One of the oldest rugby clubs in the world has teamed up with one of Australia’s newest sport education programs in a dynamic partnership aimed at providing students with a pathway to higher education.
The International Sports College Australia (ISCA) and Sydney University Football Club (SUFC) have announced a partnership that unites two organisations who share a passion for sport, and dedication to delivering excellence.
The partnership aims to create unique pathway opportunities for USYD Rugby players and to deliver a wide range of development opportunities for the SUFC community. In addition, ISCA coaching and academic staff will have the chance to work with potential players and staff from its Sydney CBD-based campus.
The partnership also involves a dedicated scholarship program designed to present SUFC registered players with financial assistance of up to $10,000/annum, mentoring and leadership. This initiative is part of the prestigious International College of Management Sydney scholarship program, involving industry scholarships with professional sports organisations such as NRL club the Manly Sea Eagles and the NSW Waratahs, to ICMS-specific professional scholarships for tuition fees, accommodation, and financial hardship.
Director of Rugby, Nick Ryan says the scholarship support is an important step to assisting players who may require support coming straight from high school.
“At SUFC we are committed to developing people off the field, as much as on the field. This partnership with ISCA enables us to continue to support players from all parts of our program – men’s, women’s, colts and juniors to support their education and career aspirations alongside their involvement in our performance rugby program.”
ISCA General Manager, Ian Evans says the quality of the academic, strength & conditioning, and the coaching program will provide unique insights into the practical and theoretical side of sport:
“The majority of our staff have either lectured at major universities or coached at national level, so the mentoring aspect is very important. However, it is equally as important to provide our students with the pastoral care side, whether that consists of nutrition or sports performance workshops, tutoring or structured work integrated learning initiatives,” Evans says.
Current SUFC players Angus Bell & Paddy Tagg (pictured above) are studying with ISCA in 2021.
Paddy received the inaugural SUFC/ISCA scholarship this year, and says the partnership announcement is a great initiative given the synergies between the two organisations:
“The scholarship really helped myself and my family with my tuition fees,” Paddy says. “I was fortunate enough to meet some amazing individuals while at ISCA, and the coaching & teaching staff were encouraging and nurturing. I hope to complete my Level 1 Strength and Conditioning qualification as part of the course, and progress to further study post-ISCA and undergraduate sport science.”
Industry experience is critical for ISCA students, with past students completing work integrated learning within the NSW sports industry.
About ISCA
For more information, please visit www.iscaustralia.edu.au