Student Sport Ireland
The Colleges and Universities Sports Association of Ireland was formed in November 2005 when the Irish Universities and the Institutes of Technology decided to come together and form one organisation to oversee Irish third level student sport.
With financial support from the Irish Sports Council the new organisation set up home in Sport HQ, the new headquarters for a number of Ireland’s national governing bodies.
With two full-time staff working in the CUSAI Office, the organisation was quick to find its feet and along with the international programme which includes the multi sport World University Games (or Universiade) and Championship events in which Irish students compete across the globe, CUSAI have now started to assist the National and Student Governing Bodies of each sport to develop competition and recreation programs to encourage more Irish students to stay involved in sport and physical recreation through their college lives.
Having been involved with Women’s Rugby, Volleyball, Badminton and Snooker & Pool over the last three academic years, CUSAI are currently discussing plans for a number of sports at third level including Soccer, Tennis, Hockey, Golf, Olympic handball, Triathlon & Chess.
CUSAI have also been busy developing relationships with NGB’s to further its international representation and developing on the success that has seen numerous athletes compete for Ireland at World University Events such as:
Sonia O’Sullivan (Athletics, Gold & Silver, Sheffield 1991), Derval O’Rourke (Athletics, 2 x Bronze, Izmir 2005), Paul Hession (Athletics, Silver, Daegu, 2003 & Bronze, Izmir, 2005) & Graeme McDowell (Golf, 2 x Gold, Coleraine, 2000) have all won medals at FISU competitions in the past along with numerous other Irish students.