a blue frisbee sitting on top of a grass covered field

Sport

How I balance the workload of university and the demands of Rugby

By Scampbell 01 Mar 2023

Rugby has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and during my transition across the Central Belt for Uni, it was a no-brainer that I continued to play the game that I love.

a baseball player pitching a ball on a field

©Alfie Maitland

Upon commencing my studies back in September, I have faced multiple injuries that have really set back my progress in my sport. Injury is a difficult period for any high-performance athlete but, the support network that I have around me have really helped push me on to keep going when things aren’t the easiest.

One of the best resources that I’ve had around me is the guys in the Sports Bursars flat in Queen Margaret Residence. It is an awesome environment with like-minded people, some of whom are battling injuries as well, so it’s a great tool to push each other on into getting back to sport.

All of the boys in the flat have a massive training volume, each with varying times and days but its good in that sense because you know that you can get home from training and the noise levels aren’t going to be through the roof! As part of the Scottish Rugby Regional Academy, I train most mornings so the lads in the flat appreciate that I’m not going to be huge fun every night which allows me to push on in training and hit those Uni deadlines as well.

©Alfie Maitland

In terms of my return to play, I am due to make my second debut for my club team, Glasgow Hawks. It is a really exciting time when you reach the end of rehab, and you can finally set your targets firmly on crossing the white line again.

Alfie Maitland is member of the University Sports Bursary Programme for talented athletes and a recipient of the Accommodation Sports Bursary 2022/23.