Performance Sport

Basketball

Essex Rebel Students playing in a basketball match

As a future basketball player for the University of Essex, you'll join one of the top student-athlete pathways in the UK. Our dedicated and inclusive community offers personalised opportunities for your growth, both personally and athletically. 

If you love basketball...

We have teams competing in BUCS inter-university competitions as well as our 5v5 league and intramural competitions.

  • Our women’s teams play in the BUCS Premier League, BUCS Tier 1, BUCS National Championships and BUCS National Trophy
  • Our three men’s teams play in BUCS Premier League and Tier 1 and BUCS regional leagues and BUCS National Championships, BUCS National Trophy and BUCS Conference

Our Essex Rebels professional teams offer a premium platform for competition and game day experiences, providing numerous playing opportunities each week.  Our comprehensive pathway means teams train alongside each other, fostering a sense of unity and collaboration.

  • Our women’s team compete in the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL), the highest level of women's basketball in the UK
  • Our men’s Division 1 and Division 2 teams compete in Basketball England’s National Basketball League (NBL) 

In the past eight years, our basketball program has achieved remarkable success and continual growth. Beginning in 2016 as champions of the Basketball England National Cup, we went on to secure the BUCS National Trophy and claim the title of Champions in the Basketball England National League Division 1 in 2017. Building on this momentum, we proudly became BUCS National Champions in 2022, achieving back-to-back victories in the BUCS Premier League from 2018 to 2022. 

2023 has been the most successful season yet, with our women's professional team reaching the WBBL Betty Codona Trophy Final against London Lions and men's team making the semi-finals of the Basketball England National Cup. Both our men's and women's teams are BUCS Premier South League Champions, with women's making the BUCS National Championship Final. Our men's D3 team remained unbeaten all season and celebrate status as National Playoff Champions. 

Did you know...

  1. After an outstanding season for Essex Rebels and BUCS first team, women's basketball guard Kat Tudor has been named part of WBBL's Team of the Year.
  2. Essex Sport Arena, home of the Essex Rebels is the largest spectator arena in the East, consistently setting record attendance on game days, like the incredible 1,505 cheering supporters on International Women’s Day.
  3. Basketball England awarded Essex Rebels 'Best Gameday Experience' for the 2023/24 season for the second year in a row.

Backing home advantage

Making sure our student-athletes experience a fully supportive environment.

  1. You'll make use of our outstanding facilities including state-of-the-art gym, Human Performance Unit and personalised Strength & Conditioning sessions, as well as the Essex Sport Arena, home of the Essex Rebels professional basketball and volleyball teams.
  2. In September we opened our Performance Analysis and Coaching Room boasting a 100-inch touchscreen TV and sound system. The equipment allows playback of match videos giving coaches the ability to break down and highlight tactical improvements within your game.
  3. Last year we launched the Athlete Village, dedicated accommodation for sports scholars and student-athletes. Located near our sports facilities it’s also a short walk from the lecture theatre building.  

Undergraduate sport scholars: There is a dedicated section within the Athlete Village at our Colchester campus for our undergraduate sports scholars. This is in Frinton Court and application to stay here is managed through our Performance Sport Manager, Susy Davies at performancesport@essex.ac.uk

Postgraduate sport scholars: For our international and UK postgraduate sports scholarship students there is exclusive accommodation at our Colchester campus, located in The Meadows and application to stay here is managed through our Performance Sport Manager, Susy Davies at performancesport@essex.ac.uk

Essex Rebels Basketball performance pathway

Our programme

Our comprehensive basketball programme is designed to nurture talent and fuel your passion for the sport whilst offering academic support for athletes.

A typical week will entail:

  • Five 2-hour basketball training sessions
  • One BUCS competition fixture
  • One individual Strength & Conditioning session
  • One – two performance analysis film sessions
  • A game at the weekend

Players will also have access to:

  • Daily on-court performance coaching
  • Strength and conditioning coaching
  • Performance analysis
  • Use of our onsite Sports Therapy Clinic
  • Access to campus accommodation
  • Allocated lifestyle advisor
  • Workshop programmes with guidance in psychology and nutrition
  • Complimentary gym membership
  • Access sports science testing
  • Timetables individual / small group workouts 

Basketball scholarships and bursaries 

Basketball scholarship applications for 2024-2025 have now closed and we are looking forward to welcoming our student-athletes for pre-season ahead of the new academic year.

Future student-athletes eager to grow, develop, and strive for personal excellence are able to apply for our sport scholarships for 2025-26 from October. If you're up for the challenge and meet the academic eligibility criteria, we have generous fee waiver scholarships up to 100%, cash bursaries plus additional support packages available to financially help support your time here with us.

Applicable for high performance undergraduate or postgraduate student athletes playing at elite National Governing Bodies or Federation pathway programmes (Basketball England EABL, WEABL or international equivalent).

Alongside performance coaching, recipients of the Performance Sport Scholarship programme may also receive additional support services package benefits such as free kit, use of facilities and access to a range of support services worth up to of £1,500 per year (details outlined below). Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has four different tiers:

Scholarship type; Award
Tier 1* Tuition fee discount up to 100%, performance coaching and support services package.
Tier 2 Cash bursary (of varying amounts), performance coaching and support services package (available for undergraduate students only).
Tier 3 Performance coaching and support services package.
Tier 4 25% tuition fee discount  

*Some exceptional athletes in receipt of a tier 1 scholarship may also receive additional financial support.

Under tier 1 of the Performance Sport Scholarship programme, we award a number of tuition fee discounts to students on University of Essex undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research courses.

Basketball Fee discounts for students commencing their studies at Essex in 2024-25 are:

Number of awards Scholarship Award
Up to 8 PG awards for international students (full-time or part-time) Between 50-100% fee discount
Up to 12 UG or PG awards for UK students (full-time or part-time) Between 50-100% fee discount**
 

Details and Deadlines

Applications for our basketball scholarship awards ended 31 May 2024.

If you have any queries about our basketball program, please email performancesport@essex.ac.uk

Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS)

We are proud to be a Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) delivery site. As a Sport England funded partnership between talented athletes, the University of Essex and national governing bodies of sport, we work together to develop the best young talent within the UK.

The TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme recognises an education institution’s commitment to dual career support for talented athletes who are in full time education. We are pleased to offer an enhanced level of academic flexibility and understanding to allow our athletes the ability to balance their studies with a demanding but rewarding sporting schedule.

Alongside a playing career, we also have a range of opportunities to support your professional growth, to navigate a path through placements including but not limited to Sports Therapy, Performance Analysis, Sport Science and game day support. 

Meet the coaches

Coach Ashley Cookson has had a globe-trotting 16-year career steering sides in Sweden, Australia and Canada and is determined to bring further success for the Essex Rebels. He joined the University as Head of Basketball Performance in 2023, taking the reins of the Essex Rebels Women’s team to build on a successful season which saw the side set a nationwide attendance record and launch into the playoffs.

Coach Ross Norfolk graduated from the University of Essex with a BA in Sports Management in 2012. With over a decade’s worth of basketball coaching experience, his passion for the Essex Rebels started as a volunteer assistant coach at the birth of the Performance basketball programme back in 2015. Since making his appointment official, the Assistant Basketball Coach and Head Coach of the Essex Rebels Men’s team is hungry to seek out the most talented ballers to reach the top of the NBL divisions whilst driving future talent through the programme’s multi-faceted approach.

Your future 

Sport scholars through our programmes have gone on to personal and academic success, venturing into professional playing contracts, coaching roles and rewarding employment opportunities.

During your time at Essex, seize the chance to elevate your transferable skills. We provide platforms that spotlight your talents for potential employers in the UK. Your journey extends beyond the courts, laying the groundwork for a successful and fulfilling career.

Read about some of the successful athletes, past and present on our Performance Sport Blog.

Life in the Essex Rebels

Darcy Rees, Essex Rebels basketball player
"This scholarship has allowed me to achieve my goal of completing a Master's Degree while still being able to follow my dream of being a professional basketball player. Without this scholarship I would have been forced to pick one dream over the other. I am very grateful for the opportunity to travel the world while still continuing my education and athletic career."
Darcy Rees Essex Rebels Basketball Player and International Scholar.

For more information on our performance basketball programme please contact performancesport@essex.ac.uk, or call 07498067425.  For information on our professional basketball teams please contact essexrebels@essex.ac.uk.