July 12, 2018

New scholarship to help rugby league players on road to education success

UOW College Australia and Illawarra Division Rugby League to provide opportunityA new sports scholarship launched yesterday (Wednesday 11 July) at the University of Wollongong (UOW) will help a local rugby league volunteer or player to achieve their education goals, under a partnership between UOW College Australia and the Illawarra Division Rugby League (IDRL).

As part of a two-year agreement, UOW College will provide financial support up to the value of $20,000 in course fees to a player or volunteer affiliated with the Illawarra Division Rugby League Competitions.

IDRL Manager Chris Bannerman said the partnership with UOW College Australia was a major achievement for the local rugby league competition.

“Our partnership with UOW College Australia is exciting as it delivers an educational scholarship which will provide a great opportunity for someone in our community. It also provides opportunities for us to promote the core activities of UOW College Australia to our engaged supporter base” Mr Bannerman said.

The scholarship is designed to recognise a player or volunteer at the grassroots level who has demonstrated sporting success or significant accomplishments in community service for their club.

UOW College Australia General Manager Julie Renwick said she was delighted to be able to provide a player or volunteer with the opportunity to begin their studies with the college, as well as allowing UOW College to more uniquely engage with the local community.

“We are really happy to provide more people with more chances to further their education by extending our reach through sport and other sectors of the community” Ms Renwick said.

Applications for the scholarship are now open and can be submitted by eligible candidates in the following categories: Indigenous, humanitarian (e.g. financial hardship or disrupted schooling), sporting excellence, or volunteering.

The application form and eligibility criteria can be downloaded from the IDRL website or by contacting the Illawarra Steelers Club on +61 2 4227 4225.

Applications close on Sunday 12 August. The winner will be announced on Sunday 9 September, at the IDRL Grand Final at WIN Stadium.