Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association
Te Roopu Tauira a te Kura Wananga o te Upoko o te Ika a Maui Inc.
Press Release for Immediate Release
VUW Sporting Students Succeed at Highest Levels
6:26, Thursday, 16th October 2008
Victoria's supreme athletes and administrators from a variety of sports were honoured at the 2008 Victoria University
Blues Awards, held on Tuesday October 14th.
The Blues are the highest recognition the University can give to people who have, by their sporting achievements or
contribution to sport, brought credit to the institution. They are awarded by the Victoria University of Wellington
Students' Association on the recommendation of the Blues Panel, which consists of the representatives of the Victoria
University Sports Council and two appointed members, both of which are highly respected in the Wellington sports
industry.
There were three finalists for Sportsperson of the Year including Victor Vito for achievements in rugby, Chris Bishop
for achievements in debating, and Natasha Hind for achievements in swimming and surf lifesaving. The award going to
Natasha Hind. Natasha is a dual international for NZ in both swimming and surf lifesaving. She was a member of the NZ
Olympic team to Beijing and a gold medal winner at the Oceania Champs in the 4 by 200m freestyle relay. In 2008 Natasha
was named the Dominion Post Wellington Sportswoman of the Year and the Wellington Surf Life Saving High Performance
athlete of the Year.
VUWSA President Joel Cosgrove says "The high level of achievement by VUW students stands on its own merit; we have three
students in very different fields succeeding at the highest level." He feels that "This is a clear recognition of VUW's
strength across a wide variety of codes, put alongside VUW's dominant hold on the Uni Games Shield, sport and recreation
at VUW is in great health."
Kererua Savage was named Maori Sports Person of the Year. The former NRL player was a member of the NZU Rugby League
world cup team and is captain of the Wellington provincial side.
Chris Bishop was named Sports Administrator of the Year. Chris is president of the VUW Debating Society which is
responsible for Victoria being ranked the 19th best debating university in the world.
Former Blues winners include All Blacks Graham Mourie, Jerry Collins and Conrad Smith, five times World Mountain Running
Champ Jonathan Wyatt, and Black Stick Suzie Pearce.
The three major awards, the 2008 Sportsperson of the Year, 2008 Maori Sportsperson and 2008 Sports Administrator of the
Year were presented by Barry Maister at the conclusion of the ceremony.
Barry is a three time Olympian highlighted by the 1976 Olympics in Montreal in which the NZ men's hockey team won gold.
Since his days as an athlete Barry continued a very close relationship with sport through his involvement in the NZ
junior hockey academy and coaching at a national level. Currently Barry is the secretary general of the NZ Olympic
Committee, a position he has been in since late 2000.
The awards were held at the Loaded Hog Ballroom.
Sporting blues:
Polly Higbee: Debating
Kererua Savage: Rugby League
Jonathan Ross: Water polo
Kathryn Scott-Dowell: Debating
Katherine Errington: Debating
Richard D'Ath: Debating
Gareth Richards: Debating
Stephen Whittington: Debating
Chris Bishop: Debating
Louise Hosegood: Athletics
Jo Holdaway: Hockey
Natasha Hind: Swimming
Natasha Hind: Surf Lifesaving
Nardia Roselli: Netball
Jeremy Clark: Handball
Lizzie Ingham: Orienteering
Simon Patterson: Volleyball
Kathryn Campbell: Mountain Biking
Connor Power: Mountain Biking
Michael Pittams: Squash
Eamon Lui-Fakaotimanaua: Water polo
Conor Lui-Fakaotimanaua: Water polo
Tineke Berthelsen: Orienteering
Matthew Thomson: Handball
Stephanie Smith: Squash
Lewis Taiapa-Skinnon: Inline Hockey
Scott Fuglistaller: Rugby Union
Victor Vito: Rugby Union
Michael Hobbs: Rugby Union
Mark Ryan: Waterpolo
Administration blues:
Chris Bishop: Debating
Chris Buehler: Badminton
ENDS