12 June 2008 Combining science degree with NZ rugby selection

 

 

It's the second year in a row that national rugby selection has taken Sam to the British Isles. Last year he was in Northern Ireland at the IRB Under-19 Tournament.

 

Sam's got a great rugby pedigree. His father was a New Zealand Colts representative, his maternal grandfather was an All Black, and he's got a brother who was a Crusader and has played for Otago.

 

For Sam the trick this year is juggling his rugby with his Bachelor of Science study, and he is doing this with the support of Lincoln University's Sports Scholarship Programme.

 

Established in 1999 and covering six codes - rugby, cricket, netball, hockey, golf and soccer - the Sports Scholarship Programme has had many national representatives pass through its ranks, pursuing academic qualifications and sporting excellence.

 

Sam, who grew up in a farming family in the Manawatu and attended Feilding High School where he was Hostel Head Prefect and Captain of the 1 st XV, chose Lincoln University for his degree studies because of its "friendly focussed environment, with great people from all parts of New Zealand".

 

"The facilities are great. The grounds are well maintained and the classrooms and lecture halls are all nice and tidy. The people are really helpful and on the social side the staff are always planning events for new and old students," he says.

 

As a Sports Scholar Sam must maintain a strong academic record in order to retain his scholarship, but the University provides its Sports Scholars with plenty of opportunities to keep their studies on track. The philosophy of the

Programme is to provide a foundation for life after sport. For Sam, though, his
national and international sporting life is only just starting.

 

For full information on Lincoln University's scholarships and academic programmes see www.lincoln.ac.nz