The former rugby league player delivered a talk to students about his career and recent move to a new role as Head of Culture, Diversity and Inclusivity at Leeds Rhinos.

His talk was part of the Moving Forward: Working in Sport and Wellbeing conference, organised by Associate Professor Lisa Gannon and the Careers+Placements team at Leeds Trinity, for students in the School of Sport and Wellbeing to explore various career options.

There were also sessions on getting into teaching, working in the community, coaching, and strength and conditioning led by representatives from local organisations including Beth Cook (Health and Wellbeing Manager at Yorkshire County Cricket Foundation), Lizzy Campbell (UK Coaching) and Leeds Trinity University alumnus Jordan Fentiman (Strength and Conditioning Coach at Castleford Tigers).

As part of the conference, there was a Careers Fair to give students the opportunity to network with potential employers within the sport and wellbeing industry. All Leeds Trinity University degrees offer a blend of employability skills, professional work placements, extra-curricular activities and one-to-one support to give its graduates a head start in getting a job.

Dr Lisa Gannon, Associate Professor (Professional Practice) at Leeds Trinity University, said: “The Moving Forward: Working in Sport and Wellbeing conference has been an outstanding experience for our students, motivating them to consider their next steps during their degree and after they graduate.

“Students across all years were in attendance and with bespoke workshops provided for each degree pathway. Our keynote speaker, Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE, delivered a truly inspirational, thought-provoking, and humorous talk about his career and how he is navigating his new role, as well as offering some important tips and advice. It was the perfect way to open the day.

“Events like this are key for our students to network with potential employers and I am delighted that we were able to give them such a fantastic opportunity. A huge thank you goes to all the external speakers and organisations for their valued contributions, which will go a long way to equipping our students for the future.”

Tim Feather, Graduate Employment Manager at Leeds Trinity University, said: “At Leeds Trinity, we are committed to ensuring that all our students have the opportunity to build their skills and networks during their time at university to benefit their future careers.

“This event was a fantastic example of that, giving our students the opportunity to get advice and guidance from professionals working in industries that they are interested in. Students left the event with a new perspective and feeling inspired to take responsibility for their own career planning and to begin taking the next steps.”

Jamie Jones-Buchanan MBE made over 400 appearances for Leeds Rhinos during a career spanning from 1999-2019, after which he became an assistant coach at the club and briefly served as interim head coach in 2022.

When discussing advice for students, he said: “When you come across barriers and obstacles, if you’re passionate about something and you’ve dreamed about it enough and you’ve imagined it enough, you’re almost equipped with the plan to overcome those obstacles.

“A lot of people become discouraged when they come across adversity or they get a setback in life. I’d encourage people to persevere with it, keep going, no matter what bit of adversity you come across, it’ll only make you stronger if you can stick with it.”

Read more about Careers and Employability at Leeds Trinity University on the website.