UNSW Sport August Recap

August brought a series of notable achievements for the UNSW sports community, with our athletes and coaches making an impact on the international stage, receiving prestigious recognitions, and achieving personal milestones. Here’s a look back at the key moments that defined another strong month for UNSW sports.

Blair Shaddock and Benjamin Stepkovich represented UNSW at the 6th CMAS Age Group Underwater Hockey World Championships in Malaysia. Blair played a crucial role for the Australian U24 Men’s team, which secured a silver medal after a challenging final against New Zealand, ending 6-2. Meanwhile, Benjamin coached the Australian U19 Men’s team to a commendable fourth place. After a tough semi-final loss to New Zealand (4-0), the team narrowly missed out on bronze, falling to Turkey in sudden death. Benjamin gave special mention to the support from the UNSW Elite Athlete Program and our sports psychologists, especially Dr. Alessandra Mecozzi, whose guidance on managing pressure and promoting self-belief was invaluable to the young athletes.

Jake Preston, the NRL Canterbury Bulldogs second-rower and a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice student at UNSW, was named to the 2024 NRL Academic Team of the Year at the Wellbeing and Education Academic Excellence Awards. The award was announced during the National Wellbeing and Education Conference in Sydney, celebrating his academic achievement among 98 nominees from across the NRL and NRLW clubs.

David Davis, captain of the UNSW first-grade rugby side, celebrated a remarkable milestone in August, playing his 200th first-grade game. His career, spanning 18 years with the club, has been marked by leadership and dedication. David was also recently inducted as a life member of the club, a fitting tribute to his contributions over nearly two decades.

Chloe Jackson, second rower for the Parramatta Eels in the NRLW, was named the Round 4 Next Gen Player after a dominant performance against the Wests Tigers. Chloe’s efforts included seven runs for 93 meters, seven tackle breaks, and 22 tackles, showcasing her all-around abilities and marking her as a player to watch in the NRLW.

The Sydney Swans AFLW team presented their 2024 guernseys, with UNSW EAP’s Cynthia Hamilton, Lara Hausegger, Montana Ham, Paige Sheppard, and our very own UNSW EAP coordinator Hayley Bullas gearing up for the new season. The Swans kicked off their campaign with a huge win against Collingwood at North Sydney Oval on Friday night, looks to be a big season for the girls.

Australia's Under 23 Rowing Team showcased its depth and talent at the 2024 World Rowing Under 23 Championships in St. Catharines, Canada. The team entered nine boats into the regatta, and all reached the A Finals, with five crews securing medals: Women’s Lightweight Single Sculls (Gold), Men’s Four (Silver), Men’s Double Sculls (Silver), Men’s Eight (Bronze), and Women’s Four (Bronze). Among the standout performances, the Men’s Four, featuring UNSW EAP Nikolas Pender, Austin Reinehr, Jarrod Lord, and Mitch Salisbury, earned a silver medal, finishing just 1.60 seconds behind Great Britain. It was a strong repeat performance for Pender and Reinehr, who were part of the 2023 crew that also finished second to the formidable British team.

August highlighted the broad range of talent across the UNSW sports community, with athletes achieving at the highest levels in underwater hockey, rugby, rowing, AFLW, NRLW, and making their mark academically. As we acknowledge these efforts, we look ahead to September hoping for some silverware with a lot of our clubs coming to season end. Good luck to our Paralympians, Jamieson Leeson & Taylor Gosens, who are currently representing Australia at the Paris 2024 Paralympics!