University prepares for Blues Awards

18 September 2014

University prepares for 2014 Wallace Corporation University of Waikato Blues Awards

Next month the Wallace Corporation University of Waikato Blues Awards celebrates more than 60 high-achieving students who excel in sports, and the creative and performing arts.

The Blue is a prestigious award that recognises regional or national excellence, through to world champions. The awards are one of the University of Waikato's strongest traditions, dating back to 1971.

Thirty-four University of Waikato students will be recognised for their sporting achievements this year, alongside 27 students who have made considerable contributions to the creative and performing arts.

Among the awards given out on 3 October will be the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, Māori Person of the Year and Creative and Performing Arts Person of the Year, along with awards for long service, club, sports team and sports coach of the year.

Many of the nominated students are Sir Edmund Hillary Scholars. The Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship Programme offers scholarships to academic high achievers who show leadership qualities and also excel in sport or creative and performing arts. Scholars have their course fees covered and receive additional academic support and coaching in leadership and personal development.

The Wallace Corporation University of Waikato Blues take place on 3 October at the Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts from 6.30pm. Arts patron and event sponsor Sir James Wallace, will be attending the evening. Sir James has commissioned a trophy – a Terry Stringer sculpture – to be presented to the Creative and Performing Arts Person of the Year.

The tradition of awarding Blues came from the sporting rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge universities, which both adopted different shades of blue as their colour for boat races in the early 1820s. Blues then became awarded for sporting excellence. The earliest recorded Blue in New Zealand was awarded for athletics in 1922.

For more information on the Wallace Corporation University of Waikato Blues Awards visit www.waikato.ac.nz/events/blues/.

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