(L-R): Director RAF Sport Air Commodore Rich Fogden, Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group Air Vice-Marshal Ian ‘Cab’ Townsend CBE, Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor, Loughborough University, Professor Jo Maher, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sport, Loughborough University.
Loughborough University and RAF Sport announce partnership
Loughborough University and Royal Air Force (RAF) Sport are proud to announce a new partnership aimed at fostering high-performance sporting development for RAF personnel.
Image provided by RAF Sport.
The collaboration will see RAF colleagues use Loughborough University’s world-class sport facilities for training, friendly and competitive fixtures, and major sporting events.
The partnership will also explore wider initiatives, including recruitment opportunities, research and innovation development, and additional bespoke programmes to support both organisations’ sports ambitions and beyond.
The initiative aims to enhance the performance of RAF teams while promoting a culture of shared knowledge and experience between military and university colleagues.
Loughborough will also host competitive fixtures and headline events, bringing together elite military and civilian athletes in a sporting ecosystem that champions excellence, teamwork, and sporting achievement.
“This collaboration aligns with our mission to push the boundaries of performance while also providing career pathways and valuable leadership experiences. We look forward to the opportunities this partnership will bring.”
Head RAF Sport, Air Officer Commanding 22 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Ian "Cab" Townsend CBE, noted: “RAF Sport is delighted to be signing this MOU with Loughborough University, which will have mutual benefits by allowing our Serving People access to these world class facilities and faculties. We have a decades long relationship with Loughborough, which will be re-energised through this sporting partnership.
“Sport plays a huge part in developing and maintaining our mental and physical health, and building our resilience in preparation for operations and all else – making our people them ‘Fit for Service and Fit for Life’. We are excited by the opportunities this presents and look forward to working together to great effect.”
The partnership will officially launch in March 2025 with further details on fixtures and events to be announced in the coming months.
Notes for editors
Press release reference number: 25/30
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2024 QS World University Rankings – the eighth year running.
Loughborough is ranked 6th in The UK Complete University Guide 2025, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2025 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
Loughborough was also named University of the Year for Sport in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 - the fourth time it has been awarded the prestigious title.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
(L-R): Director RAF Sport Air Commodore Rich Fogden, Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group Air Vice-Marshal Ian ‘Cab’ Townsend CBE, Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Chancellor, Loughborough University, Professor Jo Maher, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Sport, Loughborough University.
Loughborough University and Royal Air Force (RAF) Sport are proud to announce a new partnership aimed at fostering high-performance sporting development for RAF personnel.
Image provided by RAF Sport.
The collaboration will see RAF colleagues use Loughborough University’s world-class sport facilities for training, friendly and competitive fixtures, and major sporting events.
The partnership will also explore wider initiatives, including recruitment opportunities, research and innovation development, and additional bespoke programmes to support both organisations’ sports ambitions and beyond.
The initiative aims to enhance the performance of RAF teams while promoting a culture of shared knowledge and experience between military and university colleagues.
Loughborough will also host competitive fixtures and headline events, bringing together elite military and civilian athletes in a sporting ecosystem that champions excellence, teamwork, and sporting achievement.
“This collaboration aligns with our mission to push the boundaries of performance while also providing career pathways and valuable leadership experiences. We look forward to the opportunities this partnership will bring.”
Head RAF Sport, Air Officer Commanding 22 Group, Air Vice-Marshal Ian "Cab" Townsend CBE, noted: “RAF Sport is delighted to be signing this MOU with Loughborough University, which will have mutual benefits by allowing our Serving People access to these world class facilities and faculties. We have a decades long relationship with Loughborough, which will be re-energised through this sporting partnership.
“Sport plays a huge part in developing and maintaining our mental and physical health, and building our resilience in preparation for operations and all else – making our people them ‘Fit for Service and Fit for Life’. We are excited by the opportunities this presents and look forward to working together to great effect.”
The partnership will officially launch in March 2025 with further details on fixtures and events to be announced in the coming months.
Notes for editors
Press release reference number: 25/30
Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.
It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme and named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2024 QS World University Rankings – the eighth year running.
Loughborough is ranked 6th in The UK Complete University Guide 2025, 10th in the Guardian University League Table 2025 and 10th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025.
Loughborough was also named University of the Year for Sport in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 - the fourth time it has been awarded the prestigious title.
Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’, and in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 over 90% of its research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally-excellent’. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.
The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.
