For more information on this event please click here.

The 2009 University Sport New Zealand (USNZ) Annual General Meeting will be held on:

Saturday the 4th of July 2009 at 9:00am at the Auckland University Students’ Association,
4 Alfred Street, Auckland (Executive Meeting Room).

Below is a draft agenda for the day.
If any part of the Membership has anything further thatthey would like to add to the Agenda please inform Warren Poh, President USNZ via email (president@universitysport.org.nz) prior to the 12th June 2009.

Papers will be distributed two weeks prior to the meeting on the 19th of June.

DRAFT AGENDA

Welcome/Apologies

SECTION 1 – MINUTES AND ADMINISTRATION
1.1 Minutes of Previous General Meeting:
- February Special General Meeting
- Matters Arising
1.2 President’s Report – Warren Poh

SECTION 2 – FINANCE
2.1 Approval of the audited Annual Accounts for 2008
2.2 Note the auditor’s Business Issues Report for 2008
2.3 Note the financial statements to 31 May 2009
2.4 Note an end-of-year Budget projection
2.5 Note the Financial Report and Commentary

SECTION 3 – OPERATIONS
3.1 Executive Director’s Report – To Be Noted

SECTION 4 – BOARD MEMBER REPORTS
4.1 Vice President – Paul Chong
4.2 Board Member – Andrew James
4.3 Board Member – Edwin Darlow
4.4 Constituent Representative – Alex

USNZ AGM 2009 AGENDA Page 2 of 2
4.5 TMA Representative - Pene

SECTION 5 – SPORTS COUNCIL REPORTS
5.1 Present or Absent Sports Council’s Verbal or Written Reports

SECTION 6 – ITEMS FOR DECISIONS
6.1 Date of the November General Meeting

SECTION 7 – GENERAL BUSINESS

CLOSE OF MEETING – (Estimated Time 11:00am)

STRATEGIC PLANNING INFORMATION SESSION
8.1 Presentation and update of the strategic planning process and a discussion on the draft strategic planning documentation formulated so far. This information to be sent with the papers for the AGM.

Kiwis League star, Jerome Ropati, took top honours at the 2008 NZU Blues Awards held at Te Papa on Friday 5^th June 2009.

After his success with the team at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, Jerome was a deserved recipient of the NZU Sportsperson of the Year. He balanced his busy sporting life in 2008 with his second year of study towards a Business Diploma at Auckland University of Technology.

While Jerome couldn’t be present at the Awards Ceremony, he passed on to guests his honour in receiving the prestigious award amongst a host of other talented sportspeople, wishing the other recipients and nominees every success for 2009.

Guests at the Awards Ceremony were addressed by athlete manager and adviser, Glenda Hughes, and one of Glenda’s charges, former Silver Fern, Bernice Mene.

While Glenda highlighted her athlete management philosophies and spoke about the importance of managing athletes so they can manage themselves, Bernice relayed memories of her own sporting career and the challenges athletes face around media and sport-life balance. In between presentations, guests were entertained by local band, Grant Sullivan and the Vaughn Roberts Quartet.

Other award winners included Andrew Imms, receiving a NZU Coach of the Year Award for his contribution to the development and coaching of Fencing, and Cameron Leslie took out the NZU Maori Sportsperson of the Year for his outstanding gold medal winning performance in the pool at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

The NZU Blues are awarded each year to recognise New Zealand’s top University athletes, honouring their sporting and academic achievements.

Thirty nine Blues, one Distinguished Performance, four Outstanding Achievement and one Coaching Award, were awarded for the 2008 academic year. A number of the recipients have been competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and are now preparing for the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Click here to view photos from the 2008 NZU Blues Awards Ceremony. Photos by Ella Trotter and Jonathan Kay of Massey University, Wellington.

For more information please contact;

University Sport New Zealand (USNZ) office - 04 499 3550 or

Dr Jane Skeen, Chair - NZU Blues Panel - 021633858

Click here for a full list of the 2008 NZU Award Recipients plus the finalists in the Maori Sportsperson of the Year and NZU Sportsperson of the Year.

This year’s awards will be presented at a black tie dinner on Friday 5th June at Te Papa, Wellington. Pre-dinner drinks from 6pm with dinner and the Award Ceremony to commence at 6:30pm. Dress is formal- men, suit and tie; women, cocktail or evening dress.

Tickets to the ceremony can be purchased through University Sport NZ. Click here for the Ticket Order Form.

Congratulations again to all our Award Winners.

Superbike rider Hayden Fitzgerald proved his versatility at the Uni Games, after winning the men’s mountain biking gold at Lake Mangamahoe.

Hayden Fitzgerald tackles the downhill mountain bike course. Photo / Stephen Neil

“It was a good, fun experience.  There was plenty of student atmosphere,” the 24-year-old Witt student says.

The multi-talented athlete, who has raced Superbikes at the famed Isle of Man circuit, competed in the downhill and cross country and his combined times earned him the title.

The 19 riders had two chances to clock their best time on the 600m downhill and Fitzgerald missed out on a medal by just 1400^th of a second, with a best time of 1 min 10.16 seconds.

Among the 17 men in the cross country, he finished the three-hour race in 14^th place, thriving on the challenge.

“I loved downhill because I get more of a buzz from the adrenaline.  Cross country is completely different again.  It takes more guts and determination to try and finish.

“Halfway through lap one, I was ready to give up.”

A modest man, Fitzgerald was shocked when he was announced as the overall winner and had to check with an official to be sure it was him.

After confirming the news, he was soon celebrating his victory with friends at the closing ceremony.

Fitzgerald says he was able to put the experience he’s gained riding motorcycles to good use.

“The speed, skill and nutritional knowledge from motorbike racing has helped me with my mountain biking,” he says.

Competition manager and New Plymouth Mountain Biking Club president, Graeme Lindup, was thrilled with the result.

“It’s great to see Hayden’s getting back into mountain biking.  Not every rider can do downhill and cross country - that takes discipline.”

A Visual Arts student in his final year, Fitzgerald works hard to juggle his time between his study, training schedule, racing, mountain biking hobby and the regular coaching he does at the Honda Rider’s Club.

But he isn’t ruling out taking up mountain biking professionally in future.

“We’ve talked about it already.  At the moment though, I’m pretty well looked after in the motorcycling scene.  There’s definitely the opportunity there to do well in the downhill.”

Brooke Sheehan is a Witt journalism student.

AUT player Tony Graham (left) and Kevishan Vandaya of Auckland Uni engage in some football ballet. Photo / Michelle Hofmans

In a very even game played at a lively pace at Inglewood’s Karo Park in, both sides demonstrated a high level of skill.

The halftime score was 0-0 but the goals were soon to come.

AUT took the lead early in the second half, only for Auckland to equalise then take the lead themselves.

Despite trailing AUT had the better of the remaining chances and eventually drew level but couldn’t find a winner.

AUT claimed gold, winning the shoot-out 4-3.

Clear winner in women’s final

Waikato beat Auckland University 4-0 in the final of the Uni Games women’s football competition at Karo Park, Inglewood - but the scoreline hardly reflects the closeness of the battle.

Played on another scorching, Taranaki, day, and on a hard pitch with many tired players, the game was played in an excellent spirit, with good skills.

Despite the first half dominance of Waikato they failed to make the most of the few chances they created. Auckland had the better of the last ten minutes.

Waikato opened the scoring early in the second half and soon added another as Auckland looked for an equaliser.

Their next two came from counter attacks after Auckland gave up possession trying to get back into the game.

Waikato scored a fourth deep into the match, when one of its players chased down what looked like a lost cause to poke the ball under the advancing keeper.

That was the triumphant call of Victoria University when it was named the overall winner of the Uni Games 09 in Taranaki tonight.

In celebration, the team from the capital took the large wooden shield on a victory dance around the TSB Stadium in New Plymouth.

This is the second year in a row that Victoria has taken out the title, this year scoring 198 points, ahead of the University of Auckland on 178. In third place was Auckland University of Technology (AUT) on 132 points.

Victoria has now won the shield 10 times since the Games began in 1902.

Victoria had to content themselves with silver in the Uni Games women’s hockey despite beating Auckland Uni in the last match of the tournament yesterday.

Vic hockey runners up. Photo / Leanne Richards

Vic needed a three-goal winning margin to tip Monash out of the gold medal position but could only manage a 2-1 victory.

Monash snatched the gold by a whisker and will be celebrating somewhere over the Tasman after having to fly out early.

“We were hoping for the gold…but it was a good effort,” Victoria’s captain Hannah Naftel says.

For a team that almost didn’t happen - they managed to get together at the last minute - they have done well.

“We were really pleased with how we went and the girls just improved throughout the week,” says Naftel. “I think we could have stepped it up a bit, but the girls are tired.”

With a fulltime score of Victoria 2 and Auckland 1, the Aucklanders took bronze.

The men’s tournament result was Gold to Auckland, Silver to Otago and Bronze to AUT.

Leanne Richards is a WITT journalism student

In a thrilling finish to the 2009 Uni Games in Taranaki, hosts Witt won a last-gasp gold medal in the rugby league competition to go with its earlier gold in mountain biking.

Witt player Jamie Henshawood chases down a TWA opponent. Photo / Stephen Neil

With a minute remaining, Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki kicked penalty to draw level  at 32-all with Te Wananga O Aotearoa (TWA).

After much backroom discussion Witt was awarded the gold.

Earlier Hayden Fitzgerald took gold in the mountain bike cross country after finishing fourth in the downhill.

The rugby league score reflected the intensity of the game at Yarrows Stadium, with both teams refusing to give any ground.

 ”It was a typical rugby league game - it had everything,” said referee Lew Kahui.

During the game each side kept pushing to gain an advantage and the hits could be heard in the stands.

 ”The last 20 mintues brung (sic) out the men in us,” said TWA centre Jai Withers.

Withers was chosen at fullback in the 2009 Uni Games rugby league tournament team - a side made up of the top 13 players in the competition.

The Hamilton-based side kept Witt on their toes by scoring a series of run-away tries - seizing any chance they could to reach the try line.

Witt captain Beau White was happy with how his team performed in their first official competition.

“They played well - they stuck to the game plan and did what they had to do.”

Gabriel Ferguson is a Witt journalism student