FULLY FUNDED LIONS SPORTS ACADEMY PHD SCHOLARSHIP

Lions Sports Academy was founded to help children and young adults realise their potential through sport. This is achieved by working with schools and sports organisations to deliver physical development and sports coaching programmes, in an attempt to improve the abilities and confidence of young people when playing sport. This includes the Lions Sports Academy’s ‘Rugby Tackling Programme’, which specifically introduces techniques related to tackling, rucking and mauling, and is delivered alongside physical coaching and monitoring.

This PhD programme is aimed at understanding the effectiveness of the school-based programmes delivered by the Lions Sports Academy. Specifically, it will evaluate the impact the tackling programme has on the contact skills of the children involved and qualitatively explore how the programme influences their experiences and enjoyment of contact-based rugby practice.

We are looking to appoint a highly motivated PhD student, who is passionate about youth rugby and willing to immerse themselves in the applied research environment. The ideal candidate will be competent in both qualitative and quantitative data collection and be qualified to deliver and report on the outcomes of a long-term, high-quality coaching programme, as part of the Lions Sports Academy team.

Project supervisors:

• Dr Mark Waldron (Swansea University)
• Professor Camilla Knight (Swansea University)
• Professor Liam Kilduff (Swansea University)
• Dr Jamie Tallent (St Mary’s University)

Candidates should hold a minimum of an upper second class (2:1) honours degree (or its equivalent) and ideally a master’s in a relevant discipline.

Additional requirements are:

• Level 2 Rugby Coaching Award (or near to completion)
• Enhanced DBS check or willingness to gain
• Driving licence
• Proven coaching experience in youth rugby
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

We would normally expect the academic and English Language requirements (IELTS 6.5 overall with 5.5+ in each component) to be met by point of application. For details on the University’s English Language entry requirements, please visit – http://www.swansea.ac.uk/admissions/english-language-requirements/.

NB: If you are holding a non-UK degree, please see Swansea University degree comparisons to find out if you meet the eligibility.

If you have any questions regarding your academic eligibility based on the above comparison, please email pgrscholarships@swansea.ac.uk with the web-link to the scholarship(s) you are interested in.

This scholarship covers the full cost of UK tuition fees and an annual stipend of £15,000  for 3 years.

There will be additional funds available for conference attendance.

To apply, please complete and submit the following documents to Dr Mark Waldron (mark.waldron@swansea.ac.uk):

• College of Engineering PGR Scholarship Application
• Two-page CV
• Degree certificates and transcripts
• Copy of level 2 rugby coaching award or above
• A cover letter including a ‘Supplementary Personal Statement’ to explain why the position particularly matches your skills and experience and how you choose to develop the project.
• Contact details of two references (academic or previous employer)

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Mark Waldron (mark.waldron@swansea.ac.uk).