Former England cricketer highlights importance of women’s leadership in sport

The underrepresentation of women in sport leadership roles is being challenged by a dedicated scholarship at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The Women in Sport Leadership scholarships are already supporting the careers of women working in sport, such as former England cricketer Laura MacLeod.

After playing for the English women’s cricket team and representing the country in countless games around the world, MacLeod has gone on to become the first Director of Women’s Cricket at West Midlands Women’s Cricket while studying on the Master of Sport Directorship (MSD) at Manchester Met.

MacLeod said: “As a woman working in sport, as a minority, there have been many moments where I think people don’t realise how hard it actually is!”

Multiple reports have illustrated over the years that women have faced active discrimination while working in sports.

MacLeod said: “I can judge the situation quite a lot, even from how somebody shakes hands with me and how they then shake hands with a man. If they use a softer handshake with me but then a firm one afterwards, I want to ask: Why are you doing that? Why are you treating me differently?

“I want to be treated as an equal.”

As an alumna of Manchester Met, MacLeod had her eye on the MSD course for a while before deciding to apply.

She said: “I’m pretty fortunate to be able to actually go and attend in person. There are connections you can make on this course that can last your entire professional career. I’ve listened to so many people who have had transformative experiences.”

The MSD prepares students for sports leadership roles through expertise at the University’s Institute of Sport and Triple Accredited Business School.

The Women in Sport Leadership scholarship was launched in 2017 and provides reduced fees to help address the lack of women in top jobs in UK sporting bodies.

Mark Batey, MSD Programme Director at Manchester Metropolitan, said: “The MSD is the most diverse sporting leadership programme in the world, and we are delighted to be able to continue to offer our scholarship to support this.

“We know our conversations and learnings are hugely enhanced when we have a more mixed set of students, but this can be challenging for women in sports where historically pay has been lower and the budgets for development can be more restricted too.

“I strongly encourage women interested in our MSD programme to get in touch and complete our short application form to apply for this year’s Women in Sport Leadership Scholarship.”

The Women in Sport Leadership scholarships are open to any woman who meets the MSD criteria and consist of a first prize of £6,000 and a second prize of £3,000 reduction in the course fees.

Applicants should email MSD@mmu.ac.uk for an application form. Applications for the scholarship will close on June 30th.

Find out more information on the Masters of Sport Directorship course at Manchester Metropolitan.