Presented in partnership with Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA), the Blues Awards are the highest sporting accolade the University can give to students who have brought credit to the institution through their sporting achievements or contribution to sport.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford, who presented the awards with VUWSA President Rick Zwaan, describes the University Blues Award as one of New Zealand’s most prestigious and long-standing accolades.
“These awards give us the opportunity to acknowledge those students who have achieved outstanding sporting success through tremendous hard-work and dedication, while also successfully balancing the academic responsibilities of assignments, tutorials, labs and lectures.”
Science and commerce student James Blackwell was named the 2015 Victoria Sportsperson of the Year.
In the past year, James has represented New Zealand in the U20 Rugby team which won the Junior Rugby World Cup in Italy and the Oceania U20 Rugby Championship beating Japan, Australia and Samoa. He is currently a member of the Wellington Lions provincial rugby team.
For the second year in a row, Sean Durkin was awarded the 2015 Sports Administrator of the Year.
For the past five years commerce and law student Sean has been heavily involved in coaching and administrating rowing in Wellington. He has been the Victoria University Rowing Club President since 2013, as well as a director of the Wellington Rowing Association, senior rowing coach at Wellington College, the Wellington representative at the Rowing New Zealand Annual general meetings and coached the men’s lightweight four for the New Zealand Universities Trans-Tasman series in Australia.
This year, Victoria introduced an award for the Pasifika Sportsperson of the Year which was awarded to commerce and law student, Teariki Ben-Nicholas.
Teariki was a member of the New Zealand team that competed in the Oceania U20 Rugby Championship, beating Japan, Australia and Samoa. He is a member of the Hurricanes U20 rugby team which was undefeated this season, as well as the Wellington U19 Rugby team. He was also a member of the Old Boys University Premier Rugby team who won the Jubilee Cup in 2015 for the first time in 49 years.
Two athletes were named Māori Sportsperson of the Year—Ryan Hunt for mountain biking and Te Wehi o Mahura Wright for rugby.
Ryan (Ngāpuhi) is in his final year of University completing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in history and economics. In October 2014 Ryan competed in the World 24-hour Solo Mountain Bike Championship in Scotland, where he rode approximately 350 kilometres and climbed over 9,000 metres. Ryan is the current World U23 Mountain Biking Champion.
Te Wehi (Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Uenukukōpako, Ngāruahine) is completing a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. Te Wehi was a member of the New Zealand Universities Rugby team which toured Japan and also played for the Horowhenua Kapiti 7’s team which competed at the National 7s tournament. Te Wehi was also a member of the Old Boys University Premier Rugby team which won the Jubilee Cup.
The 2015 Victoria University Blues Award recipients
Sportsperson of the Year
James Blackwell for rugby.
Sports Administrator of the Year
Sean Durkin for rowing administration.
Pasifika Sportsperson of the Year
Teariki Ben-Nicholas for rugby.
Māori Sportspersons of the Year
- Ryan Hunt for mountain biking
- Te Wehi o Mahura Wright for rugby.
Blue Awards for Sport
- Liam Albery for swimming.
- Portia Barcello for netball.
- Tai Barham for futsal.
- Teariki Ben-Nicholas for rugby.
- James Blackwell for rugby.
- Felix Boyce for fencing.
- Fergus Bramley for canoe slalom.
- Tobias Brooke for sprint kayaking.
- Max Brown for sprint kayaking.
- Ruairi Cahill-Fleury for football.
- Harry Chamberlain for cricket.
- Liam Doherty for rugby.
- Jess Fair for small bore rifle shooting.
- Jessica Freeland for underwater hockey.
- Jack Gilpin for rowing.
- Elizabeth Goulden for rugby.
- Thomas Guest for canoe slalom.
- Jackson Henry for athletics
- James Holth for flying disc.
- Luke Humphries for flying disc.
- Ryan Hunt for mountain biking.
- Johnathan Jackson for flying disc.
- Sophia Johnston for volleyball.
- Kate Jordan for rowing.
- Joanna Judge for basketball.
- Richard Kay for underwater hockey.
- Johannah Kearney for rowing.
- Oliver Logan for hockey.
- Mohsen Maddah for futsal.
- Liam Malone for athletics.
- Nicole Martin for fencing.
- Lauren McAndrew for rowing.
- Aaron Miller for flying disc.
- Harry Miskimmin for hockey.
- Joanah Ngan-Woo for rugby.
- Keeley O’Hagan for athletics.
- Tristan O’Neale for underwater hockey.
- Navin Patel for cricket.
- Helen Payn for underwater hockey.
- Taison Pelman for flying disc.
- Zackery Power for rugby
- Matt Richardson for flying disc.
- Sauimoana Solia for rugby.
- Cameron van Baarle for netball.
- Brook Walker for rowing.
- Nathaneal Walker-Hale for fencing
- Luke Watts for rowing.
- Henry Whitford-Lee for rowing.
- Daniel Wilson for debating
- Te Wehi o Mahura Wright for rugby.
- Li Hao Yeoh for flying disc.
2015 Sports Administration Blue awards
- Oscar Battell-Wallace for debating administration
- Sean Durkin for rowing administration
- Frances Gray for rowing administration
- Kimberley Savill for debating administration
- Eva Weatherall for flying disc administration