Sitemap
ContactNews
Bridgewater and Waikato Scoop Top University Sport Honours
Wednesday, July 19th, 2006
Waikato University are celebrating a unique double success with two of their students winning the top awards at last Friday’s NZ Universities Blues Awards Ceremony at Te Papa, Wellington.
World champion rower George Bridgewater carried off the supreme NZ Universities Sportsperson of the Year award for 2005 while Silver Fern Joline Henry won the NZU Maori Sportsperson of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
Bridgewater was honoured for his outstanding performance winning gold with fellow Waikato student Nathan Twaddle in the coxless pairs at last year’s World Championship in Japan. The star oarsman, who was absent for the ceremony en route to the defence of his world title in the UK, was preferred ahead of an all star cast of finalists selected from Blues recipients - swimmer Helen Norfolk (Massey Albany), triathlete Debbie Tanner (AUT), Black Fern Anna Richards (Massey Albany), 100-cap Black Stick Jaimee Provan (AUT), All Black James Ryan (Otago Univ) and past winner Silver Fern Lesley Rumball (Auckland Univ).
Henry beat off tough competition from touch rugby international, Donovan Rihari (AUT) and Commonwealth Games swimmer Te Rina Taite (Massey Albany) to win the Maori award.
Bridgewater’s award capped a night which saw 52 of New Zealand’s best sportsmen and women receive prestigious NZ Universities Blues for their sporting and academic performance in 2005. Four other non-NZ based students won outstanding achievement awards including middle distance runner Kimberley Smith, winner of the gold medal in the 5,000m at last year’s World University Games in Turkey.
The NZ Universities Blue is awarded by University Sport New Zealand and is based on the traditional Blue of Oxford and Cambridge. It is awarded to university students who have achieved excellence both on and off the field of play. Presented since the first ever university competition in 1902, over 2,500 Blues have been awarded to some of NZ’s most famous sporting names such as Richie McCaw (2001), Sarah Ulmer (1994 & 95), David Kirk (1983 & 84), Anna Lawrence (1991, 93 & 95) and Anthony Mosse (1983).
