You are here

Rugby League players taking positive steps in higher education

March 24, 2015

Rugby League players taking positive steps in higher education

The 2015 Rugby League season is in full swing, but that hasn’t stopped dozens of players from furthering their own education.


Photo: Players from various different clubs attended the program’s launch at UOW on 4 March

The 2015 Graduates of League program, now in its fourth year, pairs players with a peer who provides support and tutoring throughout their degree.

“While tutors may not all be experts of the game, they seek to understand and appreciate the life of the players including the pressures that they face and the difficulties they experience in juggling high profile sport and study,” GOL Head Tutor Holly Scheeringa said.

Photo gallery: GOL program launch

Ben Creagh, who graduated from UOW with a degree in commerce in 2013 and a key figure in establishing the GOL program, said: "It is important for players to have avenues to pursue their tertiary goals and it is great to see so many players involved in the Graduates of League program."

Twenty-two-year-old Dragons player Charly Runciman, who is studying civil engineering, said: "Having the opportunity to balance both my on field rugby league commitments with my university studies through the Graduates of League program is very beneficial for me."

"I have been part of the program for several years now and have been able to manage the academic workload because of the tutors and mentors who give up their time for us players," he added.

Related stories

A program for high achievers

The Graduates of League (GOL) program was established by the Athlete Education Foundation Ltd, with the Dragons and UOW in 2012 to increase university participation by professional sports people. 

Since its inception, the GOL program has continued to grow, expanding to include all sixteen NRL clubs in and 14 additional educational institutions.

Each year the NRL create an Academic Team of the Year consisting of players based on their academic achievements. Last year, Jason Nightingale was named a member of the 2014 NRL Academic Team of the Year due to his high performance in Bachelor of Commerce at UOW, which he managed to achieve while maintaining his commitment to the Dragons and the New Zealand Kiwis who won the 2014 Rugby League Four National competition.

Jason Nightingale was also awarded the Mark Coyne Trophy for ongoing career development and aptitude in his studies at the Dragon’s end of season presentation night in September 2014.