Our Notable Sporting Alumni

Swansea University has seen a number of great sportsmen and women pass through its doors. We have a proud sporting history and celebrate the successes of our current students and alumni with many having performed at the very highest level within their chosen sport.

The University boasts many sporting alumni successes including athletes that have represented GB or their country in the following sports; judo, American football, surfing, rugby union, swimming, athletics, cricket, hockey, boccia, rowing, karate, tae kwon do, lacrosse, sailing and wind surfing.

We take pride in providing a community that nurtures the next great sporting talent and being a place where, when they look back, are proud so say they played for.

Athletics

Name: Dewi Griffiths (Running)
Graduation Year: 2013, Mathematics
Accomplishment: GB Long distance

Name: Phillipa Roles (Discus)
Graduation Year:
Accomplishment: Team GB at Athens and Beijinj Olympics, competed in four Commonwealth Games

Name: John McFall
Graduation Year: 2004, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Great Britain at Paralympics – Sprinting

Name: John McFall (Sports Science)
Years Active: 2004
Accomplishment: Great Britain at Paralympics – Sprinting

Name: Daniel Caines (Running)
Graduation Year: 2000, Law
Accomplishment: Came 5th in the Sydney Olympics 400m relay

Badminton

Name: James Phillips
Graduation Year: 2006, Sport Science
Accomplishment: Wales at Commonwealth Games

Boccia

Name: David Smith
Years Active: 2014, Aerospace Engineering
Accomplishment: Paralympic Gold Medal Rio and Beijing, Silver Medal London, three time World Champion

Cricket

Name: Steven Evans
Graduation Year:
Accomplishment: Former Saint Maartener National Player

Name: Simon Jones
Graduation Year:
Accomplishment: West Indies Tour, Glamorgan Cricket Club

Name: Adrian Dale
Graduation Year: 1990, Economics
Accomplishment: Former cricketer for Glamorgan Cricket Club

Name: Steve James
Graduation Year: 1988, Classics
Accomplishment: Former cricketer for Glamorgan Cricket Club and England

Football

Name: George Edwards
Graduation Year: 1941, History
Accomplishment: Wales (1946-1949, 12 caps), Swansea Town (1938-39), Birmingham City (1944-1948), Cardiff City (1948-1955). Director Cardiff City (1957-1981), active on the Sports Council of Wales (Sport Wales) and Football Association of Wales.

Name: Peter Suddaby
Graduation Year: 1969, Mathematics
Accomplishment: Colwyn Bay, Skelmersdale United, Wycombe Wanderers. Professional career, Blackpool (1970-1980), Brighton & Hove Albion (1980), Wimbledon (1981-1982). Wycombe Wanderers manager (1987-1988)

Name: Ronnie Goodlass
Graduation Year: 1974
Accomplishment: Everton (1975–1977) NAC Breda (1977–1979) ADO Den Haag (1979–1980). Fulham (1980–1981). Scunthorpe United (1981–1982). Seiko SA (1982–1983). Tranmere Rovers (1983–1985). Barrow (1985)

Name: Martin Webster
Graduation Year: 1976, Geography
Accomplishment: BBC Television’s executive producer of athletics. “He changed the face of televised athletics” (Obituary 2011). British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award (2002, 2009). British Athletic Writers Association Ron Pickering Memorial Award for services to athletics.

Name: Robyn Jones
Graduation Year: 1982
Accomplishment: Rhyl, Runcorn, Caernarfon (1986-87), Sutton Utd (1988-?). Coaching: Queens Park Rangers Football Club, Under 15 coach (1998-99)), Director of Football for Soccer New Zealand (2000-2002). A world leading researcher and scholar in the microsociology of sports coaching.

Name: Mike Hooper
Graduation Year: 1985 English Literature
Accomplishment: Bristol City (1983–1985). Wrexham (1985), Liverpool (1985–1993) Leicester City (1990 loan), Newcastle United (1993–1996), Sunderland (1995)

Name: William Sparkes
Graduation Year: 2013, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Swansea AFC Sports Scientist (2013-2018), LA Galaxy, Director of Performance and Sport Science (2018 – present)

Name: Guillem Bauzà Mayol
Graduation: 2015, Medicine
Accomplishment: Swansea City (2007–2010), Hereford United (2010–2011), Northampton Town (2011), Exeter City (2011–2013)

Name: Adam Orme
Graduation Year: 2017, Accounting
Accomplishment: Wales Futsal team

Hockey

Name: Sarah Powell
Graduation Year: 1995, Psychology
Accomplishment: Welsh International Hockey Captain, Commonwealth Games, and Chief Exec. Of Sport Wales

Judo

Name: Jade Lewis
Graduation Year: 2017, Human Geography
Accomplishment: Welsh Judo

Karate

Name: Phillip Niholl
Graduation Year: 2016, PGDip Legal Practice
Accomplishment: Welsh International, Bronze Medal in World Championship, Under 21 British Karate Champion

Name: Rhys Jones
Years Active: 2010, Business Management
Accomplishment: Great Britain and Wales – Karate

Name: Katrina Lowe
Graduation Year: 2004, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Won Gold at the World Karate Championships in 2001

Lacrosse

Name: Matthew Davies
Years Active: 2013, Sport Science
Accomplishment: Wales – Lacrosse

Name: Matthew Morris
Years Active: 2008, Sport Science
Accomplishment: Wales – Lacrosse

Man throwing the ball to his teammate whilst being tackled

Women's rugby player running with the ball

Life Saving

Name: Helen Smale
Graduation Year: 2011, French and Psychology
Accomplishment: Great Britain – Life Saving

Name: Danni Perks
Graduation Year: 2010, Psychology
Accomplishment: Great Britain – Life Saving

Rowing

Name: Edward Hares
Graduation Year: 2013, MSc Mechanical Engineering
Accomplishment: Welsh International, Home International Regatta Squad

Name: Kate Evans
Graduation Year: 2012, PhD Geography
Accomplishment: Welsh International, Home International Regatta Squad

Name: James Roberts
Graduation Year: 2010, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Came 5th in the Beijing Paralympics Rowing

Name: Hannah Glasson
Graduation Year: 2009, Graduate Diploma in Law
Accomplishment: Trained with the Great Britain team and won Commonwealth Games medal

Name: Daniel John
Graduation Year: 2009, Psychology
Accomplishment: Welsh International, Home International Regatta Squad

Rugby

Name: Alun Wyn Jones
Graduation Year: 2009, Law
Accomplishment: Wales International Rugby player and Ospreys

Name: Huw Bennet
Graduation Year: 2005, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Wales International Rugby player and Lyon

Name: Rhys Priestland
Graduation Year: 2008, Economics
Accomplishment: Wales International Rugby player and Scarlets

Name: Richie Pugh
Graduation Year: 2005, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Wales Sevens International Rugby player and Scarlets

Name: Robert Howley
Graduation Year: 1992, Management Science
Accomplishment: Wales International Rugby player and currently Wales team assistant coach

Name: Paul Thorburn
Graduation Year: 1986, Microbiology
Accomplishment: Captained and played rugby for Wales, Chairman of the Welsh Varsity group

Name: Adedayo Adebayo
Graduation Year: 1992, Sociology and Development Studies
Accomplishment: Former England International Rugby Player

Name: Mark Wyatt
Graduation Year: 1979, Energy Studies
Accomplishment: Former Wales International Rugby Player

Name: Chris White
Graduation Year: 1984, Geography
Accomplishment: Former professional Rugby Union referee. Has refereed 50 test matches, more than 50 Heineken Cup matches, including three finals and three World Cups. Currently the RFU National Referee Academy manager

Name: Katherine Ann Lenaghan
Graduation Year: 2003, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Wales International Rugby player

Name: Siwan Lillicrap
Graduation Year: 2009, Sport Science
Accomplishment: Women's Welsh International Rugby player in Six Nations and Rugby World Cup

Name: Amy Price
Graduation Year: 2013, Adult Nursing
Accomplishment: Women's Welsh International Rugby player

Name: Dafydd James
Graduation Year: 1997,
Accomplishment: Former Welsh international rugby union footballer and the British and Irish Lions footballer

Name: Tal Selley
Graduation Year: 2001, Computer Science
Accomplishment: Welsh former rugby player

Sailing

Name: Dyfrig Mon
Years Active: 2015, PhD Nanotechnology
Accomplishment: Great Britain – Sailing

Name: Sean Evans
Years Active: 2009, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Great Britain – Sailing

Name: Sian Reynolds
Years Active: 2002, Law
Accomplishment: Wales and Great Britain - Sailing, World Yacht Challenge

Surfing

Name: Rhys Poulton
Graduation Year: 2017, Mathematics
Accomplishment: Welsh Surfing

Name: Gwen Spurlock
Graduation Year: 2013, American Studies
Accomplishment: Welsh Surfing

Name: Beth Mason
Graduation Year: 2012, Business Management
Accomplishment: Welsh Surfing

Name: Douglas Etheridge
Graduation Year: 2009, Physiology with Clinical Technology
Accomplishment: Great Britain – Wind Surfing

Name: Renee Godfrey
Graduation Year: 2003, Anthropology
Accomplishment: Four times Wales champion surfer

Swimming

Name: Liz Johnson
Graduation Year: 2007, Business Management and Finance
Accomplishment: Won Gold medal at Beijing Paralympics in swimming

Name: Bethan Coole
Graduation Year: 2007, History
Accomplishment: Wales in Commonwealth Games - Swimming

Name: Louise Henley
Graduation Year: 2007, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Great Britain and Wales– Swimming

Name: Isobel Newman
Graduation Year: 2008, Sports Science
Accomplishment: Great Britain – Swimming

Name: Philippa Davies
Graduation Year: 2008, International Relations
Accomplishment: Great Britain – Swimming

Name: Georgia Davies
Graduation Year: 2015, Law
Accomplishment: Gold for Wales Commonwealth 2014, 2 x Silver for GB Olympic 2016 Swimmer

Name: Gemma Almond
Graduation Year: 2015, MA Early Modern History
Accomplishment: Paralympic Swimmer, currently studying in PhD History

Name: Matt Whorwood
Graduation Year: 2013, Mechanical Engineering
Accomplishment: Paralympic Swimmer

Name: Steven Evans
Graduation Year: 2003, Mathematics
Accomplishment: Represented Wales in Commonwealth Games

Name: Victoria Hale
Graduation Year: 1997, Sociology
Accomplishment: Represented Wales in Commonwealth Games

Name: Adam Mallett
Graduation Year: 2015, MSc Sport Science
Accomplishment: Gold Medallist in the British Swimming Championship

Tae Kwon Do

Name: Megan Davies
Graduation Year: 2009, Geography
Accomplishment: Great Britain and Wales - Tae Kwon Do

Name: Katie Franks
Graduation Year: 2009, Geography
Accomplishment: England – Tae Kwon Do