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Sports scientists' defensiveness about their intellectual credentials is clear from your accusation that my department is undermining sport psychology's academic profile by introducing a joint honours programme in the subject ("Intellectual integrity that may get lost in the scrum", THES , November 29).

While not "big hitters", we run successful honours degrees in sport and exercise science as well as MSc and MPhil/PhD programmes. The decision to offer this option was an extension of this work.

To deny students the opportunity to study something that clearly interests them because it might damage the subject's reputation is perverse and more in keeping with the "culture of ivory tower elitism" that Richard Caborn alleges.

Chris Bull
Head of sport science, tourism and leisure
Canterbury Christ Church University College