The MCC Universities

MCC believes talented young cricketers should not have to make a choice between their cricket and their education - they should be able to pursue both.

The Club therefore funds and administers six university cricket academies in England and Wales - the MCC Universities (MCCUs) - which give young players the opportunity to receive top-level coaching and playing opportunities whilst furthering their education.

Not even the finest county academy has a 100% success rate in guaranteeing professional cricket to all its charges, so good players that fall short can be left with neither a future in cricket nor the qualifications to pursue a career elsewhere.

The MCCUs offer the best environment to excel on and off the sporting field, and the opportunity to obtain a degree which will be valuable whether the dream of professional cricket becomes reality or not.

They are based in Cambridge, Cardiff, Durham, Leeds, Loughborough and Oxford, and incorporate a total of thirteen institutions. They offer hundreds of courses for students of all academic levels, and, critically for the aspiring cricketer, some of the best coaching and facilities available anywhere in the country.

Most importantly, the MCCU scheme works.

Around a fifth of all English-qualified players in the county system attended an MCCU, and several current captains (including Andrew Strauss) are graduates.

MCCUs don’t just produce good cricketers, they produce strong leaders and rounded characters - and those traits are important for success both in cricket and the wider working world.

Andrew Strauss, England Captain, says of his time at Durham MCC University: 'it was at Durham University that I went through the transition of being a recreational cricketer to one who had the ambition to play the game for a living".

Download a copy of the scheme's information booklet (1.9 MB)

Young on Australian learning curve

29 November 2011

Oxford MCC University graduate Ed Young is enjoying a cricketing finishing school experience in Australia before his first full season with Gloucestershire.
Young, who graduated from Oxford Brookes...

Read full article