Applications for 2023 Blues Sports Awards now open

The 2023 Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University Blues Sports Awards continues a longstanding tradition of celebrating the outstanding sporting and academic success of student athletes.

All recipients of a Blues Award are eligible for the overall awards presented at the ceremony, with finalists selected by the Blues Judging Panel. Winners for the overall awards, which include Campus Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year for recipients studying internally in Auckland, Manawatū or Wellington, and Distance Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, will be announced in October.

Of the four award recipients, the judging panel will announce the overall Supreme Award winner which acknowledges the student athlete who has performed the most exceptionally in their sport for the 2023 period.

Last year saw 140 Blues Awards be bestowed on Massey athletes, with Canoe Sprint champion Aimee Fisher taking out the biggest award of the night.

High Performance Coordinator Tamara Scott-Valath says she’s looking forward to seeing even more student athletes celebrated this year.

“With less disruption to sporting events than over the previous three years, more of our student athletes have been able to return to competing on both a national and international stage. We’re hoping this translates into more Blues recipients this year to highlight the many incredibly dedicated student athletes who are balancing their sporting and academic careers.”

As the highest sporting accolade to be achieved at tertiary level, student athletes must meet both sporting and academic criteria. To be considered, nominees must have gained a successful pass in a minimum of 45 credits or be completing their qualification over the qualifying period from semester two of 2022 through to semester one 2023, including summer school.

The sporting criteria is set by the relevant National Sporting Organisation (NSO) for each sport and involves regional or national level selections or performance standards at national championship type events.

In addition to the Blues Awards for athletes, students who displayed an outstanding performance in non-athlete roles within sport are also recognised through the Sporting Excellence Awards. This includes students who sit in roles such as coaches and officials who meet similar academic and sporting criteria as a Blue when applied to their circumstances.

Students can apply for a Blues or Sporting Excellence Award themselves or be nominated by someone else. Applications close Monday 31 July and can be completed online here.