When we think about how universities build their international reputation, we tend to focus on academic excellence, research partnerships, rankings and graduate outcomes. Yet another powerful way to connect institutions, countries and communities is through sport.
Sport transcends borders, cultures and languages. It creates shared experiences, forms relationships and generates goodwill in ways that traditional institutional engagement sometimes cannot. For universities seeking to strengthen their international presence, this represents an opportunity that extends well beyond the playing field.
At University College Dublin (UCD), sport is central to institutional identity. Our sporting tradition is reflected not only in competitive success, but in a sustained commitment to establishing opportunities for students to participate, excel and connect.
Significant investment backs that commitment. UCD is currently redeveloping its sports facilities, a project valued at more than €90 million. This includes new playing pitches, an athletics track, indoor tennis courts, as well as a large multipurpose sports hall.
Alongside investment in sports scholarships, coaching and high-performance athletic supports, these facilities reflect our belief that sport is integral to the university experience.
Sporting achievement generates considerable international visibility. At the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 34 UCD students and alumni represented Ireland on a global stage, including two-time Olympic gold medallist Paul O’Donovan.
Our Olympic athletes’ achievements bring recognition not only to themselves and Ireland, but also to the university community that has supported their development
Our Olympic athletes’ achievements bring recognition not only to themselves and Ireland, but also to the university community that has supported their development.
However, the diplomatic value of sports is not solely confined to elite competition.
Ireland offers a particularly interesting example through Gaelic games. Across North America, Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and elsewhere, international GAA clubs connect Irish diaspora with local populations, building networks around shared interests and cultural exchange.
For Irish universities like UCD, these networks offer opportunities to engage prospective students, alumni and international partners through an authentic expression of Irish identity.
Sport can also create new opportunities for institutional diplomacy. University engagement with international sporting organisations, national associations, overseas clubs and diplomatic missions can strengthen relationships that extend into education, research and broader international cooperation.
Indeed, UCD’s recent engagement with the Welsh Government Office in Ireland, which brought Olympic athlete Colin Jackson to campus, illustrates how sport can support bilateral relationships, connecting universities and governments.
There is also an important student recruitment dimension to sport. International students are choosing more than a qualification. They are choosing a community, an experience and a place where they hope to belong. Sporting opportunities, whether recreational or competitive, can help students integrate into campus life and develop connections that endure long after graduation.
For universities, there is a strategic opportunity to connect these different dimensions more deliberately: sporting excellence, student experience, alumni engagement, international recruitment and diplomacy.
In an increasingly competitive global higher education environment, reputation is shaped not only by what universities achieve academically, but by the relationships they build and the people they inspire.
Sport offers a compelling way to do both.
It is time we recognised it not simply as a key part of university life, but as an essential contributor to international engagement and institutional standing.
About the author: Una Watkins is director of international student recruitment and global centres at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland’s global university. With over 20 years’ experience in international higher education, she provides strategic leadership for UCD’s international student recruitment, global market development and overseas operations, supporting the university’s international ambitions and global reputation.
Her work spans internationalisation strategy, global partnerships, market diversification and institutional positioning, with a particular focus on strengthening UCD’s international presence and engagement. A UCD alumna, Una has a strong interest in the role of higher education in international diplomacy, sustainability and the development of enduring global relationships.
