VUW Sporting Students Succeed at Highest Levels

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

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