University Announces New Elite Sports Scholarship

Lincoln netball scholar Jo McCaw in action for the Canterbury Flames

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES NEW ELITE SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS

Press release, 15 August 2007, Lincoln University, Christchurch: Lincoln's sporting scholarships programme has been extended to include students of exceptional ability in sports other than the six codes already covered by the programme.

Demand from outstanding athletes who do not play rugby, soccer, cricket, hockey, golf or netball has resulted in a new "elite" category being added to the scholarship programme.

Lincoln's sports scholarship manager, Peter Magson, encourages students who are strong individual athletes competing in track and field, or a wide range of other sports including rowing, tennis, squash, badminton, bowls, skiing, snow boarding, cycling or triathlon to apply for the full fees scholarship before the August 31 deadline.

"Lincoln offers an exceptional opportunity for students with the ability to perform at regional, national and international levels, to achieve a good quality degree while competing in their sport and training up to 10 hours a week," Magson says.

"Every week we have specialist staff come out and work with the scholars doing sports specific skills, plus they have regular fitness and strength training, as well as practicing and playing their sports."

In mid-October all applicants will be required to go through a unique skill and fitness testing selection process run by Lincoln staff in Auckland, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Invercargill. Up to 70 students meeting the necessary standards will be offered scholarships for 2008 studies at Lincoln.

Application forms for the sports scholarships can be found on the Lincoln University website here: http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/scholar/

About the Lincoln University sports scholarship programme

Lincoln University created the Sports Scholarship programme in partnership with sporting codes including Canterbury Cricket Association, Canterbury Hockey, Canterbury Golf, Mainland Soccer, Canterbury Netball, and Canterbury Rugby Football Union.

The Programme is designed to assist young sportspeople from around New Zealand to achieve their academic and sporting goals.

The programme has brought top sports performers to Lincoln University where they combine academic study with the extension and development of their athletic and sporting abilities through a focused training programme and access to topflight facilities and staff.

Scholarship recipients must be academically capable and demonstrate a commitment to complete a degree programme. Academic success is an essential part of the programme and the scholars must pass their university papers in order to retain their scholarships.

In addition to meeting the academic criteria for selection, candidates should have demonstrated success in one of the programme's sporting codes at a representative level or have the potential to achieve success.

Lincoln University will assist scholarship recipients with their study selections and their planning to ensure that their goals are achieved.

Previous and current successful Lincoln sports scholars include Richie McCaw and Andy Ellis (rugby); Michael Papps and Kate Pulford (cricket); Jo McCaw, Sarah Barnes and Katie Ritchie (netball); Jo Galletly, Jane Maley and Hugh Copland (hockey); Kristian Hutton and Georgia Goulding (soccer); Rodney Yee, Dean Cameron and May Chang (golf).

ENDS

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