Are you a motivated and enthusiastic student looking to gain hands-on experience in a high-performance sporting environment? Surrey Sports Park is offering an exciting unpaid student placement opportunity within our Performance Sport Programme, with a key focus on supporting our Women’s Performance Rugby Team, competing at the highest level of university sport.

This placement is ideal for students undertaking a year in industry who are eager to develop their skills in sports management, athlete support, and performance programme delivery. Working alongside experienced professionals and elite student-athletes, you will gain invaluable insight into the day-to-day operations of a high-performing sports environment.

The Role

You will support the coordination and delivery of key programme activities, while taking on a lead role in the organisation and management of the women’s rugby team.

Key responsibilities include:

• Acting as Women’s Rugby Matchday Manager, coordinating matchday operations, managing substitutions, and liaising closely with coaches
• Overseeing seasonal team logistics, including kit coordination, travel and accommodation bookings, referee communications, and matchday systems
• Supporting the delivery of BUCS fixtures and event entries across multiple performance sports
• Assisting with the administration of the Dual Career Programme and Elite Athlete Fund, including processing athlete expenses
• Contributing to Team Surrey events, such as Open Days, inductions, and Freshers’ Week
• Working with the marketing team to promote athlete achievements and performance success stories
• Supporting the organisation of athlete education workshops and development sessions
• Leading or contributing to student forums and feedback initiatives to enhance programme delivery

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking a proactive and organised student who is:

• Currently enrolled on a degree programme requiring a placement year
• Passionate about sport, particularly performance or university-level sport
• A strong communicator with the ability to build relationships with athletes, coaches, and staff
• Well-organised with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities
• Adaptable and willing to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends as required
• Experience in administration, customer-facing roles, or sport environments is advantageous, and knowledge of BUCS or performance sport structures is desirable.

What You Will Gain

While this is an unpaid placement, it offers a rich and rewarding learning experience, helping you develop key professional and transferable skills. You will benefit from:

• First-hand experience working within a high-performance university sport programme
• Exposure to elite matchday operations and sports logistics
• Development of essential skills such as leadership, communication, organisation, and problem-solving
• Experience working across multiple areas including events, athlete support, and marketing
• A valuable reference and practical experience to enhance your CV