AN MSC sports science student, who has just graduated from the University of Chester, is celebrating an impressive hat trick of academic and professional successes.

Not only has Emma Edwards, 35, from Chester, achieved a first class honours undergraduate degree and a Masters in sports science from the university, but she also landed her dream job in rugby league through the university’s close links with Warrington Wolves rugby club.

Since starting an internship within the club’s scholarship programme in her second year, Emma has provided analytical support to all of Warrington Wolves’ squads.

Her career progression has been so fast that she now holds the position of head of performance analysis and recently toured New Zealand and Australia with the senior England Rugby League squad during the recent Four Nations tournament.

In her role, Emma is responsible for developing systems and using them to undertake technical and tactical performance evaluation, the results of which are fed back to coaching staff and players.

She conducts live and post-event analysis of training and matches, with the end goal of improving performance.

Emma said: “By systematically analysing performance I can create hard evidence to assist both with the coaching process and players’ understanding of their own and other players’ performances. Ultimately, I intend to make myself indispensable to staff and players alike.”

While hugely proud of the achievements she has made in such a short period of time, during her four years studying at the University of Chester, Emma feels even more appreciative of the impact that her success has had on her family.

Emma added: “My parents, who neither own a television, nor have any knowledge of rugby league, visited their neighbours to watch Warrington Wolves successfully retain the Challenge Cup last year. My dad actually noted the times that they saw me on TV!

“With the majority of my family being scattered around south England, I don’t get the chance to visit them often so I am immensely proud of the boys for being so successful and thus enabling my family to gain some insight into the career that I have worked so hard to attain.”