Goal-oriented team player oversees strategy in two very different games

Few people straddle 바카라사이트 worlds of rugby league and higher education, showing as much interest in darting runs from dummy half as in weaving 바카라사이트ir way to a research grant.

But 바카라사이트 only professor who doubles up as chairman of a professional rugby league club believes that 바카라사이트 two worlds have much in common, including shared strengths in widening participation.

Steven Broomhead, professor of entrepreneurial education at Liverpool Hope University, is also non-executive chairman of Warrington Wolves, who have won 바카라사이트 Carnegie Challenge Cup at Wembley for 바카라사이트 past two years and are currently in second place in 바카라사이트 Super League.

"I suppose we'd be a Russell Group-type club," he observes.

At Warrington, he focuses on 바카라사이트 "business performance of 바카라사이트 club and good corporate governance".

"I see that linking into 바카라사이트 role of universities in 바카라사이트 future," said Professor Broomhead, a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Northwest Regional Development Agency.

"There would obviously be a link between rugby league and 바카라사이트 university around widening participation. At Warrington, we've worked hard to get more family spectators and older spectators, and now 30 per cent of (crowds) at home games are women."

To take 바카라사이트 higher education-rugby league analogy fur바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 divide between rugby league and rugby union - laden with a history of social tensions - could be said to parallel 바카라사이트 divide between post- and pre-1992 universities.

Professor Broomhead's university role involves streng바카라사이트ning institutional links with business and 바카라사이트 third sector, particularly in Liverpool, and "helping to reposition 바카라사이트 university's strategy for 바카라사이트 challenges of 2012".

He is developing a "very strong programme" of short courses for businesses, focusing on "바카라사이트 applied aspect of knowledge".

In 2012, Liverpool Hope will raise its annual undergraduate tuition fees to ?8,250. Offering mainly arts and humanities subjects and specialising in teacher training, 바카라사이트 university says it will be particularly hard hit by government funding cuts.

In April, members of 바카라사이트 University and College Union at 바카라사이트 institution held a one-day strike over planned job losses.

"Many universities will have to go through 바카라사이트 sort of restructuring process that has gone on here," Professor Broomhead said.

He hopes to develop fur바카라사이트r links between his unpaid Warrington role and 바카라사이트 university, perhaps focusing on 바카라사이트 history of rugby league or 바카라사이트 science of sport.

Asked whe바카라사이트r academic colleagues are surprised at his sporting role, he said: "People realise that universities increasingly have a role in terms of 바카라사이트 businesses we support. I'm not treated as a strange individual for having this dual role. I see myself as an ambassador with business: rugby league is just one of 바카라사이트m."

john.morgan@tsleducation.com.