GIS Students Gain Hands-On Experience with Great British Wheelchair Rugby

An opportunity to apply classroom learning to professional situations, internships are a useful and common way of launching a career in the sports industry.

Recently, GIS students Heidi Baker and Will Mapletoft have done exactly this, earning placements with Great British Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR).

The sport’s national governing body in England, Scotland, and Wales, the students have been working for GBWR under Head of Marketing Mick Armstrong, who has described the support as “hugely valuable.”

Heidi, who studies MSc Sports Marketing and Media, currently splits her time between the role and her studies, a task she says “is hard but can be done, and is so worth it in the end.”

At GBWR, her role is aimed at growing the body’s social media presence, leading her to start her own series titled ‘Heidi Learns Wheelchair Rugby’ on TikTok. “The idea,” she told GIS, “is to help those new to the sport understand it more easily, as someone on the team is learning as well.”

Alongside Heidi, Will has also been working on growing the organisation’s brand, and recently attended a wheelchair rugby competition in Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympics, which has been a standout experience for him so far.

“It was great to see the sport in action and meet several players,” he said, “as well as the wonderful volunteers and officials who make it possible for these events to take place.”

A part-time MSc International Sports Management student, Will then told us about his biggest takeaways from the internship so far, referring to the wider impact that marketing can have.

“Besides getting hands-on marketing experience, I have really learnt the importance of promoting disability sports like wheelchair rugby, which helps to break down barriers to entry, improve accessibility and make them more discoverable.” 

For Heidi, the highlight so far was heading further north to the Allied Mobility Wheelchair Rugby National Championship in Sunderland, providing more opportunities for content from Instagram Lives to post-match interviews with the players.

Discussing her biggest learning so far, Heidi advised other students to “take every opportunity you can; you never know where it might take you.”

Alongside full-time studies and her GBWR internship, Heidi is also Social Lead at SPARK, GIS’ bespoke network designed to empower women in sport through mentorship, leadership opportunities, and industry connections.

As for GBWR, Heidi and Will have adapted quickly and brought fresh perspectives to the organisation, according to Armstrong.

“Heidi and Will have contributed to both content and event delivery straight away, and their support has allowed us to increase our content output and explore new ideas.

“For me, this isn’t about using interns as extra resources. It’s about giving opportunities to people who are genuinely passionate about the industry and want to develop their skills in a real-world environment. In return, we benefit from their energy and ideas, while they gain meaningful, hands-on experience they can confidently take to future employers.

“It’s a genuine win-win,” he concluded.

Article by Zakaria Anani