Edinburgh aims to become the “No.1 sports university in the UK” after signing a six-figure sponsorship deal. And the former Hibs chief executive who secured the three-year partnership with sports hydration brand Grill believes the Uni can be as big a brand as the capital’s two Scottish Premiership clubs. Mark Munro, director of sport and active health at the University of Edinburgh, revealed: “We've got ambitions to be the number one university for sport and physical activity in the UK in the next five years. We're right up there already. “If you look at BUCs in terms of British University College of Sport league tables, we're fifth last year, we've been fifth for the last few years. We're not going to compete with Loughborough and Nottingham in terms of league points because of the sheer size and scale and the geography that Scottish University of Edinburgh in particular faces. But in terms of points at BUCs, it's based on participation numbers, the number of teams, number of players, athletes and success in terms of league points and individual points. “So we recognise that we won't be number one in terms of, you know, elite sport in the UK. It's just not going to happen. But where we can be number one, if you look at the size and scale of what we do, you know, we are already right up there. “Ourselves and Nottingham are probably the two biggest sport institutions. We want to be the best known in our active wellbeing and active lives work. And we're already doing some amazing work. “In terms of the amount, of course we're not allowed to talk about the amount. But from the research we've done, outwith maybe specific events like the Boat Race every year, in terms of a more widespread commercial deal, it seems to be the biggest - or at least one of the biggest - that's ever been done in the UK university sports sector.” A lot of attention in university sport is focused on the elite end. And Edinburgh are more than holding their end up when it comes to world-class student athletes, Munro explaining: “If you look at athletes coming in, you’ve got Phoebe Gill, who is arguably one of Britain's biggest track and field talents. She was semi-finalist in the Olympics last year over 800 metres. “She's had some injuries this year, but she has looked at Edinburgh from, yes, the academic side. But also our performance section with Mark Rowland, the coach in there. “We've got Noah Penman, the diver who medalled at the recent European Championships, coming into work in the performance set that we've got in partnership with Aquatics GB. So, what we're trying to do is develop really good partnerships with governing bodies and develop real fantastic performance environments at that top end, and attract really, really top end talent. “In a couple of weeks’ time, you've got Faye Rogers, who's the Paralympic champion and world record holder coming into the swimming programme. She'll work away her coach here, and Stephen Clegg, double Paralympic champions already in that programme. “We see our job as how do we help these elite athletes get to the next stage while they're with us. So we absolutely think we can be number one in the UK, and have a global impact. We're not the US collegiate programmes in professional sports, but we think we can influence a lot of what good practise looks like across that sector.” A lot of the funding will also go to internal programmes, including exercise schemes aimed at students suffering with mental health challenges, while supporting the 70 sports clubs and maintaining facilities. Greg McEwan, who served as commercial director and interim CEO during his time at Easter Road, negotiated the new deal in his role as head of commercial business for the sports arm at Edinburgh. He believes the sports section should be recognised as a major force in the capital. “We're just trying to position ourselves as the leaders in this area and have that innovation and drive to be a sports brand,” he said, adding: “I'm looking at Edinburgh Uni and thinking, why is it any different to Hibs, Hearts, Edinburgh Rugby? We should be our own sports brand within the city, because we have similar numbers, size, scale, with that bullseye demographic.”