Urddo’r chwaraewraig rygbi ryngwladol Dr Louise Rickard yn Gymrawd Prifysgol Aberystwyth

Dr Louise Rickard

Mae’r chwaraewraig rygbi ryngwladol a’r gyn-fyfyrwraig Dr Louise Rickard wedi ei hurddo’n Gymrawd er Anrhydedd Prifysgol Aberystwyth.

Astudiodd Louise, a gynrychiolodd Gymru ar 112 achlysur, Swoleg fel myfyrwraig is-raddedig yn Aberystwyth cyn mynd ymlaen i gwblhau doethuriaeth mewn Bioleg y Môr yma.

Mae hi bellach yn Bennaeth Bioleg yn Ysgol Woodbridge yn Suffolk. 

Yn ystod ei chyfnod yn Aber chwaraeodd rygbi dros dimau Prifysgolion Cymru, Myfyrwyr Cymru a Phrifysgolion Prydain.  Hi oedd capten Cymru wrth iddynt guro Lloegr am y tro cyntaf ar unrhyw lefel yn rygbi menywod.

Ymhlith uchafbwyntiau ei gyrfa y mae bod yn aelod o’r tîm a enillodd y Goron Driphlyg yn 2009 ac yn aelod o’r unig dîm teithiol o Gymru i ennill cyfres o gemau prawf yn Ne Affrica yn 1994. Chwaraeodd hefyd mewn pedward cwpan byd.

Ar wahân i rygbi, bu’n aelod o garfannau cenedlaethol hoci, karate a bobsledio. Cafodd Louise ei henwebu ar gyfer Personoliaeth Chwaraeon y Flwyddyn BBC Wales 2009.

Yn ogystal, cyrhaeddodd rownd derfynol cyfres y BBC, SAS: Are You Tough Enough?

Mae Louise bellach wedi newid ei hochr, ac yn chwarae rygbi cyffwrdd i dîm W27 Lloegr.

Cafodd Louise ei chyflwyno ar ddydd Mercher 19 Gorffennaf gan Dr Pippa Moore o Athrofa’r Gwyddorau Biolegol, Amgylcheddol a Gwledig.

Y cyflwyniad i Dr Louise Rickard:

Trysorydd, Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor, darpar raddedigion, gyfeillion.  Pleser o’r mwyaf yw cyflwyno Louise Rickard yn gymrawd Prifysgol Aberystwyth.

Treasurer, Pro Vice-Chancellor, prospective graduates and supporters.  It is an honour and a privilege to present Louise Rickard as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Louise graduated from Aberystwyth University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Zoology, during which she studied abroad for one year. It was during her time at the University of California, Irvine that Louise developed her love for marine biology. And who wouldn’t in a country where even the barnacles and mussels are super-sized. This experience led Louise to undertake a PhD in marine biology, again at Aberystwyth, where she studied ‘The Feeding Ecology of Pectenogammarus plaicrurus’. For those in the room that are not marine biologists, Pectenogammarus is a sandhopper; those small animals that ruin beach picnics by jumping into your sandwiches. After completing her PhD, Louise went on to do a PGCE, becoming a biology teacher. She is currently Head of Biology at Woodbridge School in Suffolk where she enjoys inspiring and enthusing the next generation of biologists.

It was while studying at Aberystwyth that Louise took up the game of rugby, where she excelled leading to selection to the Welsh Universities, Welsh Students and British Universities teams before being selected for national duties representing Wales.  She has since gone on to become Wales’ most capped and women’s rugby’s second most capped player having represent Wales 112 times appearing in four World Cups and numerous European and Six Nation Championships. Being an all round sports women Louise also made national squads in hockey, karate and bobsleigh. 

Louise’s career highlights include being part of the Triple Crown winning team in 2009, following which she was nominated for Welsh Sports personality of the Year alongside the likes of Ryan Giggs. She was also part of the only Welsh team to ever win a Test series in South Africa, beating the Springboks 2-0. She captained Wales to their first victory over England and has also captained the Welsh 7’s team, winning the European Championship in 2006.

Louise’s love for rugby continues, and while potentially not a popular choice in this hall, Louise continues to play at the national level representing England in their senior women’s touch team.

Outside of rugby, Louise has shown she is not just a talented athlete, but also as hard as nails. In 2002 she took part in the Channel 4 series “SAS: Are You Tough Enough?” Out of 29 competitors, and through sleep and food deprivation, she was only one of four to finish and the only female, despite SAS staff believing it impossible for a female to complete the programme.

As someone who is a passionate marine biologist and sports fanatic it has been a real honour to present Louise to you, but I will leave the final words to Dr John Fish, Louise’s PhD supervisor, who said that “Throughout Louise’s career she has shown a determination to succeed no matter how stiff the challenge. She is a very worthy recipient of this Fellowship”.

Trysorydd, mae’n bleser gen i gyflwyno Louise Rickard i chi yn Gymrawd.

Treasurer, it is my absolute pleasure to present Louise Rickard to you as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University.

Trysorydd Dr Timothy Brain gyda Dr Louise Rickard

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Ddirprwy Is-Ganghellor Yr Athro Chris Thomas, Dr Louise Rickard, a Trysorydd Dr Timothy Brain 

Anrhydeddau Prifysgol Aberystwyth 2017

Bydd Prifysgol Aberystwyth yn anrhydeddu wyth o bobl yn ystod seremonïau Graddio 2017, a gynhelir yng Nghanolfan Gelfyddydau’r Brifysgol rhwng dydd Mawrth 18 Gorffennaf a dydd Gwener 21 Gorffennaf.

Cyflwynir chwe Chymrawd er Anrhydedd i unigolion a chanddynt gysylltiad ag Aberystwyth neu â Chymru ar hyn o bryd neu yn y gorffennol, ac sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad eithriadol i’w dewis feysydd.

Cyflwynir dwy radd Baglor er Anrhydedd. Cyflwynir y rhain i unigolion sy’n aelodau o staff Prifysgol Aberystwyth heb radd lefel-mynediad, i gydnabod eu gwasanaeth hir, eu cyfraniad a’u hymrwymiad i’r Sefydliad; ac i aelodau o’r gymuned leol sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad sylweddol i Aberystwyth a’r cyffiniau.

Cymrodoriaethau er Anrhydedd:

Lance Batchelor, cyn-fyfyriwr o Aberystwyth a Phrif Swyddog Gweithredol Saga ccc

Yr Athro Martin Conway, Cymrawd a Thiwtor Hanes yng Ngholeg Balliol, Rhydychen, ac Athro Hanes Ewropeaidd Cyfoes.

Gareth Howell LLB, sy’n raddedig yn y Gyfraith o Aberystwyth sydd wedi dangos arweinyddiaeth arloesol wrth ddyfeisio atebion ymarferol mewn gwledydd sy’n wynebu pontio eithafol yn eu bywyd cenedlaethol.

Heini Gruffudd BA, cyn-fyfyriwr o Aberystwyth,  athro, awdur, ac ymgyrchydd iaith, a chadeirydd Dyfodol i’r Iaith.

Louise Rickard BSc PhD PGCE, sydd wedi ennill dros gant o gapiau Rygbi Cymru ac yn raddedig o Aberystwyth (BSc Anrhydedd Sŵoleg, PhD Bioleg y Môr), a Phennaeth Bioleg yn Suffolk.

Dato’ Mohamed Sharil bin Mohamed Tarmizi LLB, cyn-fyfyriwr o Brifysgol Aberystwyth a chyn-reoleiddiwr  telegyfathrebu, cyfryngau a phost ym Malaysia.

Graddau Baglor er Anrhydedd:  

Alan Lovatt, Uwch-fridiwr Glaswellt yn Athrofa’r Gwyddorau Biolegol, Amgylcheddol a Gwledig (IBERS) ym Mhrifysgol Aberystwyth.

David Alun Jones, Is-Lywydd Cymdeithas Pêl Droed Cymru a Llywydd Cymdeithas Pêl-droed Canolbarth Cymru.

Rhannu