Wrexham AFC and EA Sports team up to award gaming scholarship

Two Wrexham-based students will have their university degrees joint-funded, thanks to a collaborative initiative between Wrexham AFC, EA SPORTS and Wrexham Glyndwr University.

Dylan Robinson and Nigel Hammond, both undergraduates at WGU, were crowned joint-winners of the inaugural EA SPORTS GAMING SCHOLARSHIP – a commitment from EA SPORTS to support Wrexham AFC’s ongoing work off the pitch and within the local community as its official innovation partner.

Dylan and Nigel will have their BSc (Hons) Computer Game Development and BSc (Hons) Computer Game Design and Enterprise degrees, joint funded after deciding to share the scholarship funding, having both been shortlisted for the finals.

Humphrey Ker, Wrexham AFC Executive Director, said: “We’re delighted that this scholarship programme can help us achieve one of the Club’s key goals, which is to make a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham, and are grateful to EA SPORTS for their ongoing support as part of our official partnership. This is a fantastic initiative and one which has provided a great opportunity for the two winners.”

Shaun Pejic, Live Game Producer at EA SPORTS and former Wrexham AFC footballer said: “We were overwhelmed by the quality of submissions from the students at WGU. We’re extremely proud of this programme as it truly represents the ethos of our partnership with Wrexham AFC – one that both celebrates and nurtures future talent and invests into the local community.”

Shaun continued: “We’re looking forward to joining Dylan and Nigel on their journeys into the gaming industry as they continue their studies at WGU, but also getting the chance to bring them closer to the EA SPORTS ecosystem through close programme mentorship during their studies.”

Richard Hebblewhite, Senior Lecturer, WGU said: “The scholarship programme has been a fantastic platform for our students to demonstrate their passion, drive and creativity within the games space and we’re thrilled for the opportunity that it now brings for both Dylan and Nigel over the coming years.”

“It’s an unbelievable opportunity and I can’t wait to get started,” commented Dylan.

Nigel added: “When I knew I’d been shortlisted I couldn’t believe it. It feels even better to be able to share this experience with Dylan – the next couple of years are set to be pretty exciting!”

EA SPORTS is the official partner of Wrexham AFC, and this year saw the Club become playable in FIFA 22 within Kick-Off mode.

FIFA 22 is available worldwide on PlayStation®️5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Origin™️ and Steam, Stadia, PlayStation®️4 and Xbox One. The FIFA 22 Legacy Edition will be available on Nintendo Switch.