More than 80 promising sports stars from 12 counties are receiving UCC scholarships this year, with the majority coming from Co Cork.

UCC announced its sports scholarships for the 2022-2023 academic year yesterday, and the Rebel County is well represented with 57 scholarships going to Cork-based students.

A total of 82 students across 17 sports, from Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Kilkenny, Kildare, Laois, Limerick, Sligo, Tipperary, and Waterford, were named at the launch in the UCC Sports Grounds in the Mardyke Pavilion.

The UCC Sport Scholarship programme aims to support athletes achieve their full potential and is divided into two main strands, the UCC Team Sport Scholarships and UCC Individual Sport Scholarship.

Through the programme, students, including 16 First Year recipients, will be supported to develop as athletes while meeting their academic goals through the UCC Sport Performance Programme. The purpose of the programme is to support UCC teams and athletes perform to their full potential.

It is tailored for scholarship students and the university’s elite teams and athletes performing in the pinnacle of third-level sport in Cork, Munster, Ireland, and internationally.

The university works with its clubs, coaches, and specialist staff in the areas of sports science, conditioning, nutrition, sports medicine, sports physiology, and sports analysis. UCC also works in partnership with national governing bodies, provincial sports organisations, and with Sport Ireland in the delivery of their high-performance strategy.

UCC president Professor John O’Halloran said: “UCC values and recognises our outstanding student athletes and the major contribution they make to themselves, sports, their communities, families and schools. We thank our extraordinary coaches, volunteers, clubs executive and staff who are supporting them.

“We also would like to express our sincere gratitude to our sponsors who support our scholarship programme, Bank of Ireland, Gym+Coffee, MJ Dowling, Moss Keane and family, Jason Foley and family, and the UCC GAA Alumni."