England call for sport science graduate

MMU sport science graduate Mark Cueto has been called up to represent his country in Rugby Union.

Mark will win his first England cap for the World Champions against Canada on Saturday, November 13 in the first rugby international since the departure of coach Clive Woodward.

The Sale centre, age 24, graduated from the BSc (Hons) Sport Coaching and Exercise course at Alsager and captained the successful MMU rugby team.

But he actually arrived at Alsager with ambitions to be a footballer!

Dr Neil Roach, senior lecturer in sport science, remembers both sides of his talent: "Mark was an excellent footballer but when he started picking up the ball he was even better. We've still got the bruises to prove it!"

The player left MMU to play for junior club Altrincham Kersal before joining Sale Sharks, the current leaders in the Zurich Premiership.

Cueto is the third international rugby union player to graduate from MMU Cheshire after Will Harrison, the England star of the late 1980s and Ian Bucket, of Swansea and Wales.

MMU has several professional sportsmen and owmen enrolled on its exercise and coaching courses including Saracens scrum-half Joe Bedford who studies a special distance-learning course.

For more information about sport, exercise and coaching science courses at MMU, contact 0161 247 2991 or email sport.ca@mmu.ac.uk go to www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/exspsci/