University and West Yorkshire Hawks link up for basketball partnership

Budding basketball players can use some of the best facilities in the area as well as studying, thanks to a new partnership between the University of Huddersfield and the West Yorkshire Hawks.  

The University’s 850-seat capacity sports hall now hosts the Hawks’ home fixtures in the National Basketball League, and the University and the Hawks are collaborating on an elite performance basketball program.

The program allows students to pursue their studies while playing basketball at a high level and taking advantage of the University’s excellent facilities. With this collaboration, the University and the Hawks are striving to develop local talent through this new pathway.

The Hawks' season has begun well, with an 87-52 win over Sunderland in the National Cup at home last Sunday, wit Manchester Swarm visiting in the league at 18:30 BST on 12 October.

Scholarships are also available, while Hawks coach Adrian Willey will also work with the University’s basketball team. Players who make it into the Huddersfield team will have the chance to train with and possibly play for the Hawks, and the program also includes free gym membership and further strength and conditioning sessions.

The Hawks’ guard Josh Forde, who joined the club after progressing through the Manchester Giants’ junior program, is now studying physiotherapy at the University and will play for Huddersfield’s BUCS team against other universities in the north of England.

Ben Severn, the University’s Performance and Partnerships Manager, said, "As well as player pathways into the NBL team from the university team, we are also working closely to provide industry-relevant, real life work placements associated with a high-performance sports team creating more diverse opportunities for our students.” 

Hawks head coach Danny Byrne said, “Josh is a great young talent, and we’re excited to see how far he can develop, both here at the Hawks and with the University of Huddersfield. His drive and work ethic are exactly what we look for in a player, and with the resources he has access to at the university and within our program, the sky’s the limit. We’re looking forward to watching his growth on both fronts and seeing him reach his full potential.”

Scholarships worth £250 or £1,000 are available dependent on ability and experience.

For more information on the partnership and how to get involved, please contact Ben Severn at b.severn@hud.ac.uk.