Beth Barrett-Wild awarded honorary degree by University of Essex

Pioneering sports leader Beth Barrett-Wild has been awarded an honorary degree by the University of Essex just days after helping deliver the biggest ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in history.

The honour marks a full-circle moment for Beth, who grew up playing hockey and running cross-country events at the University of Essex before going on to become one of the driving forces behind the transformation of women’s cricket.

Beth was the first female member of the Essex County Age Group pathway and has gone on to help build a new future for women’s cricket, paving the way for future generations through leadership roles at the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The honour comes as the University of Essex continues to strengthen its commitment to women’s sport through its Essex Rebels basketball and volleyball programmes and its partnership with Essex County Cricket, which launched the county’s first professional women’s team.

'When I was eight years old, becoming a professional cricketer simply wasn't a realistic dream for a little girl. Today, it is'

Reflecting on her journey, Kelvedon resident Beth said: “To be recognised by a university with such a strong commitment to opportunity, inclusion and excellence – particularly in the growth and transformation of women's sport – is something I will treasure forever.

“When I was eight years old, becoming a professional cricketer simply wasn't a realistic dream for a little girl. Today, it is.

“Not because one person changed the game, but because thousands of people, over many years, chose to challenge what was accepted, open doors that had been closed, and create opportunities that hadn't existed before.”

Passionate about sport from an early age, with under-21 international honours in hockey and cricket, as Director of Women’s Professional Game at the England & Wales Cricket Board Beth is responsible for the strategic direction of women’s professional cricket and driving the long-term growth of the game on and off the field.

Most recently, she helped oversee the delivery of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, which became the biggest tournament in its history, attracting 245,815 fans across 25 match days and breaking the previous attendance record by more than 100,000.

Since joining the ECB in 2013, Beth has played a leading role in raising the profile of women’s cricket, including helping launch The Hundred, delivering the 2017 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and leading the audience strategy for the record-breaking 2023 Women’s Ashes series.

Her work has helped attract more than one million fans to women’s matches in The Hundred and earned her recognition as one of the BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour Power List's top 10 women in sport in 2023.

'A champion not only of women’s cricket, but of equity, opportunity and belief'

Orator Professor Nelson Cortes, Head of the School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, told graduates at the Colchester Campus about Beth’s remarkable impact.

Professor Cortes said: “Graduates, Beth’s story offers you a powerful lesson.

“Progress does not happen by waiting for permission. It happens when individuals have the courage to step into spaces where they are not yet expected, and to insist that things can be better and need to change.

“As you leave this university, one that is proudly shaping its identity as a leader in women’s sport, you enter a world that needs you to show exactly that kind of courage.

“Courage and determination has helped Beth become a trailblazer – a champion not only of women’s cricket, but of equity, opportunity and belief.”