The maximum amount awarded to Trinity sports scholars this year is €750, down from €1000 previous years.
An email sent to sports scholars – seen by The University Times – said that the award for this year included an “up to €750 financial bursary”.
The email said that the award also included a scholarship kit, access to nutrition support, strength and conditioning support, access to the Trinity Sport Medical Care Pathway – which includes insurance cover and access to on-site physiotherapy – and performance management and lifestyle support.
In an email statement to The University Times, Catherine O’Mahony, a Trinity media relations officer, said: “The financial bursary is just one component of the support offered as part of the scholarship.”
“Scholarship athletes receive a variety of bespoke support services to support their sporting, academic and personal development. This includes Strength & Conditioning, medical support, nutrition, sport science, lifestyle support and financial bursaries.”
This year saw a major drop in the number of sports scholarships handed out with just 35 students receiving sport scholarships, down from 65 last year and 68 the year before.
Dublin University Football Club (DUFC) were hit particularly hard as just six players received sports scholarships, a dramatic decrease from last year when 34 were awarded to DUFC players.
Deputy Head of Sport Matt Dossett said in a statement to The University Times that “Trinity Sport are absolutely delighted to have announced such a strong and diverse list of sport scholars”.
“We do not comment on individual aspects of the sport scholarships however, would note that due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and subsequent challenges it has not been possible to operate as large a programme as seen in the past few years.”
Earlier this year Trinity sports clubs were advised to plan for a future without funding from Bank of Ireland, after a long-standing sponsorship agreement between Trinity Sport and the bank concluded.
Bank of Ireland had been a key sponsor of sport in Trinity since 2015. Under the agreement, the bank provided funding to sports clubs as well as partnering with Trinity Sport on scholarships awarded to top athletes, as part of a wider agreement between College and the bank.
The bank’s years-long partnership with College ceased on July 31st of this year, with the bank’s on-campus branch and ATMs closing the following month.
The branch shut permanently in August as part of a merger with the bank’s College Green branch.
