With the 2024/25 academic year fast approaching, we are proud to begin celebrating our students who have confirmed their places at universities and will soon be arriving in the UK.
Over the past year, we have had the privilege of working with hundreds of talented students from around the world who are passionate about combining their education with sport.
For many, September marks the beginning of an exciting journey, balancing high-level sport with their academic pursuits in a brand new country.
Among this year’s arrivals is 18 year old Zimbabwean cricketer, Matthew Schonken, who with our free assistance, will be continuing his promising career at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
As he prepares to join one of the UK’s premier university cricket programs, we spoke with Matthew about his decision to study in the UK and his experience working with The Student Sport Company.
Meet Matthew
Studied at the Hellenic Academy in Harare, Zimbabwe.
Selected as a 16 year-old to represent Zimbabwe Under-19 at the ICC Junior World Cup held in the West Indies.
Captained the Zimbabwe Under-19 team at the 2024 ICC Junior World Cup in Sri Lanka.
Will be joining one of the UK’s top university cricket programs whilst pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Business & Management.
What made you decide to pursue your education and cricket career in the UK?
“Having had the privilege of playing in the last two ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cups, and captaining my country in the most recent edition, I wanted to give myself the best chance of improving my game and playing regularly against top-class opposition with a view to maybe playing at the highest level someday.
As a sportsman, I also realise that sporting careers have limited lives, and therefore I was very keen to ensure that I also develop myself academically for the future and build other skills. I looked at a number of options, but felt that the UK would offer me the best option to develop both my sporting and academic careers simultaneously.
As a cricketer, the UK is a natural choice for me, as it offers the best cricket facilities, coaching and systems, combined with world-class education.”
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Matthew has been a pivotal figure in the national cricket scene from a young age. A leg-spin bowler and upper-order batsman, he has represented Zimbabwe Cricket at various age-group levels, including captaining the Zimbabwe Under-19 team at the 2024 Junior World Cup in Sri Lanka.
What are your expectations and goals as a student-athlete in the UK?
“I am hoping that my experience as a student-athlete in the UK will allow me to be exposed to some of the best cricket coaching available in the world, allow me to regularly test my skills against high-quality players, and generally develop my all-round game.
Allied to this, I am hoping to ensure that I achieve my academic goal and ensure that I develop myself as a person outside the sporting sphere and build a network for myself for the future.”
The talented all-rounder has been balancing his studies at the Hellenic Academy in Harare, Zimbabwe with rigorous training and international tours in recent years. His commitment to the sport he loves has seen him travel extensively, highlighted by a month-long tour in India and a week in South Africa.
How do you feel about the level of support and guidance provided by our team throughout the recruitment process?
“I had fairly limited knowledge about the university options and opportunities that might be available to me in the UK. The Student Sport Company provided me with amazing support throughout the process.
We started with an online meeting where I was able to describe what I was really looking to achieve; this allowed SSC to get to know me and understand what might work for me. SSC arranged online meetings with various universities for me, and then were available for feedback sessions where I was able to get guidance and input and discuss the options.
I eventually accepted an offer from Cardiff Metropolitan University, which I did not even have as an option when I started the process.
Thanks to The Student Sport Company, I am now looking forward to becoming a CMU student!”
How do you envision balancing your academic and athletic responsibilities while studying in the UK?
“I am confident that the academic and sports personnel at CMU will provide me with the support and input that I will need to balance all my responsibilities whilst studying in the UK.
I will be taking both my education and cricket very seriously, and it is therefore important I find the right balance; my main focus is to succeed and be the best that I can be in both fields.”
What are you most looking forward to ahead of your first year in the UK?
“I’m very much looking forward to living in a different part of the world, playing cricket at a high level, and being exposed to the world-class cricket coaching at CMU.
I am also looking forward to developing myself academically, experiencing different cultures and making friends along the way!”
Interested in continuing your cricket career and education at a UK University? We can help!
We proudly work with the leading sporting and academic institutions throughout the U.K. and are able to offer international students of all ages and levels of study the opportunity to combine their preferred academic qualifications with their sporting ambitions.
Learn more about BUCS cricket below or register your details for our free service to embark on your exciting journey of education and sports in the United Kingdom.
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