: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/sport-and-active-lifestyles/play-sport/sports/cricket/