Ten new scholarships for elite level athletes were announced at UNSW’s Blues and Sports Awards Night, an annual event celebrating student and club sporting successes.
Leilah Schubert
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Ten new scholarships for elite level athletes, the development of a 2025 sports strategy and early plans to enhance UNSW’s sporting facilities were announced at UNSW’s Blues and Sports Awards Night, an annual event celebrating UNSW student and club sporting successes.
Water polo champion Nathan Power and athletics star Audrey Kyriacou were named UNSW’s athletes of the year on the night, which saw past and current UNSW Olympians take centre stage.
Power is on track to be part of the Australian Men’s Water Polo team at the Rio Olympics. He is studying a Bachelor of Economics, and plays for the UNSW / Wests National League team, which recently won two consecutive national league titles.
Kyriacou, who is studying a Bachelor of Medical Science at UNSW, won both the 100m and the long jump at the 2015 Australian University Games, where she also broke the Games' long jump record. The highlight of her past season was winning the long jump at the NSW Open Championships.
Rugby 7s star Henry Hutchison, sailing’s Lisa Darmanin and gold-medal winning Paralympian Prue Watt spoke about their preparation for Rio, and Scott Kneller and Taylah Paige O’Neil, who were UNSW’s 2014 Athletes of the Year, shared their experiences competing at Sochi and combining study and sport.
(L-R) UNSW Olympians Scott Kneller, Prue Watt, Henry Hutchison, Taylah Paige O’Neil and Lisa Darmanin.
The evening included the awarding of Blues – the University’ highest sporting honour. Blues awards are a tradition that began at Oxford and Cambridge universities in the UK, and which were first awarded at UNSW in 1955.
UNSW President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs presented Blues awards to nine UNSW students; Matthew Rawlinson (AFL), Charles Wakim (cricket), Eshan Wickrema (ultimate frisbee), Hannah Jones (athletics), Ivor Metcalf (athletics), Georgia Redmayne (cricket), Heidi Wright (judo), Harrison Garrett (baseball) and Jordan White (swimming).
Professor Jacobs said he was keen to see sport take a central role at UNSW, announcing the establishment of 10 new club-based scholarships for elite level athletes in 2017, the development of a UNSW 2025 sports strategy, and early plans to redevelop UNSW’s sporting facilities.
“It is great to see the UNSW sports community assemble in this way to celebrate sport and recognise those who compete, as well as the volunteers who put in so many hours for their clubs. We’re incredibly grateful for all the work you do,” said Professor Jacobs.
“I’m keen to see sport flourish at UNSW not just because I personally care about it. I’m keen because sport, as you all know, has a central role in our society, in our community, and in encouraging excellence, teamwork and a balanced lifestyle,” he said.
Australian University Sport CEO Don Knapp presented the AUS Coach of the Year award to UNSW Swimming Club coach Bruce Vyvyan. Knapp acknowledged the hard work of all UNSW sports staff, ARC and Helen Bryson’s work with the elite athletes program, developing high-level athletes as well as enhancing university life.
“There is an emerging body of evidence that students who participate in sport are better retained in the system, they have higher completion rates, and there is solid evidence from the UK that student athletes have higher employability rates,” Knapp said.
UNSW Judo Club head coach Warren Rosser and Australian cricketer Alex Blackwell were inducted into the UNSW Hall of Fame. Rosser represented Australia at the 1998 Olympics in Seoul as well as three World Championships and has been head coach at UNSW for 14 years. Blackwell was a UNSW Ben Lexcen Scholar from 2002–2005 and is the most-capped female Cricketer in Australian history.
UNSW representatives who are on the road to Rio include current students Nathan Power (Water Polo), Prue Watt (Paralympic swimming), Madelaine Heiner (Athletics), and Henry Hutchison (Rugby 7s), alumni Lisa Darmanin (Sailing), and Johnno Cotterill (Water Polo), and UNSW Club Members Richie Campbell (Water Polo), Joel Dennerley (Water Polo), Bronwen Knox (Water Polo) and Miranda Gambelli (Judo).