The Business of Sport –Durham leading the way as Sports University of the Year 2023

Sport is at the core of Durham student life and we pride ourselves on the huge range of sporting opportunities that are available for our students. From joining college teams to competing at university level and beyond, we offer exceptional opportunities to get involved. Our alumni include Gabby Logan, Jonathan Edwards, Will Carling, Sophie Hosking and Caroline Atkins

We’re extremely proud of our reputation for enabling students to combine sporting and academic excellence. For almost 15 years, the Business School has played an important part in Durham University’s Team Durham Postgraduate Scholarship Programme.

The programme presents a unique opportunity to students who have recently completed their undergraduate studies, with a particular focus on students in North America. Our strong partnership with Team Durham supports the programme, as most of these students are looking for business-related opportunities in Management, Marketing and Finance to further their education.

To date, we remain one of the few universities in Britain to offer such a vast programme for overseas students, growing from 18 overseas scholars in 2009/10 across the sports of men’s basketball and men and women’s lacrosse to over 100 scholars in the current academic year across a variety of sports. Over 50 of these students are studying postgraduate programmes at the Business School.

With many athletes’ sporting careers lasting only a short number of years, postgraduate study is an extremely important consideration to ensure they have viable options once this stage of their career is over, or if the worst should happen and they sustain a serious injury. The partnership between the Business School and Team Durham goes beyond recruiting students, ensuring that they have a meaningful experience.

Dave Coldwell, Deputy Head of Sport & Physical Activity commented, “The support the Business School provides our students to reach their potential in achieving a world-class degree, whilst also preparing them for their next career is something that adds incredible value. This is clearly demonstrated by the career progression of many of our athletes. We can only see the partnership with the Business School grow from strength to strength through our innovative plans to continue to support our student-athletes.”

IMPACT caught up with one of our sporting students, Jacopo Bertone from Italy, who’s studying for an MSc Management (International Business) and competing with the rowing team.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Last May I graduated in Political Science from Syracuse University, New York. I have been studying hard to expand my cultural horizons and to build the basis for my future career by learning valuable skills. One of the achievements I am proud of is the fact I was elected Captain of the Syracuse Varsity Rowing Team for my senior year. Objectively, it was a huge step forward for an international student to be voted into this role. Outside of university, I have recently worked for the recruitment company Adecco managing HR tasks.

What were your reasons for choosing to study with Durham and why you chose your Masters programme?

As graduation was approaching, I started to explore different Masters programmes that could fit with my interests, aspirations and values. As an international student-athlete in the United States, I developed an awareness that my future was in my hands and depended solely on my will. After spending four years far from Italy, my personal ambitions and my interest in managerial issues led me to consider which European universities could provide me with the high level of education that I desired. On the Internet, I found out that a programme in International Business Management is offered at Durham University. It happened to be that Durham is top ranked in the UK, so appeared to be very attractive. Furthermore, I also noticed that I could express my love for rowing, the sport I have been practising at a high level for years, so it seemed like the perfect fit for my future plans.

Maiden Castle is one of the best sports centres I’ve ever visited so far.

What are the benefits of studying your Masters programme?

The Masters in International Business Management I am currently attending is revealing itself to be far better than my expectations. Teachers are making me understand how management can play a crucial role on a global level from various perspectives. Just to mention some lessons, Organisational Behaviour, Strategies, Marketing, and Economic Issues are all subjects that have their own peculiarities, but they also work according to synergic processes. What I find the most beneficial is the critical thinking and the flexibility that I am developing as a student, so that I am gaining an interdisciplinary vision.

Can you tell us about your overall experiences of studying here and in particular your sporting activity?

My experience at Durham is very positive. Although at the beginning I faced some difficulty with an accent I did not understand very well, during four years in the USA I built a sort of comfort zone. Changing environment saw me more prepared and better equipped from an organisational point of view. But new relationships with new teammates, that is another story. I was a little afraid not to find an inclusive atmosphere. Sport generally is a bridge between different experiences, but I am also aware this it is not guaranteed that you find new friends ready to take in a stranger who can potentially be a danger to the normal equilibrium of the team. Despite these thoughts, I found that my sports teams here come with openness and great respect. Coach Dauncey is very caring about our wellness; he organises our training according to programmes calibrated to improve our performances in different ways. Sessions of weightlifting and access to nutrition advice are notably good here, they are highly important to get a general improvement of the team. We also feel supported by the administration office of Team Durham. Mr Coldwell religiously watches our races and fixtures and is one of our biggest supporters.

What are you doing currently and any longer-term plans?

At the moment I am coaching twice a week the Stephenson College Boat Club. It is an activity I am carrying out with great satisfaction so far. Each time I see a significant improvement that makes me proud of the programme I am delivering to my guys that are happy to learn. Regarding long-term plans, I am very ambitious. I will soon start my job hunt: being Italian and being a car racing fan, I can comfortably say my dream is to work for Ferrari. What I am doing now is putting myself in the best position for them to hire me, attending one of the best schools in the world.

What do you think about the sports facilities at Durham?

I think the facilities are new and functional. Maiden Castle is one of the best sports centres I’ve ever visited so far with cutting-edge equipment and qualified professionals that help to bring out the best in our athletes across all sports.

Scan or click for more information on the School’s range of Masters programmes.

Top row left to right: Henry – Kidney, Neil – Heart, Vic – Kidney, Fran – Heart, Steven – Kidney, Kristian – Kidney and Pancreas.

Bottom row left to right: Garth – Kidney, Bill – Coach, Vince – Kidney, Millie – Liver, Lee –Kidney, Liz – Kidney, Tom – Physiotherapist.

Staff success at the 2023 World Transplant Games

Faculty Coordinator Vic Horan represented Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the World Transplant Games 2023 held in Perth, Australia. This was Vic’s 4th World Transplant Games, and not only did she play for both volleyball and basketball teams, but she also captained the volleyball team.

A double British Champion and a World Champion in volleyball, Vic truly is an inspiration. Not only has she been recognised for her athletic skill by being regularly selected to compete and now captain the team, but she has repeatedly overcome challenges to her health in the form of kidney failure and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, a form of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body.

Vic commented on the success of Team GB&NI at the Games, “We topped the medal table, the volleyball team took the silver [medal], but I was ruled out of the basketball as I injured my foot and knee in the final of the volleyball.

There were some fantastic achievements by team members and I’m blessed to have been able to witness them. One of our swim team broke seven World Records, five of them individual and two in the relays. Despite my injury it was still a fantastic Games.”

While this is possibly Vic’s last World Transplant Games to play in, she’s been asked to put her coaching and leadership skills to use in managing the England Women’s Football Team. Watch this space.

Scan or click for more information on the World Transplant Games.

Scan or click for more information on the England Transplant Football Club.