Gordon teams up with UTS to give young rugby players the chance to play and study

A NEW scholarship program will benefit young rugby players and is a first for Shute Shield clubs.

YOUNG rugby players will have their university fees paid after Gordon Rugby Club and University of Technology Sydney announced a scholarship program, the first of its kind for Shute Shield clubs.

The arrangement will see up to 100 per cent of student's fees, likely to be more than $20,000 annually, paid by UTS for the duration of their course.

The size of the payments will largely be determined by the level of competition the player has reached.

New club president Dr David McGilvray said the club has tried to look at alternative methods to improve as they look to economise while continuing to compete with rivals, including last year's winners Sydney Uni.

"It's a win win situation for both us and UTS," he said. "We get the opportunity to be associated with a premier university and attract quality players.

"We believe it is going to secure our future in what are difficult financial times for local rugby clubs."

Jack Dempsey, 18, is one of the first recipients of the new arrangement.

He is part of the Australian under-20 and academy squads and the former St Ignatius student said the scholarship offer made the decision to study at UTS and play for Gordon an easy one.

"I could've gone to perhaps a stronger club but a lot don't give you support for uni," he said.

"You could end up being just a name or number on a piece of paper."

There is no potential fixture conflict between club and university rugby, and UTS Union chief executive Liz Brett said both sides would benefit.

"It ticks a lot of boxes in terms of student and staff engagement, as well as providing fantastic brand exposure," she said.