Sport – Page 5 – WEST

Scotland star Erin Cuthbert receives Honorary Doctorate

8Jul

By uwsalumni1 Comment

Scotland star Erin Cuthbert receives Honorary Doctorate

Former UWS student and Scotland and Chelsea midfielder Erin Cuthbert has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from University of the West of Scotland at its summer graduations. Erin who was studying Marketing at UWS Paisley Campus before joining Chelsea from Glasgow City in 2016 has enjoyed various successes during her time at Chelsea including a domestic double last season. On the international stage, she has earned 58 caps for Scotland and was named Scottish Women’s Football International Player of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2022. Speaking on her Honorary Doctorate, Cuthbert said: ‘It’s a great honour for me to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate at such a prestigious Institution like the University of the West of Scotland – back to where it all started for me. ‘I look forward to...

Ocean advocate and a pioneer swimmer honoured at UWS summer graduation

6Jul

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Honorary Graduates, News

Ocean advocate and a pioneer swimmer honoured at UWS summer graduation

An ocean advocate and pioneer swimmer, Lewis Pugh, was awarded an Honorary Doctorate at the University's graduation ceremony in Paisley Abbey on Thursday 6 July 2023. Lewis commented: "Thank you University of the West of Scotland for awarding me an Honorary Doctorate. Over the years, I've seen first hand how education and research are essential in protecting our planet, and oceans." A leading figure in efforts to protect the oceans, Lewis was the first person to complete a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world and has pioneered more swims around famous landmarks than any other person in history. Through his athletic feats, he highlights the melting of the Arctic sea ice and draws attention to the melting glaciers in the Himalayas, and the impact the reduced water sup...

UWS sport graduate and international rugby player’s moments that made her

19Apr

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Alumni Stories

UWS sport graduate and international rugby player’s moments that made her

Scotland international scrum-half, and University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate Mairi Mcdonald highlights some of the special moments that stand out in her rugby journey so far. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X8Ru8WjxWg Mairi Mcdonald BSc (Hons) Sport Development 2020 Sport Development graduate Mairi has been talking to Scottish Rugby about some of the highlights in her career so far since she first started playing rugby in second year at Hyndland Secondary School in Glasgow. Mairi received her first call up in 2018, just prior to commencing her course at UWS, for the Scotland Women 7s team in Kazan. In January 2020, she joined the Scotland squad for their Test match against Spain and earned her first cap as a replacement, going on to graduate from UWS Lanarkshire ...

Graduate and WWE Referee Becomes First Scot to Ref a Pro Match Abroad

17Jan

By uwsalumniNo Comments

News

Graduate and WWE Referee Becomes First Scot to Ref a Pro Match Abroad

UWS (University of the West of Scotland) graduate Thomas Kearins has made history as the first Scot to referee a professional match abroad. Thomas, who studied the BA (Hons) Marketing programme at UWS, was also the first Scot to referee for WWE, the largest wrestling promotion in the world, in 2018 a month after graduating in Paisley. A referee from the age of 14, Thomas has now become the first Scot to referee a pro match abroad when he officiated at the ICW World Heavyweight Title match between Leyton Buzzard, Ricky Barcelo and Feyyaz Aguila at Lucha Libre Barcelona, in Spain on Saturday 14 January 2023. He told us: “I loved my time at UWS. I was able to continue refereeing during my studies thanks to the support of my lecturers, who were very understanding of my schedule. “A...

UWS graduate helps Troy University Women’s Basketball Team win the Championship

25Feb

By uwsalumni1 Comment

Alumni Stories, News

UWS graduate helps Troy University Women’s Basketball Team win the Championship

From East Kilbride in Scotland to Alabama in the United States, Neil Harrow’s degree in Sport Coaching at University of the West of Scotland (UWS) has taken him far. We find out about his globetrotting career and recent Championship title with Troy University Women’s basketball team. Though it’s a long way from his days at UWS, where he graduated in 2010 with a BSc in Sport Coaching, alumnus Neil Harrow constantly uses the skills he learnt at UWS in his job as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Troy University, Alabama. Neil began his seventh season at Troy in 2021-22 and has just helped guide the Trojans to their fifth Sun Belt Conference Championship in his seven seasons with them. Neil, who lends his expertise with both the guards and forwards, has been a vital par...

Graduate and badminton star sets up new venture to ‘give something back’

24Feb

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Alumni Stories, News

Graduate and badminton star sets up new venture to ‘give something back’

Olympian and UWS alumna Kirsty Gilmour has announced a social enterprise venture “to give something back to badminton”. Kirsty is launching Badminton Academy Social Enterprise, or BASE, which will be open to anyone interested in the sport. “It’s going to be a social enterprise and a place that is completely inclusive for everyone from all walks of life, to all budget requirements, and hopefully it’s really accessible for anyone who wants to be a part of badminton,” she told the Daily Record. Kirsty will set-up the social enterprise with her Uncle David and other partner Andrew. “I’ve been thinking about something along these lines for a while, but it was really just from chatting with my uncle David and Andrew, and we’re all really passionate about it." Ranked in the top 30 in the...

13Apr

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Alumni Stories, News

UWS graduate appointed Head of Development at scottishathletics

University of the West of Scotland (UWS) graduate David Fallon has been appointed as Head of Development at scottishathletics, the National Governing Body for Athletics in Scotland. David (30) who has a BA (hons) in sport development from UWS will leave his current role as Head of Development with Scottish Squash in May after impressing during the recruitment process. David commented: “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining such a great organisation and team at scottishathletics. “Athletics is such a broad and accessible sport and the organisation has demonstrated tremendous and consistent growth, but also equal growth. It really is amazing to see the gender balance and equality in the scottishathletics membership.” A graduate from the Lanarkshire Campus in 2013, David gain...

Alumnus and Radio Presenter Guest Lecture

27Nov

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Alumni Stories

Alumnus and Radio Presenter Guest Lecture

Gordon Duncan, UWS graduate, the voice of Radio Clyde’s Superscoreboard and an established national broadcaster, talks to UWS Lecturer James Mahon and BA 3rd, 4th and MA Journalism students about his career and explains how broadcasting has changed with the rise of new media and social media. https://youtu.be/uHB5fG9Cvko?si=GcidjvXU720Hik5k

Alumnus and boccia ace goes into World Championships as world Number 1

18Jul

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Alumni Stories, News

Alumnus and boccia ace goes into World Championships as world Number 1

Good luck to alumnus Stephen McGuire who will be competing in August's World Boccia Championships in Liverpool. Stephen, who studied Retail Management at the Hamilton Campus in 2004 is the defending champion and the BC4 world number one. Stephen commented: “It has been my most successful 18 months or so on the court and it will be nice to be welcomed into the event as current world champion and No.1. The competition in Liverpool is the key event with regards to Tokyo 2020 qualification.” In 2012 Stephen managed to achieve his life dream of becoming a Paralympic athlete in the sport of Boccia. Since then he has gone on to have a healthy sports career, captaining his country to two Paralympic games and became European and World Champion. Stephen credits academics and sports c...

Football Pioneer Awarded Honorary Doctorate

2Dec

By uwsalumniNo Comments

Honorary Graduates

Football Pioneer Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Scotland’s greatest ever female footballer, Rose Reilly, was honoured by University of the West of Scotland (UWS) with an Honorary Doctorate at its graduation ceremony on Tuesday 1st December 2015 at Ayr Town Hall. Rose, who was voted the world’s best female footballer in 1983, was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2007. Rose, who was born in Stewarton in 1955, gave up a promising athletics career to follow her dream of playing professional football. At the age of 17, having already played 10 games for the Scotland Women’s Team, she moved to Reims in France to become a semi-professional player and within six months she was spotted by an AC Milan scout. This was the start of her 20 year career in Italian women’s football. As well as AC Milan she had the opport...