º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ agrees ground-breaking partnership with West Ham United Women (VIDEO)

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has become the official higher education partner of West Ham United Women – the first partnership of its kind in the Barclays Women's Super League.

The long-term partnership will see West Ham United Women benefit from the full scope of the University’s expertise. 

This includes world-leading research, elite athlete education programmes, performance support expertise, access to outstanding sports facilities, and integrating º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s most talented students through internship opportunities.   

With a long history of supporting dual career elite athletes, the University will provide an alternative education pathway for West Ham United Women’s players and coaches through Scholarships and BTECs at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s London campus.

As part of the agreement, the two institutions will also collaborate on a world-leading research project utilising performance analysis to define the future of the Women’s game.   

In addition, West Ham Women will play a first-team fixture on campus at the University Stadium.

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ students will have access to apply for internships at the club, including in strength and conditioning, and nutrition. Further to this, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s expert performance support team will knowledge share with West Ham coaches and backroom staff, drawing upon the team’s vast experience in supporting dual-career athletes. 

Jo Simpson, Commercial and Facilities Director for º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ Sport, said:

“We are breaking new ground in the women’s game through this world-leading partnership with West Ham United Women, integrating the very best of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s research, elite level performance support and giving our incredible students new opportunities within both the men’s and women’s backroom teams.

“West Ham Women’s commitment to developing their player pathways aligns perfectly with our world-leading experience at supporting elite-level dual-career athletes. 

“I am immensely proud of the partnership that we have formed and through our embedded research initiative I can’t wait to see the impact we will have together on the women’s game.”    

Professor Tony Edwards, Dean of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London, said:

“It is wonderful that we have reached an agreement to become partners with West Ham United Women. The University formed a base in East London partly to help us extend the range of partners that we work with, and it is great to see our relationship come to fruition in this way.”

Aidan Boxall, West Ham United Women’s General Manager, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to announce this partnership between West Ham United Women and º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.

“We believe this partnership can be a game changer for our Club, women’s football and women’s sport over the next three years – specifically, through providing academic support to our players and allowing them to study at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, as well as exploring research opportunities to gather more data on women’s football and aid our performances on the pitch.

“We believe that our partnership with º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ can help us to achieve our ambitions of becoming one of the most successful Clubs in English football whilst also continuing to grow the Club’s influence within our local community.”

Nathan Thompson, West Ham United Chief Commercial Officer, added:

“As a club we pride ourselves on always looking for ways to improve and innovate, and I am certain that this partnership will do just that. The collaboration between ourselves and º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ will help both our players and staff alike. We look forward to developing this exciting opportunity as the season progresses.”

For more information on º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, visit its website here: www.lboro.ac.uk, and for further information on West Ham United Women, visit its website: https://www.whufc.com/teams/women/womens-team

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 22/223

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2021 QS World University Rankings and University of the Year for Sport by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2022.

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 7th in The UK Complete University Guide 2023, 10th in both the Guardian University League Table 2023 and 11th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes

The º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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