This summer, Ben Rose (Veterinary Medicine, 2023) was able to captain the CURLFC tour to Ghana thanks to support from a Robinson Exceptional Opportunities Award/Robinson's Student Support Fund.

The Cambridge team was invited to Accra by the Rugby League Federation of Ghana to play three matches and lead some fun rugby training activities in local schools.

The tour began with a fixture against the University of Ghana which Ben (pictured above, second row, fifth from the right) described as “incredibly enjoyable and challenging.” This was followed by a match with Ghana’s National B team before, lastly, taking on the national side, the Ghanaian Leopards. Despite the heat and humidity of West Africa, CURLFC won all three matches, rewarding the team’s hard work and training across the year.

The Cambridge team also visited Englebert School and the Future Leaders School in Accra to run rugby league training sessions with the children followed by rugby matches and other fun sports games. They also spent time exploring Accra and the surrounding area, visiting Black Star Square, Accra Sports Stadium and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial. The team also enjoyed a drumming lesson at an arts market in Accra and travelled into the countryside to visit the spectacular Asenema Waterfalls.

For Ben, this trip would not have been possible without financial support from a Robinson Exceptional Opportunities Award. He said: “It was an honour to captain this group in Ghana and represent Cambridge University internationally. The College’s support, in addition to sponsorship raised by CURLFC, meant I was able to go on the best trip of my life. Thank you very much for enabling me to experience this incredible opportunity!

“I would also like to thank Robinson alumnus, Calvin Preston (Astronomy, 2018), who diligently planned the tour, fitting as much as possible into our seven days abroad.”

The Exceptional Opportunity Awards for Robinson students are funded by collective giving, find out more. Applications open during Lent Term, from 25th February to 22nd April 2027, with awards made in Easter Term.