Top University Athletes Honoured

Press Release:
University Sport New Zealand

New Zealand University Blues will be awarded to 47 university athletes at a ceremony at Parliament on June 2 hosted by the Minister for Sport, Fitness and Leisure Trevor Mallard.

“I am very excited about these awards”, said Sacha Haskell Executive Director of University Sport New Zealand. “The link between sporting and academic excellence is really something to celebrate. That link emphasises that people can and do excel in more than one area in their life; that discipline, application and determination count in whatever a person chooses to do. That is such a simple but important idea that we need to nurture within our society”.

“All recipients are New Zealand representatives, including two paralympians. The Blues award is the most prestigious sports award offered to tertiary students. It recognises and celebrates excellence in sporting and academic achievements.”

“The 47 recipients come from 96 nominations put forward to the Blues panel which consists of a highly qualified panel of Dr Jane Skeen, Howie Tamati, Mary Stewart, and Stephanie Foster. The panel is instrumental in maintaining very high standards for this award and have done another magnificent job this year”.

“I am pleased we are able to recognise recipients in 26 sports, with Volleyball and Badminton the two sports with the largest number of recipients. The level of the recipients underlines the commitment of University Sport NZ to send a New Zealand Universities Womens Volleyball Team to compete at the 21st World University Games this year in Beijing August 18 - September 4”.

The recipients study at the following institutions:
Auckland University 15
Canterbury 11
Otago 7
Massey Palmerston North 5
Victoria 5
Waikato University 2
Lincoln University 1
Massey Wellington 1

The award presentation will be hosted by Hon Trevor Mallard in the Banquet Hall of Parliament on Saturday June 2.

For further information contact University Sport NZ:
Sacha Haskell (Executive Director) 04 499 3550
Richard Casutt (National Development Officer) 04 499 3550

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