College tendered bus passes are now on sale via the College Store. Please ensure you have checked the correct route on the Travel Hub as once purchased these cannot be changed until the following term. Go Bus (TFC passes) should be purchased via their mobile app. For further information about the start of year please visit our Start of Year Guide.
The Home of Professional Sport Pathways in Cornwall
Take your talent further — on the pitch, on the court and beyond.
Over 30 Years of Sporting Excellence
At Truro and Penwith College, ambitious young athletes can combine quality education with high-performance training, specialist coaching and genuine connections to professional sport.
For more than 30 years, the College has helped talented students from Cornwall develop as athletes, succeed in their studies and progress towards professional sport, university and rewarding careers across the sports industry.
Today, our established Exeter Chiefs Academy pathway sits alongside Official Education Partnerships with the Cornish Pirates and Truro City FC, our link with Cornwall Saracens Basketball Club and a wider network of sporting relationships. Together, they make Truro and Penwith College the home of professional sport pathways in Cornwall.
Professional sport pathways built on experience
A professional pathway is about far more than putting a club badge on a College programme. It requires trusted relationships, outstanding coaching, the right facilities, meaningful competition and a track record of helping young people progress.
That is what Truro and Penwith College has built over more than three decades.
Students train in an ambitious and supportive environment while continuing to focus on the qualification that will shape their future. Sport Academy sessions are built around College studies, allowing students to pursue high sporting standards alongside A Levels or vocational programmes.
Whether your goal is to play at the highest level, continue your development at university or build a career in the wider sports industry, you will be supported to progress as a student, an athlete and a person.
Exeter Chiefs Rugby Academy pathway
Truro College is an established part of the Exeter Chiefs Academy pathway and one of the club’s key development bases for talented players in Cornwall.
Exeter Chiefs Academy staff are based on site, giving players access to specialist rugby coaching, strength and conditioning, performance analysis and player development within their College week. Truro College is also the Chiefs Academy’s southern training venue and competes in the RFU ACE League, giving students the opportunity to test themselves against leading rugby programmes from across the country.
The pathway has helped develop Premiership players, England internationals and British & Irish Lions, with former Truro College students including Ben Hammersley, Jack Nowell and Luke Cowan-Dickie among those who have progressed to the highest levels of the game.
The College offers ambitious pathways for both male and female players. Our Elite Female Rugby Academy works with Exeter Chiefs to provide full-time Academy coaching and clear progression towards university, club, Premiership and international rugby.
Outstanding players may also have the potential to progress into England Rugby age-grade and representative pathways. These opportunities are subject to external selection and cannot be guaranteed.
Cornish Pirates: a proven route into professional rugby
Truro and Penwith College is the Official Education Partner of the Cornish Pirates, building on a relationship spanning more than a decade.
This is a partnership rooted in real progression. Recent College alumni including Joe and Barnaby Elderkin and Ben Woodmansey have moved from the Rugby Academy into the professional game, providing visible role models for the next generation of Cornish players.
Students can benefit from access to professional environments, industry expertise, player and alumni insight and opportunities to understand the many careers that make professional rugby possible. The partnership also includes talent identification activity and a growing programme of experiences designed to bring education and professional sport closer together.
Truro City FC: pathways on and off the pitch
As Official Education Partner of Truro City FC, the College is working with one of Cornwall’s leading football clubs to make opportunities across the game more visible and accessible to young people.
The partnership builds on the existing relationship between the College and the club, creating new opportunities for Football Academy students while opening up insight into the wider professional sports industry.
Through player pathway stories, coaching insight, behind-the-scenes content, matchday activity and community engagement, students can see where their ability, commitment and education could take them — as players and in careers across coaching, analysis, media, marketing, events and business.
Basketball pathways with Cornwall Saracens
The College Basketball Academy has a strong link with Cornwall Saracens Basketball Club, connecting College training with an established youth and performance pathway across the county.
Students develop through regular coaching, strength and conditioning and competitive fixtures while continuing their studies. Recent College and Cornwall Saracens players have progressed to international opportunities, including selection to represent the International Basketball Academy at the AAU Under-19 World Basketball Championships in Florida.
One College. Ten Sport Academies. More ways to progress.
Professional pathways are part of a much wider sporting offer at Truro and Penwith College. Students can access expert coaching, technical development, performance analysis, strength and conditioning and high-level competition through academies in:
- Basketball
- Cricket
- Men’s Football
- Women’s Football
- Elite Sport
- Hockey
- Netball
- Men’s Rugby
- Women’s Rugby
- Tennis
Facilities include dedicated strength and conditioning suites, sports halls, 3G and 4G pitches, a multi-use games area, fitness suites, an exercise physiology laboratory and the Cornwall Indoor Cricket Centre.
Professional sport is more than playing
Every professional club depends on skilled people behind the team. Our partnerships help students explore careers across:
- Coaching and player development
- Physiotherapy, rehabilitation and sports therapy
- Sport and exercise science
- Strength and conditioning
- Performance analysis
- Media, content and journalism
- Marketing and communications
- Events and matchday operations
- Hospitality and business
That means students do not have to become professional players to build a successful future in professional sport. The same partnerships that support athlete development can provide insight, experience and inspiration for careers throughout the industry.
Education and sporting ambition — together
Your education remains at the heart of the programme.
Sport Academy sessions are designed to fit around your main course, so you can combine high-performance sport with a wide choice of A Levels and vocational qualifications. You will be expected to show commitment to training, competition and your studies, with expert staff supporting you to achieve on and off the field.
At Truro and Penwith College, you do not have to choose between an excellent education and serious sporting development. You can pursue both — and go further.
Ready to take your next step?
Explore the Sport Academies, meet our coaches and discover the course that is right for you.
Our Stories
Life in the Football Academy
For students at the Football Academy, success is more than what happens on the pitch. It is about being part of a close-knit team, building lifelong friendships, and pushing each other to achieve more every day.
June 23, 2026
Fred – BSc (Hons) Applied Sport and Health Science
Fred’s journey with the College has come full circle, from playing in Truro College’s Football Academy first team to later coaching it. Alongside this, he became a fully qualified gym instructor thanks to his degree at the University Centre and now is committed to helping students both on the pitch and in the gym.
April 3, 2025
Lucie’s Story
Lucie progressed in her favourite sport by joining the Rugby Academy and has received an exceptional sporting offer as a result.
July 25, 2023
Callum’s Story
Callum’s passion for sport drew him to Truro and Penwith College, where he was able to join the Cricket Academy, learn new skills and put those skills into practice in his main studies.
July 1, 2022
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Frequently Asked Questions
Truro and Penwith College offers professional sport pathways through its established relationship with Exeter Chiefs and Official Education Partnerships with the Cornish Pirates and Truro City FC. The College also works with Cornwall Saracens Basketball Club and a wider network of sports organisations.
Truro College is an established Exeter Chiefs Academy partner and the Academy’s southern training venue. Exeter Chiefs Academy staff are based on site, and Truro College competes in the national RFU ACE League.
Yes. Sport Academies are part of the College’s enrichment programme and are designed to work around a student’s main course. Depending on suitability and timetabling, students can combine an Academy with A Levels or a vocational programme, including subjects outside sport.
The College offers academies in basketball, cricket, men’s and women’s football, elite sport, hockey, netball, men’s and women’s rugby and tennis.
No. The College’s professional partnerships also help students explore careers in coaching, physiotherapy, sports science, strength and conditioning, performance analysis, media, marketing, events, hospitality and business.
Students select their preferred enrichment option as part of their College application and can discuss the right Academy pathway at interview. Sport Academies require commitment to training and fixtures. A contribution charge supports kit and travel, and financial support may be available.