Annual Report 2022

Welcome Director's

Participation

Students Making a Splash in the Water Safety Program

College Sport

Casual Venue Hire - Back in Business

Leadership

Honouring the Volunteers who keep Sport going

Softball president leading diversity and inclusion on and off the field

Pride in Sport

Performance

University Basketball League

Campbell Harrison Rocks at Australian National Championships

Elite Athlete Program

Oceania Taekwondo champion on the fast track for Paris Olympics

We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses and sporting clubs are situated.

Cover: Doctor of Medicine student Jemima Montag wins gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Chairman’s Welcome Director’s Report

As the Chair of the Advisory Board, I am delighted to present the 2022 Annual Report.

This year’s Report showcases the many achievements of our student-athletes, sporting teams, and clubs at the University of Melbourne. This year was a thrilling time for sport at the University as we saw activities begin to recover from COVID and tournaments resume. We also took pride in the achievements of several athletes who participated in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as well as other international events.

During 2022 Melbourne University Sport (MU Sport) made significant strides in re-activating the sport precinct and offering a range of engagement programs to encourage physical activity at the University following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One positive development from the pandemic has been the increase in understanding across the entire University community of the important role University sport and recreation plays in building and

activity and participation in the new initiatives, and traditional programs and services returned close to 70% of pre-COVID levels.

The highlights included:

• Nearly 13,000 students participated in physical activity on 500,000 occasions for over a million hours of total activity.

• Over 5,000 students received the Student Life Active Pass, providing complimentary access to programs and facilities.

• 1,300 international students participating in the Water Safety Program.

sustaining a campus-based university experience.

Looking ahead, MU Sport will continue to involve the Advisory Board and the University community in developing and refining initiatives and enhancing our programs and facilities to ensure that sport remains an essential component of the Melbourne experience.

I extend thanks to my fellow Advisory Board members, the dedicated MU Sport staff, our committed volunteers and coaches, and the University senior management group for their unwavering support of the sport and physical recreation programs that MU Sport provides.

I encourage you to read this Report and its unambiguous affirmation of the value of university sport.

Ian Marshman AM Chair MU Sport Advisory Board

University’s Melbourne Plus Initiative.

I would like to acknowledge the many people and organisations critical to our success last year:

• The commitment and dedication of our coaches, clubs, the office bearers, team managers, and other volunteers who demonstrate extraordinary dedication and passion.

• The sporting alumni who generously support the clubs and students. The Clubs Advisory Group, Blues Advisory Group, Elite Athlete Selection Committee and the Scholarships Committee for their diligence and commitment.

It is with great pride that I reflect on the achievements of the University sporting community in 2022 as captured in the Annual Report.

The priority last year was to encourage students and staff to return to campus and engage in regular physical activity. Post COVID a return to ‘business as usual’ was never going to be enough, and an ambitious plan was developed that targeted groups that had participated previously and to address the barriers to participation that remained. This plan was called Reactivation which was a major logistical exercise to plan and deliver.

Unfortunately, students and staff did not return to campus at the levels initially hoped for as foot traffic remained stubbornly low. Despite this there was an appetite from those students and staff that did return to engage in regular physical

• The Sport Access Scholarship provided 100 students facing financial hardship access to fitness and sporting programs.

• 10 members of the University community represented Australia at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games collecting five gold, one silver and one bronze medal.

• A $50,000 grant from the University was secured to support over 200 student-athletes to attend the Uni Nationals in Perth with 415 studentathletes representing the University across the year.

• The Australian Boat Race (ABR) against the University of Sydney returned to Sydney Harbour with Ormond College women and Trinity College men victorious in the college races.

• The work of our student volunteers in the clubs and representative sport program was recognised in the

• Colleagues across the University, including the residential colleges, academic divisions, student representative groups and student services for their ongoing collaboration.

• The Vice-Chancellor Professor Duncan Maskell, Pro Vice-Chancellor (People and Community) Professor Pip Nicholson and the broader Chancellery portfolio for their continued support.

• Our compatriots at UniSport Australia and sporting bodies at universities across the country for their shared sense of purpose.

• The dedicated and passionate staff at MU Sport and members of the Advisory Board, in particular our chairman Mr Ian Marshman.

Tim Lee Director of Sport

Melbourne University Sport

MU Sport is a department of the University, reporting to the MU Sport Advisory Board, and providing high-level policy, business and financial advice on the development and management of sport and recreation at the University.

MU Sport manages the fitness, sports and recreation facilities, programs and activities of the University, working closely with all stakeholders and external strategic partners in delivering sport and physical recreation opportunities for the University community. It does this in accordance with strategic and operational plans.

MU Sport is responsible for:

• The development of campus and off campus facilities, and for managing all University sporting facilities, particularly the Sports Precinct, the Alpine Ski Lodge at Mount Buller and the Boat House on the Yarra River

Provision of fitness and recreation services and programs, including fitness assessments, personal training, group recreational club activity, short courses, trips and tours

• Provision of sporting opportunities including supporting teams and individual students to compete in regional, national and international student competitions

such as the UniSport Nationals Div 1 and 2, the strategic development and operations of the competitive sporting clubs, professional management and promotion of lunchtime and college sport competitions, and support for elite-level student-athletes

• Supporting student recruitment activity and alumni engagement with University sport programs

Representing the University on matters pertaining to sport and physical recreation to local, state and federal governments, UniSport Australia, sporting bodies and related professional organisations.

Melbourne University Sports Precinct, Parkville Campus

Strategic Plan for Sport

Strategic Plan; At a Glance

Sport Matters at Melbourne –

It Inspires, Connects and Leads

Our Values

Excellence

Diversity and Inclusion

Respect

Open and Honest Communication Leadership

Our Mission

Improve student and staff physical and mental health, reduce social isolation and create lifelong connections to the University

Goals

PARTICIPATION `

Improve the physical and mental wellbeing of all students and staff

Provide opportunities for the University community to regularly engage in a diverse range of physical activities that are safe, respectful and inclusive.

Actions

Improve the quality, capacity and accessibility of sporting facilities that support regular physical activity for students and staff across all campuses of the University.

Provide programs that recognise and address the unique issues of students from disadvantaged groups and those suffering from mental health issues or experiencing financial hardship.

Results

A healthier University community

LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE

Develop and enhance leadership and  active citizenship

Provide a range of leadership development activities and programs to train, reward and recruit student and alumni volunteers.

Support programs and events that address important social issues and raise the educational aspirations of young people from underrepresented groups.

Improve the level of engagement with our sport and club alumni and increase their support for our sport programs, clubs and student athletes.

A community of leaders

Celebrate and support sporting excellence

Recruit and support talented student athletes by providing a high-performance sporting environment and comprehensive athlete support services.

Increase our involvement in national University leagues and sporting events and provide a dynamic spectator experience and attract broad media coverage

Ensure that the sporting clubsare the first choice of our student-athletes with support for quality coaching, professional administration, athlete development and student recruitment.

A centre of sporting excellence

Highlights

Bachelor of Science student Sam Williamson at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Students shine in Birmingham

The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games saw seven studentathletes and four alumni from the University of Melbourne compete across 14 events, securing eight medals including five gold.

Sitting atop of the medal tally, Australia became the first country to secure 1000 Commonwealth Games gold medals, racking up 67 throughout the Games, 10 more than second-place England.

Doctor of Medicine student-athlete Jemima Montag secured back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medals in the Women’s 10km Race Walk, with a personal best time of 42:34.3, the 15th fastest time ever recorded.

Sam Williamson (Bachelor of Science) claimed four medals for Australia, a gold, two silver and a bronze in Swimming events.

Alum Grace Brown (Bachelor of Arts) rode off with a Cycling gold medal in the Women’s individual time trial and Bachelor of Commerce alum Jo Weston was a member of the Australian Netball team that won gold.

Catriona Bisset Master of Architecture Athletics - 800m

Ben Buckingham Juris Doctor (Alum)

AthleticsSteeplechase

Grace Brown Bachelor of Arts (Alum) Cycling Gold

Kaitlyn Ea

Bachelor of Commerce

Jemima Montag Doctor of Medicine

Ruby Roseman-Gannon

Badminton 9th - Mixed teams ro16 - Mixed doubles ro32 - Women's doubles

Racewalking Gold

Bachelor of Science (Alum) Cycling 29th

Annabel Sutherland Bachelor of Science Cricket Gold

Kyle Swan

Bachelor of Science

Imara-Bella Thorpe Exchange - University of Edinburgh

Jo Weston

Bachelor of Commerce (Alum)

Sam Williamson Bachelor of Science

Athletics - Racewalk 6th

Swimming Heats - 50m and 100m Butterfly, 50m freestyle and Mixed 4x100 medley

Final - Mixed freestyle relay

Netball Gold

Swimming Gold, Silver x2, Bronze

Jemima Montag wins 10,000m race walk gold at Commonwealth Games 2022

Annabel Sutherland at the Women's Cricket World Cup 2022

Reactivation

Reactivation was the ambitious plan to increase the number of students and staff who participated in regular physical activity at the University. The target was for 30,000 students, or 60% of the student population to be engaged in regular physical activity at the University. This was up from 18,000 in 2019.

The plan ensured all students were provided an opportunity to participate in regular physical activity on campus in support of the University’s return to campus strategies. It will significantly increase the number of students who are active and connected on campus, address the impacts of COVID-19, and remove historical barriers to participation. This will in turn build a case for support (both financially and through extra resources) from the University to implement and create a significant and long-lasting legacy for sport.

MU Sport implemented a range of fun, exciting activities to reactivate recreation, fitness and sport across campus.

Highlights include:

• Holding regular, informal physical activities on campus

• Incorporating reactivation events with Sporting Club activities, such as Come and Try sessions

Establishing targeted programs for underrepresented groups, such as women’s and minority programs

Clubs demonstration at Orientation Week

Cheer and Dance Club stall at Orientation Week

Students back in University colours

Thankfully, 2022 was the first full year of University Sport since 2019, and the on field achievements were celebrated at the Blues and Sport Awards in November.

The annual Blues and Sport Awards presentation recognises the accomplishments of the University’s varsity athletes both domestically and overseas. Originating at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the mid-19th century, half and full blues are awarded to University of Melbourne athletes for high performance in intervarsity events, especially UniSport Nationals and UniSport National Championships.

In 2022 there were 415 student-athlete representatives who took part in 66 intervarsity student opportunities. The 6 top Sport Awards were presented by Gold Medallist and University of Melbourne alum Joanna Weston, the evening's keynote speaker. These awards recognised various figures within the University’s sporting sphere and the impressive accomplishments of individuals and teams throughout the year.

Table Tennis student-athlete Raymond Myrteza was named Male Athlete of the Year for his remarkable efforts in leading the University of Melbourne to both a Big Blue Championship and a national university title.

Similarly, Quennie Laurentta was awarded Female Athlete of the Year for her significant contributions towards the University’s Badminton Big Blue Championship and national university title.

The Women’s Netball team took home Team of the Year honours after their impressively dominant national university run which saw them secure the University’s first pennant in women’s netball since 2010.

Coach of the Year went to Women’s Hockey coach Gwen Lynch, who led the team to an unexpected but vehemently earnt national university title, the first since 2013 in Women’s Hockey.

Team Manager of the Year was awarded to both Badminton’s Carmen Lim and Table Tennis’s Preston Tan-Kang for their incredible efforts organising their notably highperforming teams.

Outstanding Performance of the Year recognised Jemima Montag’s dominant gold medal in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games 10km race walk, in which she finished 63 seconds ahead of second place with the 15th fastest time ever recorded. She was also recognised by the Victorian Institute of Sport with the prestigious Award of Excellence.

The University awarded 28 Full Blues and 57 Half Blues for 2022, with athletes nominated across 32 sports.

Student-athletes at the Blues and Sports Awards

Participation

On Saturday 7 May, the Yarra River played host to the 141st edition of the College Rowing Regatta, the busiest College Sporting event of the semester

Participation

The link between regular physical activity and emotional wellbeing, as well as improved academic performance, are comprehensively documented. Regular physical activity improves student wellbeing and academic success through improvements to physical and mental health, confidence, self-esteem and reduced social isolation.

In 2022, there were 951,100 participation opportunities for sport, fitness or recreational activity for students, alumni, staff and community members. Almost 45 per cent of students are regular users of the sport, recreation and instructional facilities and programs.

Students Making a Splash in the Water Safety Program

With campus life flourishing after the previous years’ shut-downs, students have dived back into the many activities and programs offered around the University. One of these is the free Water Safety Program, a Melbourne University Sport initiative supporting inclusion and student well-being.

While learning to swim is a national tradition for young Australians, many international students have had limited water exposure before coming to Melbourne, preventing them from experiencing the incredible beaches and rivers that Victoria has to offer.

The Water Safety Program addresses this by teaching participants, primarily women and international Students, the invaluable practical skills and knowledge required to safely enjoy Australia’s waterways. Each semester, students receive 10 swimming lessons, taught by qualified instructors who are also University of Melbourne students, and an unlimited access pool membership to practice their newly learnt skills.

“Watching the Water Safety Program participants progress from learning how to float to actually swimming full laps of the pool is inspiring,” shared Water Safety Program Coordinator Marcus Grillo, “the program has such a positive impact on students and it’s incredible to see how dedicated and passionate they are.”

Participants are also invited to attend a beach safety education seminar and morning tea, made possible by MU Sport’s partnership with Life Saving Victoria. The event is a fantastic opportunity for students to get to know each other and their teachers away from the pool and is a highlight of every year.

At the conclusion of this semester’s program, students visited Sandridge Beach in Port Melbourne for a practical beach program hosted by Life Saving Victoria. Participants learnt beach safety skills, CPR, rescue techniques, and how to identify potential hazards including rips, before playing various games such as beach soccer and rash-vest races. This was the first time many of the students had been to a beach, and at the end of the session expressed that they felt more comfortable around the ocean and looked forward to going to the beach with friends in summer.

With more students returning to campus, the Water Safety Program provides an opportunity to learn a life-long skill and form new friendships along the way. Following positive student feedback and enthusiastic participation throughout the year, the Water Safety Program will return bigger and better in 2023.

Water Safety Program participants at Sandridge Beach

College Sport

College Sport provides opportunities for the students living in the University’s affiliated colleges to compete for their college in a range of sports, with some competitions dating back more than 130 years.

College Sport provided 7,192 participation opportunities for residents to participate in throughout 2022. Many sports, particularly finals (including Tennis, Netball, Soccer and Football), carnivals and the rowing regatta on the Yarra River drew vocal crowds to cheer on their respective teams. There were over 6,000 spectators across all College Sports in 2022.

Of the many highlights throughout the year, notable results include:

• Aligning single gender sports, equalising gender opportunities

• Holding all weekday sport finals on Friday nights - maximising spectator opportunities and engagement

• Regular communication with sports representatives and having their buy-in from the beginning

• Spreading Tennis Minor and Grand Finals to allow spectators to view from unused courts rather than the road/outside the fence

• Trophy returns process tightened and missing trophies replaced

Sport Men’s Champion Women’s Champion

Athletics Ormond College Ormond College

Badminton International House International House

Baseball Ormond College Ormond College

Cricket Ormond College St Hilda’s College

Cross Country St Hilda’s College Ormond College

Football Queen’s College Trinity College

Hockey St Hilda’s College Ormond College

Netball Queen’s College

Rowing Trinity College Ormond College

Soccer Queen’s College Ormond College

Squash Queen’s College Queen’s College

Swimming Trinity College Newman College

Table Tennis Queen’s College Queen’s College

Tennis Ormond College Ormond College

Place Tickner Cup (Overall)

Cowan Cup (Men’s)

Holmes Shield (Women’s)

1st Ormond College Trinity College Ormond College

2nd Trinity College Ormond College Trinity College

3rd Queen’s College Queen’s College St Hilda’s College

Students at an Intercollegiate Sporting Event

Casual Venue Hire - Back in Business

Students, staff, schools, organisations and other members of the community use sporting facilities on a casual basis. Facilities available include Tennis, Squash, Badminton, Basketball, Netball and Volleyball courts, as well as an Athletics track and synthetic Hockey pitch.

2022 saw an impressive return for casual venue hire in a year free of COVID-19 lockdowns. Casual venue hire numbers have increased by 27% compared to 2019. This is surprising given the overall decrease in participation across the board at MU Sport. This may be due to factors such as students and staff still not full-time on campus, and potential hesitancies to participate in activities with shared spaces/equipment with the risk of getting COVID-19.

Given the above expected barriers to casual venue hire, the significant increase indicates that we are seeing what is being supported by other organisations and activity groups that people are eager for social, casual and informal ways to not only engage in physical activity, but also to connect with others.

Students playing volleyball at the Nona Lee Sports Centre

Leadership

Sport provides the platform to showcase and develop exceptional leadership. Many studentathletes and club members make rewarding contributions to our clubs, sporting teams and the broader community by becoming articulate and engaging advocates for the University.

The Leadership pillar supports the development of leadership capabilities in our programs and clubs to enable students, staff and alumni to demonstrate leadership and active citizenship.

Honouring the Volunteers who keep Sport going

Volunteers and club members were recognised by Melbourne University Sport at the annual Sport and Volunteer Celebration event held in their honour at the Woodward Centre in Parkville.

13 awards were presented to individuals and clubs who had made a significant contribution to Sport at the University in areas such as Service, Performance, Inclusion, Social Justice, and Innovation.

“Sport at the University relies on the contributions of all our talented and passionate volunteers. There is something like 1000 active volunteers, who volunteer over 150,000 hours annually, which are critical for providing sporting opportunities and keeping our clubs running,” commented event host Tim Lee, Director of Melbourne University Sport.

Mr Lee also spoke of how volunteers and club members were crucial contributors to the consistently high performance of the 43 clubs that compete through the University.

“Our volunteers offer advice and support on advisory groups, serve on club committees, coach, and manage the teams. They are the ones taking care of the hundreds of tasks that go into running activities, right down to cutting the oranges and sweeping the sheds”

Awards were presented by special VIP guests Chris Bunting, Diversity and Inclusion Project Officer for the Office of the Provost, and Tony Steele, a stalwart of University Sport over decades.

The University is reliant on the selfless contributions of volunteers in order to maintain a reputation of high performance and social responsibility. While not all those who volunteer their time and energy were recognised at the celebration, their continued presence is a cornerstone to the University’s sporting community.

Name Award Club

Terri O'Reilly Award of Excellence Football

Lacrosse Award of Excellence

Natascha Voelker Service Award Dragonboat

Zijing Chu Service Award Dragonboat

Anthony Williams Service Award Volleyball

John Prince Distinguished Service Award Cycling

Lindy Murphy Distinguished Service Award Netball

2022 Sport and Volunteer Celebration

Softball

president leading diversity and inclusion on and off the field

Kat Gourley, 3 term President of the Melbourne University Softball Club (MUSC), has been awarded the Melbourne Softball Association’s Duyvestyn Service Award in 2022 in recognition of the marked impact she has made within the inclusivity and diversity sphere.

The service award is named in acknowledgement of the Duyvestyn Family’s contributions towards the Melbourne Softball Association over the past 50 years. Kat was celebrated for displaying the attributes of both volunteerism and leadership during her time as president.

“In my opinion, the role of leadership in the context of a sporting club is defined by a sense of responsibility…You need to be in the role to give back rather than for your own benefit, you must be able to act in the best interests of your members, and at the end of the day you are in the position to get things done”.

One of Kat’s first initiatives towards improving MUSC’s level of diversity and inclusivity was the establishment of a club specific Inclusion Policy and the introduction of what is now the Club’s annual Pride Cup; the Pride Cup serves as an opportunity to celebrate the role and presence of LGBTQI+ individuals within the Club and highlights MUSC’s continued focus on offering an inclusive and safe space for people of all identities and expressions.

As Kat explained, “this was the first Softball Pride Cup to be held in Australia and was a wonderful night of celebration of the members of the LGBTQI+ community who were part of MUSC”.

Kat and MUSC’s efforts were also recognised through their nomination for the Community Sport Award at the 2021 Pride in Sport Awards.

Through Kat’s leadership MUSC has established itself as a thought leader for sporting and other community clubs throughout Melbourne. Kat discussed her take on the importance of change amongst a broader spectrum of sporting organisations;

“For a long time, sport has been safe only for able-bodied, straight cis-men … Actively promoting a sport or club as a safe and inclusive space helps break down these barriers, and ensure that everyone can enjoy being active and playing sport without having to hide parts of themselves."

When asked about her advice to future leaders and volunteers alike, Kat offered insight into how individuals can prosper in their own roles, whether within MUSC or another community organisation;

“Being part of softball in Fawkner Park is incredibly special, and to those who may strive to contribute to the community my suggestions are; learn from those already contributing, share the load, and most importantly of all … have fun!”

Home to four teams, MUSC not only thrives in their diversity and inclusivity pursuits but dominates on the pitch as well; taking home a 1st and 3rd place finish in the B Grade competition and a semi-final appearance in A Grade this past season. MUSC has established themselves as a powerhouse within Melbourne Softball, simultaneously championing change throughout the sport’s local community.

Members of the Softball Club

Pride in Sport

The Pride in Sport Program aims to facilitate inclusion of the University’s LGBTQIA+ community, through elimination of the barriers preventing this community from engaging with sporting programs.

The Pride in Sport program continued to support the University's LGBTQIA+ community during the year, with highlights being:

• LGBTIQIA+ Awareness training – Touch Club

• Queer Friendly group fitness classes

• Queer Friendly gym sessions

• Pride Ambassador program

Support for Pride Rounds and other LGBTIQIA+ initiatives

• Support Lacrosse Together initiative

The program will continue to carry out new programs and initiatives as the return to campus grows in 2023.

Pride in Basketball game

Pledge of Pride celebration evening

Performance

Student playing in the University Basketball League

Performance

Sporting events and competitions bring the University community together and are opportunities for meaningful engagement with alumni, business, government and the wider community.

Some of Australia’s most successful athletes have been students at the University and include Olympic and Commonwealth Games medallists, world champions and national representatives. We have celebrated their athletic triumphs as demonstrations of excellence, and follow them closely as many develop into significant community and industry leaders.

University Basketball League

An action-packed 8 weeks of basketball concluded on 10 May as the 2022 University Basketball League regular season drew to a close.

Despite missing out on the finals in both the women's and men's competitions, the two University of Melbourne teams showed plenty of promise in the second season of the competition, with the men's team narrowly missing out on the top four, finishing in 5th place with five wins and five losses, while the women finished in 8th with three wins and seven losses.

Both teams had new coaches take the reigns in 2022, both from the Melbourne University Basketball Club. Grantley Bernard led the women's team, while Shaun King took charge of the men's team, both bringing a raft of experience and knowledge to each team.

Campbell Harrison Rocks at Australian National Championships

After making headlines in 2021 after publicly coming out as queer, Bachelor of Arts student-athlete Campbell Harrison gained national exposure again last month when he took out gold in two categories in the Sport Climbing Australia National Championships in Sydney.

Campbell won the titles in the lead (climbers have one chance to ascend as high as they can in six minutes) and combined (where climbers utilise more than one discipline) categories. It’s his third lead title and he is also a member of Australia’s national climbing team.

Heading into the Australian National Championships, Campbell consistently placed in the top 50 throughout the 2022 World Cup, held in France, Germany, and Austria earlier this year. Having broken into the top 40 in two separate disciplines during the 2022 event and three in the 2021 competition.

With the Paris 2024 Olympics entering the horizon and having amassed some vital momentum, Campbell’s chance of top-26 finishes across all his lead and bouldering events in 2023 is looking very strong. A placing at this level would guarantee national qualification and position him in the perfect spotlight for Olympic selection.

“I definitely have big dreams to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics” Campbell reflected on starting his athletic career with the goal of seeing his name amongst the top athletes within his sport.

“With all the things that I had accomplished, I had a powerful opportunity to be that person for others—the one who would wear their queerness with pride and honour alongside their accomplishments, not in spite of them. Nervously, but with little hesitation, I made the decision to take up this opportunity”. Campbell discussed the warm reception he experienced from his Australian teammates and shared his gratitude for the close-knit climbing community that supported him through the article’s publishing.

While international competition and exposure to a diverse array of cultures provoked some hesitation about openly displaying his queerness, Campbell’s experience after coming out has been overwhelmingly positive. From the increased visibility of the LGBTQ+ community and allies, he noticed throughout the sport since, to his own affirmation of the identity he had longed tried to suppress, Campbell’s singular decision to take part in that panel has had a formative and wide-reaching influence on his athletic and personal life.

Looking forward, Campbell has his eyes on next year’s Oceania Continental Championships to be held in November. A strong showing will all but guarantee Olympic selection for Campbell, with climbing’s feature in Paris 2024 only the second of its kind.

Campbell Harrison at the Australia National Championships

Elite Athlete Program

The Elite Athlete Program supports student athletes enrolled at the University.

In 2022, a total of 354 student-athletes, consisting of 160 elite, and 194 emerging athletes were supported by the Program. Additionally, 47 athletes represented Australia in their chosen sport, with many supported by an increase in the level of support provided by international travel grants.

Oceania Taekwondo Champion on the fast track for Paris Olympics

Bachelor of Science student-athlete Saffron Tamby-Rajah has taken out gold in 2022 at the Oceania Taekwondo Championships. This makes her the current Oceania champion in the women's under 49-kilogram category and on the fast track to represent Australia in the Paris Olympics in 2024.

After earning gold in the 2019 Samoa Oceania Championships, Saffron was widely favoured leading into the 2022 Tahiti Oceania Championships after again taking gold in the Presidents Cup qualifying competition.

When asked what her plans were after becoming Oceania champion this year, Saffron, the current world number 18 ranked fighter, commented, ‘A long-term goal of mine is to qualify for Paris 2024, but my most immediate focus is to compete in the 2023 World Championships held in Azerbaijan.’

‘Having the opportunity to go up against world champions gives me a better understanding of my capabilities and enables me to consolidate what I need to improve on going forward.’

Initially from Perth, Saffron relocated to Melbourne once she completed high school to pursue her studies at Melbourne University while taking up training full-time at the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS).

In 2018 Saffron was invited to partake in a newly established high-performance hub for taekwondo run by the Combat Institute (TCI) in conjunction with the VIS. The hub's purpose was to create an environment where high-performing athletes can support each other while receiving guidance from successful international taekwondo coach Seokhun Lee.

As an elite athlete, Saffron is a part of the Melbourne University Elite Athlete Program (EAP), which helps to support her studies while competing in her sport at an elite level.

‘Access to the university’s gym enables me to fit training in around my studies more efficiently. It’s really comforting to know the university values my sporting endeavours and wants to help me succeed in both my sporting and academic pursuits. Weekly check-ins from the head of EAP, Brendan Parnell, help me feel as though I am valued and in the loop with what is happening at the university.’’

The support Saffron has received from the University and the coaches at the taekwondo high-performance hub have enabled her to thrive in the sport, simultaneously chipping away at her degree one unit at a time.

Clubs

Students from the Football Club (Women's) playing on the University Oval

Clubs

The University’s sporting clubs provide competition, instructional and recreational opportunities for students, staff, alumni and the greater University community. There are currently 44 clubs (41 affiliated, three provisionally affiliated) with a total of 7296 active members, which offered more than 234,295 participant opportunities in

These participant opportunities included competitions at local, state and national level, adventure activities in unique and exciting environments, and courses in a variety of martial arts and other self-disciplines. The University’s sporting clubs have

Competitive

Athletics

Established 1890

The Athletics Club performed strongly in its first full year of competition since the pandemic. At the Victorian Track and Field Championships 11 athletes ranked in the top eight, resulting in the Club earning fourth place in the HH Hunter Shield. In addition, 10 athletes attended the Australian Athletics Championships across 15 events, with nine top-ten placements. In the winter XCR season, the Women’s Premier team finished 4th whilst the Men’s finished 7th. Pleasingly, volunteer turnout for the winter season was the best in recent times. The club continues to reinvigorate its non-competition activities and welcome new members.

President Michael Dardis

Vice-President Alessandro Bisetto

Secretary Nick Montgomery

Treasurer Max Ueda

Club Membership Participation Data

Club

been offering sporting opportunities to the student cohort for more than 150 years.

Individual

National Representation

Badminton

Established 1956

The Club enjoyed success in both social and competitive aspects, seeing high interest and participation in both. Socially, the club will be providing more opportunities for people just entering the sport, also improving the social aspect of the club by organising non-sporting events, helping to build a close-knit community. On the competitive side, the Club will look to further the development of the players by increasing training participation.

President Borna Bosnjak

Vice-President Andrew Bunyamin

Secretary Jia Min Wong

Treasurer Areef Wibawa Barranco

Club Membership Participation Data

Baseball

Established 1926

The Baseball Club continued to grow rapidly in 2022, with active player numbers surging beyond 120, which required the club expanding to 9 senior teams. It was fantastic to have everyone involved, enthusiastic and having fun playing baseball in such high numbers.

On the field, the Club had several teams make the finals in their respective divisions (Women's, A3 and A4), all of whom would make grand finals before unfortunately falling just short. Additionally, the Club continued to invest in the development of both the player base and the coaching staff.

President Megan Kelly

Vice-President Nick Sherlock

Secretary Jordan Sinnamon

Treasurer Kyle Harper

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

Protect Team Invitational Mixed Open Grade 5th

Protech Team Invitational Mens Open Grade 5th

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Discipline Result

Rodger Yang Uni National Open Grade Runners up

Andrew Bunyamin Uni National Open Grade Bronze Medal

Ting Hong Yuan Uni National Open Grade Bronze Medal

Toby Fung ABC Activates Series B,C Grade First Place

Quennie Laurentia Uni National Open Grade Gold Medal

Anjali Bhujun ABC Activates Series A,B,C Grade First Place

Jia you Huang Uni National Open Grade Runners up

Yi Fan Sun (Evan) Uni National Open Grade Bronze Medal

National Representation

Member Name League Discipline Result

Anastasiya Bogoslokaya (Ireland) Sydney International Women’s Singles Qualifying

Club Team Performance

Individual Achievements Member Name

Kelly

State Representation

Member Name League Division Result

Abbey Kelly State Womens Division 1 Participant

Morgan Doty State Womens Division 1 Participant

Morgan Doty State Womens Division 1 Batting Award

Basketball

Established 1953

The senior Men's went 21-1, which saw them promoted to the Championship division of Big V. The Club has also added a youth league team that will compete in next year’s Big V Youth League Two Men's competition. This Youth League team will play their inaugural season under the watchful eye of current student-coach Tim Bamford.

Our senior Women's will have a new coach for the upcoming season with Keith Noack taking the reins of the Division 1 program. The Club has a keen eye on adding a Youth League Women's team in the coming years which Keith is also excited about helping to develop.

President Peter Rossiter

Vice-President Heath Gilham

Secretary Amelia Rose

Treasurer Jason Kotchoff

General Manager Joel Rimes

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

Big V Division 1 (Men) Semi-finalist

Big V Division 1 (Women) 6-10

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Discipline Result

Joel Rimes Big V D1 (Men) League MVP All Star 5

Joe Furphy Big V D1 (Men) All Star 5 League Youth Player of the Year

Shawn King Big V D1 (Men) Coach of the Year

Kylie Turnley Big V D1 (Women) 300 games played (club record)

State Representation

Member Name League Division Result

Johnny Furphy Australian Junior Classic U20 4th

Boat

Established 1859

The Boat Club is the number one ranked club for Australian Under 23 representatives for 2022 by a ratio of 2:1.

The Club finished third on the medal table at the 2022 Australian Rowing Championships and won the Men's Open 8+ and Women's Open 8+ (composite).

Two female athletes, Eliza Gaffney & Jean Mitchell were invited to the National Training Centre as members of the Australian Rowing Team.

President Christian Ryan

Vice-President Minnie Cade

Secretary Eliza Gaffney

Treasurer Angus Tyers

General Manager Dan Wallace

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

Cheer and Dance

Established 2011

The Cheer and Dance Club has competed in Victorian State Competitions and the Australian All-Star Cheerleading Federation Nationals Competition in Gold Coast. The club has grown greatly this year and intends to continue this along with the creation of more teams in upcoming seasons. The Club engaged with artist Andy Butler to commission a work for the Ian Potter Museum to reflect on Empowerment in Sports that is currently being displayed in the Old Quad. The Cheer and Dance Club has increased its Committee size with the creation of two new members to help facilitate overall club growth.

President Megan Allis

Vice-President Selimah Cua

Secretary Ava Wansbrough

Treasurer Fiona Tran

Club Membership Participation Data Club

Cricket

Established

President Derek Bennett

Vice-President Nic Brian

Secretary Harrison Emms

Treasurer Arthur Nitsopoulos

General Manager Chris Milne

Club Membership Participation Data

Cycling

Established 1856

No report was provided by the Club.

Club Team Performance

State Representation

Dragon Boat

Established 2018

The Dragon Boat Club welcomed a new Head Coach this year that led to big changes within the coaching program and promising improvements among the members, setting the club up well for upcoming state and nationallevel competitions. Despite the lack of regattas due to flood warnings in the second half of this year, the club’s improvement has been evident through the increased number of our members being a part of the Victorian state and Australian national teams. It is an exciting period of growth and the club is looking forward to breaking personal best times at upcoming regattas.

President Zijing Chu

Vice-President Stefanie Natascha Voelker

Secretary Catherine Leung

Treasurer Zein Benjamin

Club Membership Participation Data

State Representation

Member Name Championship Division Result

Zijing Chu Australian Dragon Boat Championships

Stefanie Natascha Voelker

Yvette (Yichun) Wang

Australian Dragon Boat Championships

Australian Dragon Boat Championships

Eric Ny Australian Dragon Boat Championships

Catherine Leung Australian Dragon Boat Championships

Premier 500m Open 10’s/Gold 500m Mixed 20’s/Gold

Premier 500m Women 10’s/ Gold

Premier 500m Women 10’s/ Gold

Premier 500m Open 10’s/Gold 500m Mixed 20’s/Gold

Premier 500m Mixed 20’s/Gold

Club Team Performance Championship Division Result

Battle on the Barwon Premier Mixed 20’s, 100m 2nd Battle on the Barwon Premier Open 10’s, 100m 3rd Battle on the Barwon Premier Open 10’s, 5.4km 2nd Victorian Championships Premier Mixed 10’s, 500m 3rd

National Representation

Member Name Championship Divsion Result

Zijing Chu 14th Asian Dragon Boat Championships Premier

Augustus Law Shaorui

Australian Dragon Boat Championships

Chan Jie Ho Australian Dragon Boat Championships

Premier 500m Open 10’s/Gold 500m Mixed 20’s/Gold

Premier 500m Open 10’s/Gold

Natascha Voelker 14th Asian Dragon Boat Championships Premier

Stefanie

Zein Benjamin 14th Asian Dragon Boat Championships Premier

Augustus Law

Shaorui 14th Asian Dragon Boat Championships Premier

Fencing

Established 1946

The Club has championed a positive re-introduction of new members and existing members after the difficulties due to Covid. The Club has performed well overall, however aims to improve its relationship between experienced fencers and new-comers.

President Georgia Fitzpatrick

Vice-President Hayden Yu

Secretary Hans Williams

Treasurer Nicholas Zeitoun

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division Achivement

UniSport Games Women’s Team Epee Silver

UniSport Games Women’s Team Overall Current Champions

Individual Achievements

Ka

Kiara

National Representation Member

Women’s Football

Established 1859

The Women’s Football Club (MUWFC) had 109 players taking the field in the Black and Blue, some for their first time and others for their 50th. MUWFC congratulated 9 players who reached their 50 game milestone. MUWFC also recognised Cat O’Bryan’s 150th senior game, and acknowledged the massive contribution she has made to the club and to women’s football more broadly.

Having been promoted back to VAFA Women’s Premier Division, the seniors and reserves did well to play finals, as did the thirds.

Pride Round was another huge success this year with plenty of action on and off the field. All three teams donned Pride Jerseys and played at Melbourne University Home Oval. During the games a Pride Luncheon was organised, which was open to members of the public and included a panel discussion covering the topic of Trans and Gender Diverse Inclusion in Sport. A fundraising raffle and bake sale held in conjunction with both events and all profits from the day were donated to Transgender Victoria, a total of $2500. A Gender Inclusion Policy was created and adopted by the club.

First Nations Round was hosted the day before NAIDOC Week. As part of MUWFC strategy, two players, Lorraine and Madena Jaffer, designed the First Nations Jerseys. These jerseys were worn by the players from all three teams who all played on Melbourne University Home Oval. Aunty Katrina Amon assisted in the jumper reveal and provided an insightful and educational presentation about her family’s history, connection to culture and what this means for different people, her role in footy and the changes she is seeing.

President Madeline Sheedy

Vice-President

Secretary

Treasurer

General Manager

Terri O’Reilly

Marinella Salafia

Donald Sahlstrom

Marinella Salafia

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

VAFA

VAFA

VAFA Thirds Finals

Individual Achievements

Member Name Team Divsion Result

Frances Walsh Team Seniors Best and Fairest

Nell Washington Team Reserves Best and Fairest

Clubs 32

Futsal

Established 2007

The Futsal Club’s FNL (Friday Night Social League) was a success this year with a rise in the number of registered teams resulting in 22 in total. An initiative to start a Women's FNL was also taken after gauging interest from numerous women at the Melbourne University Clubs’ Day at the beginning of the semester, however fewer women actually registered and showed up, allowing the formation of only 2-3 teams. This is an area the Futsal Club looks to focus on for next year and aims to market the Women's FNL better to get enough members for at least 6-8 teams.

The Men's and Women's teams are actively recruiting new coaches after the retirement of Kerry Hwang, the former coach of both teams. The Women’s team are performing well in their league with back-toback wins, however, the Men’s team is struggling currently and could have to fight a relegation battle in their league soon.

President Tanvi Kotwani

Futsal Director William Nack

Secretary Ashley Hay

Club

Membership Participation Data

Established 1907

Overall, 2022 was a very positive year for the Club as it was the first time in three years that the Club was able to finish out a full season.

There have been plenty of highlights and positives from the year: All five of our women’s senior teams making finals, a plethora of MUHC members in action as players, coaches, managers, and officials at various national and international tournaments, Premierships for Women’s Pennant C and Men’s Masters 45+ NW, and a championship for Women’s InterVarsity, a good financial year, stabilising post-COVID, and giving the Club a solid foundation to deal with potential challenges and changes in 2023.

President James Stewart

Futsal Director Keeley O' Reilly

Secretary Rosie George

Treasurer Peter Bolling

Lacrosse

Established 1883

No report was provided by the Club.

Lifting

Established 2022

No report was provided by the Club.

Netball

Established 1920

Melbourne University Lightning had two teams make the Victorian Netball League (VNL) finals for the first time since 2017 - Championship and 19&Under - plus the Bolts 1 Development side winning the 2022 Autumn Grand Final in a one-goal thriller at Parkville.

The Club is incredibly proud of its work in the diversity and inclusion space - again at the forefront of the VNL Pride Round and becoming the first Club to have a designated First Nations uniform for the respective Round.

The Club is confident its program will deliver every team the opportunity to push for finals next season.

President Lindy Murphy

Vice-President Mel Laird

Secretary Caitlin Walsh

Treasurer Jenni Lewis

General Manager Caitlin Walsh

Club Membership Participation Date

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

VNL Championship 3rd

VNL Division 1 8th

VNL 19/Under 3rd (Minor Premiers)

Parkville Premier 2 Premiers

Parkville Premier 3 8th

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Divsion Result

Jordan Cransberg VNL Championship Team of the Year

Gabby Coffey VNL Championship Team of the Year

Mikaela Vaughan VNL Championship Team of the Year

Kelsie Rainbow VNL Championship Team of the Year

Grace Markovic VNL 19/Under Team of the Year

Dayna Williams VNL 19/Under Team of the Year

National Representation

Member Name Divsion Achievement Maggie Caris 21/U National Squad Emma Winfield 21/U National Squad

State Representation

Member Name Team Division Achievement

Gabby Coffey Collingwood Magpies Super Netball Debut

Gabby Coffey Melbourne Vixens Training Partner

Jordan Cransberg Melbourne Vixens Training Partner

Rugby

Established 1909

No report was provided by the Club.

Soccer

Established 1947

The Soccer Club celebrated its 75th year with gala matches on the University Oval followed by a function in the Ernie Cropley Pavilion. The Club qualified for promotion to the Women’s National Premier League but unfortunately had to decline promotion because the Club’s facilities do not meet NPLW requirements. The Club looks forward with excitement to the FIFA Women’s World Cup being played on home soil next year.

President Michael Owen

Vice-President Sasha Naidoo

Secretary

Isabella Mezzetti

Treasurer Lachlan Boughton

General Manager Angela Christian-Wilkes

Club Membership Participation Data

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Achievement

Elena Reid

Brydie Siryj

League runner-up Golden Boot

Club Team Performance

Softball

Established 1961

The Softball Club (MUSC) had another successful year in 2022. With four teams spread across all 3 divisions of the Melbourne Softball Association competition, MUSC had a great mix of experienced players and newbies at the club. The MUSC Wolves were champions of the B-Division, unfortunately knocking out the MUSC Vipers along the way, while the Raptors and the Angels did their best against strong competition in the A-Reserve and A divisions respectively. MUSC is looking forward to another fantastic season in 2023.

President Katherine Gourley

Vice-President Tracy Woolacott

Secretary Tylah Drochmann

Treasurer Caroline Reid and Claire Straw

General Manager Hannah Gray

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

Melbourne Softball Association A Grade (Team: Angels) Semi Finalists

Melbourne Softball Association A-Reserve (Team: Raptors) 5th

Melbourne Softball Association B Grade (Team: Wolves) Champions

Melbourne Softball Association B Grade (Team: Vipers) Prelim Finalists

Individual Achievements

Member Name Team Division Achievement

Isabella Phillips Wolves B-Grade Grand Final MVP

Tylah Drochmann Wolves B-Grade B-Grade All Star Coach

Katherine Gourley Angels A-Grade Duyvestan Service Award

State Representation

Member Name Team Division Achievement

Antigone Thornton Raptors A-Reserve U17 State Championship

Charlotte Delos Raptors A-Reserve U17 State Championship

Squash

Established 1964

The Squash Club has returned to pre-COVID membership levels with a range of initiatives, and found significant growth in the social demographic attributed to our weekly events and grassroots programs, such as Learn to Play.

The Club established an official coaching group, which focuses on developing the Learn to Play program to engage new players, through to training and development in the Pennant membership base.

The Club was proud to run it’s first Club Championships in three years, with two new student player Club Champions, whom also competed in University Nationals; this tournament was the strongest and deepest draw the Club has run in recent years.

President Eli Kozma

Vice-President/Secretary Allegra Randazzo

Treasurer Felicia Eng

Club Membership Participation Data

Table Tennis

Established 1954

The Table Tennis Club has been hard at work this year rebuilding our membership base after a lack of engagement from the 2021 Covid lockdown. The Club has brought back many social and competitive events hosting a total of 2 social and 2 competitions this year on top of collaborating with IJM (International Justice Mission) to deliver a ping-pong-o-thon charity event. The club also co-hosted a Racketlon event with the Tennis, Squash and Badminton clubs giving all members a diverse trial of each sport. Currently the club has over 146 active members and now planning to expand the club’s connection with other affiliated clubs and associations.

President Henry Ye

Vice-President Preston Tan-Kang

Secretary Daniel Lay

Treasurer Jason Huang

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

Premier Summer season - State Runners up

Open Summer season - C grade Runners up

Womens Autumn Season - Cup grade Runners up

Premier Winter season - State Runners up

Open Winter season - B grade Runners up

Open Winter season - C grade Runners up

Open Winter season - C res Premiers

Womens Spring season - Cup grade Runners up

Individual Achievements

Member Name Championship Division Result

Druvinka Perera Club Championship Open Winner

Joyce (Yi Yan) Mak Club Championship Women's Winner

James Kavourakis Ballarat Open Open Winner

Richard Gale Ballarat Open Open 4th place

Hayden Pattrick Ballarat Open Div 5 Winner

Club Membership Participation Data

State Representation

Member Name Team Division Achivement

Rocky Chen Senior Nationals U21 Represented VIC

Raymond Myrteza Senior Nationals U21 Represented VIC

Kei Chun Chung Senior Nationals U21 Represented VIC

Nathan Shi Senior Nationals U21 Chosen to represent VIC

Tennis

Established 1884

This year at the Tennis Club was filled with long lasting friendships, great gameplay and great sportsmanship. With our memberships exceeding over 300 members this year, the Club had to adapt and continue to provide a safe and inclusive environment to play. Many highlights from this year of tennis include the Club’s International Women’s Day event, introducing a hybrid internal competition to allow members a chance to play singles and doubles, club hittings for members twice a week, the Club’s new range of merch and the Club’s social activities such as BBQ’s and pub nights throughout the year to boost morale. The Club would like to thank the committee, the coaches and MU Sport who made the year as great as it was.

President Mia Costanzo & Gabriel Thomas

Secretary Wendy Phung

Treasurer Gabriel Thomas

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

Vic Pennant Women's 4 3rd

Vic Pennant Women's 5 4th

Vic Pennant Women's 5 4th

Vic Pennant Men's 2 5th

Vic Pennant Men's 7 6th

Vic Pennant Men's 7 6th

Vic Pennant Men's 11 5th

Touch

Established 1997

No report was provided by the Club.

National Representation

Member Name Championship Discipline Result

Weitao Li Uni Nationals Men's Tennis Winning record

Jessica Graham Uni Nationals Women's Tennis Winning record

Ka Wen Kuong Uni Nationals Women's Tennis Winning record

Tobias Bo Kudsk Uni Nationals Men's Tennis Winning record

Shu Jhou Uni Nationals Women's Tennis Winning record

Ultimate Frisbee

Established 1994

The Club engaged in successful recruitment of new members during orientation sessions, with constant engagement with new and existing members during weekly sessions, even with some newer additions later during the semester due to prior connections. The greatest success the club had was sending 14 members to represent Victoria in the U18s & U22s state representative teams, with Julie Chong and Chinatsu Hoshi being recognised by AFDA (Australian Flying Disc Association) and awarded the Green and Gold merit award. There were increased connections to alumnus to improve high performance in the club and focus on redevelopment after the Covid-19 phase and results are anticipated next year.

President Zhi Yi Lee

Secretary Louis Lai

Treasurer Chinatsu Hoshi

Treasurer Hannah Bradley, Bryan Chiow

Club Membership Participation Data

State Representation

Volleyball

Established 1958

The Club was unsure of what to expect returning from the two years of COVID interruptions. It was unclear whether membership numbers were going to be impacted in any way. The extremely positive numbers attending the selection trials was a sign that volleyball interest did not wain during the interruption. The Club was able to field a full quote of teams, and for the first time in many years also entered three teams in the Junior State League competition, thanks to a group of volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this happen. The Club’s success this year, among others, proudly celebrates its award as Volleyball Victoria’s Club of the Year.

President Gus Cirillo

Vice-President Rosemary Bissett

Secretary Amber Allen

Treasurer Anthony Williams

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

VVL Premier Men Div 1 Gold

VVL Premier Women Div 1 Gold

VVL Premier Men Div 2 Gold

VVL Premier Women Div 2 3rd

VVL Reserves Women Div 1 Blue 3rd

VVL Reserves Men Div 3 3rd

VVL Reserves Men Div 2 5th

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Division Result

Michael Cirillo VVL Premier 1 Men Best Setter

Liam Van Gemst VVL Premier 1 Men Best Attacker

Rochelle Sison VVL Premier 1 Women Best Libero

Chloe Jacobi VVL Premier 1 Women Rising Star (U/21)

Tanya McInerney VVL Premier 1 Women Coach of the Year

Gus Cirillo VVL Premier 1 Men Coach of the Year

Liam Van Gemst VVL Premier 1 Men GF MVP

Jemma Stokes VVL Premier 1 Women GF MVP

Corey O’Dea VVL Premier 2 Men GF MVP

National Representation

Member Name League Discipline Achievement

Trent O’Dea Volleyball Nations League Indoor Volleyball Participation

State Representation

Member Name League Division Result

Charlotte Fitzharris AJVC U/18 Girls Silver

Milla Smith AJVC U/18 Girls Silver

Cat Smith AJVC U/18 Girls Silver

James Lycett AJVC U/15 Girls Gold (Finals MVP)

Callen Fowler AJVC U/18 Boys Bronze

Amelia Stevens AJVC U/14 Girls White 4th

Water Polo

Established 1963

Following no competitions in previous years due to the COVID-10 pandemic, the 2021/22 Summer State League was the first return of Water Polo in Victoria since December 2019. The Summer State League was reduced in length, only commencing in February 2022. Pleasing, club membership numbers and representation was high, with many members returning from 2019, as well as many new members joining the club this year, allowing the Club to return to regular training and competition programs without delay.

Club results were impressive based on the long time out of the water, with the clubs top Men’s team securing premierships in both the 2021/22 Summer Competition & 2022 Winter Competitions. The Women’s program continues to develop with the step-up to the WPV State League 1 with mixed results in that division, but Women’s SL2 and SL3 continue to post strong results with finals representation, and a Premiership in the WSL3 division during of the Summer Competition.

The year also coincided with the return of a Victorian based side in the Australian Water Polo League. Club member and Commerce/ Engineering Student Lucy Haig represented the Victorian Phoenix, alongside fellow student Max Post (Arts) and University Alumni Em McGowan, Darcy Holdsworth and Jamie Ogilvie-Lee.

The Club’s social program also returned to full flight, with teams entered in both men’s and women’s competitions of the Polo by the Pier tournament. The Social Men were victorious in this competition. The Club also sent a men’s team to Canberra to compete in the Canberra Cup, finishing an admirable third place, against some tough competition from the ACT and NSW.

President Matthew Keen & Pheobe Nadenbousch

Vice-President Rylee Olsson & Keli’koa Peters

Secretary Ellen Keen

Treasurer Eliza Fasso-Opie

Club Membership Participation Data

Individual Achievements

Member

State Representation

Jodie

Open 40

Aikido

Established 1966

The Aikido Club has continued our long standing mission of introducing newcomers to Aikido. Since training is conducted pairs, it allows for both beginner friendly and more complex practice at the discretion of the individual pairs. The Club held a 3-day InterVarsity event with RMIT Aikido Club in order to bring together Aikido practitioners across Victoria. The event served to expose our members to different styles not normally available at the club and a chance to form new connections.

President Matthew Littleson

Vice-President Anna Liu

Secretary Shravan Burtun

Treasurer Teo Chin Phin

Club Membership Participation Data

Dancesport

Established 1993

The Dancesport Club’s main goal for the year was to increase membership and member involvement in club activities.

MUDC’s numbers increased by 300% with all classes growing throughout the year. The club was able to teach dance styles not taught since before Covid and separate dance styles that were taught in combined classes during COVID.

MUDC’s major events were intervarsity (competition organised with Monash Dance Society) where the club also invited several student dance clubs to participate for the first time. MUDC also ran a performance night were all classes performed choreographies the students had learnt throughout second semester.

President Sam Hoffmann

Vice-President Tristan Chandraratna

Secretary Sage Aleena

Treasurer Charlotte Jones

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Result

Dani Le Aikikai Victoria 5th Kyu

Teo Chin Phin Aikikai Victoria 5th Kyu Matthew Littleson Aikikai Victoria 4th Kyu

Club Membership Participation Data

Karate

Established 1968

The Karate Club has gained at least 20 new members since the start of 2022, some of which ran for the Club’s first AGM since 2019. The Club now has elected a new committee including fresh undergraduates, all active in club training and events. Notable club social events include hiking, paintball, ice skating, and laser tag, all of which were popular and boosted club morale. The Club also held a joint camp with the Rhee Taekwondo Club over the winter, the first since Covid-19, which was a huge success. Club members were also able to participate in the Lion Bushido Tournament this year, and won awards in kata as well as sparring. The Club is also proud to announce that Alejandro Torres, Jie Zhou and Scott Fittock have graded to their 1st dan. A dinner was organized by the club in celebration of their achievement. As part of her specialty, Jie also holds a monthly Filipino short stick class, providing new fun applications of karate.

President Henry Tan

Vice-President Monique Tovey

Secretary Sean Tovey

Treasurer Margaret Xu

Club Membership Participation Data

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Discipline Achivement

Alejandro Torres Grading Grading Black Belt

Scott Fittock Grading Grading Black Belt

Jie Zhou Grading Grading Black Belt

Jie Zhou Lion Bushido Tournament

Darren Chew Lion Bushido

Henry

Scott Fittock

sparring, open, female 18+ 2nd

sparring 10th7th kyu, male 18+

Kendo

Established 1989

The Kendo Club (MUKEN) in 2022 saw a successful bounce back from COVID headwinds of 2020-2021 with a healthy retention of 2021 & 2022 beginners.

The club had a successful showing at the 2022 Victorian Championship, coming first place across 5/10 events including holding onto the Men’s team title since 2016.

The club continues to contribute to broader kendo community with strong participation at the State and National level as competitors and coaches/officials.

This culture of success and participation has permeated across our members, ensuring we are set for success with a base of highly engaged and motivated students.

Vice-President Jeffrey Khor

Secretary Ashraf Shahril

Treasurer Tommy Dinh

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

Victorian Kendo Championships Men’s Kyu Teams 1st

Victorian Kendo Championships Women’s Kyu Teams 1st

Victorian Kendo Championships Men’s Dan Teams 1st

Uni Nationals Overall place 4th

Gwangju Open Tournament Open Teams N/A

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Event Result

Richard T’en Victorian Kendo Championships Men’s Dan Individuals 1st

Kenji Sugimoto Victorian Kendo Championships Veterans Individuals 2nd

Yaya Jeong Victorian Kendo Championships Women’s Dan Individuals 2nd

Sandra Chen Victorian Kendo Championships Women’s Kyu Individuals 1st

Amelia Ding Victorian Kendo Championships Women’s Kyu Individuals 2nd

Simon Wang Victorian Kendo Championships Men’s Kyu Individuals Equal 3rd

David Turner Victorian Kendo Championships Men’s Kyu Individuals Equal 3rd

Jeffrey Khor Ballarat Taikai Open Individuals 2nd

Richard T’en MUKEN Taikai Open Individuals 1st

Jeffrey Khor MUKEN Taikai Open Individuals 2nd

National Representation

Member Name Team Role

Daniel Jeong Australian Kendo Team Assistant Coach

Yaya Jeong Australian Kendo Team Assistant Manager

Taekwondo (Rhee)

Established 1971

Rhee Taekwondo started the year strong by hosting the celebration of 50 years of Taekwondo at Melbourne University in conjunction with WTF Taekwondo which invovled a cocktail dinner and a demonstration from each club.

This was followed by a joint martial arts camp with the Karate Club in June which saw instructors and students from each club sharing and learning unique techniques from each martial art.

Throughout the year regular social events were held with particular highlights being laser tag with MU karate and a tree tops adventure.

Taekwondo (WTF)

Established 1971

The Taekwondo Club began a victorious year with obtaining several medals in state competitions, looking forward to another year of improvement and more participation in competitions. With strong preparation over semester one, all of our athletes that participated at UniNationals gained medals for some all categories and divisions. With this year’s success, the club is highly motivated and is looking forward to appearing in competitions in the upcoming year. The club continued effective trainings in preparation for UniNationals and provide members with weekly training sessions to maintain their fitness and skill.

President Chen-Yu Yang

Vice-President Fiona Trieu

Secretary Vivian Nguyen

Treasurer Benjamin Ly

The club also attended two gradings in June and September which welcomed many new black belts and lower belt promotions which were well overdue due to COVID-19.

President Josh Chen

Vice-President Cameron Petty

Secretary Allegra Tremlett

Treasurer Dylan Hamilton

Club Membership Participation Data

Club

Wushu Kung Fu

The ‘Wushu Kung Fu Club’ focused on quickly building membership and member skills as well as returning fully to pre-pandemic activities. After two years the Club was finally able to run the annual winter camp. The Club also partook in two cross-training events with ‘Monash University Taichi Wushu Club’, the first since 2017. The Club held an all-day school incursion which had been in the works since 2021. The Club performed at the Chinese Cultural Festival and hopes to further build relationships with Chinese-related clubs. The Club held several social events this year and is looking to meaningfully expand them next year.

President Connor McGowan

Vice-President Nathaniel Nguyen

Secretary Ashley McGowan

Treasurer Emily Chen

Club Membership Participation Data

Recreational

Golf

Established 2020

TIn its first full year without COVID-19 restrictions, The Golf Club has held more events than ever before. The club has introduced dozens of students to the game of golf, and helped build a close-knit community of golfers at the University. It has been incredibly rewarding to see the improvements of members under the fantastic coaching and guidance of the Club’s volunteers. Events have primarily included driving range sessions and 9-hole matches, with the Club looking to expand into competitive golf from next year.

Inline Skating

Reaffiliated 2016

No report was provided by the Club.

Mountaineering

Established 1944

2022 marked the long-awaited return of activities for the Mountaineering Club. This year’s focus was on providing numerous opportunities for members to get outdoors. Paddling was bolstered by the purchase of a new club trailer, and upskilling of leaders through Paddle Australia training courses. Ropes sports were strong, with regular social climbing and skills sessions, the inaugural interclub boulder competition, and the approval of a new canyoning framework. Over 25 hikes and rogaines took place across Victoria. The winter months saw several skiing and snowshoeing expeditions run. Spring saw members out in the bush planting trees for conservation.

President Jacob Forker-Freeman

Vice-President Alex Ballantyne

Secretary Harrison Lindsay

Treasurer Darcey Delagnes

Club Membership Participation Data

President Sam Cato

Secretary Rey Rusli

Treasurer Maxwell Machin-Finch

Club Membership Participation Data

Club Team Performance

League Division Result

Victorian Canoe Polo (Winter) Novice 1st

Canoe Polo - Nagambie Cup Division 2 4th/10

Individual Achievements

Member Name League Discipline Result

Oliver Fogel-Reid Victorian Canoe Polo Winter 2022 Competition

Natalie Uhlikova Victorian Canoe Polo Winter 2022 Competition

Novice/ intermediate Most improved player in league

Novice/ intermediate Best and Fairest

Established 1929

No report was provided by the Club.

Snowboard

Established 1994

No report was provided by the Club.

Sailing

Established 2020

The Sailing Club had a successful 2022, being the first proper year for the Club to reestablish club events following a period of inactivity, and some challenging years of attempting to restart the Club during COVID. The Club ran numerous casual sailing and social events throughout the year, aimed at engaging sailors at the University, bringing together individuals with a common interest in sailing, and providing an opportunity for students new to sailing to experience the sport. The Club was also able to organise opportunities for UoM students to sign up for learn-to-sail courses through RBYC. Growing these opportunities for students and expanding club activities into more racing events, potentially with other universities, will be the Club’s main objectives leading into 2023.

Surfriders

Established 1969

The Surfriders are back to full member participation of both domestic and international students. This year the club ran 6 camps, had multiple social nights, and collaborated with other universities to organise a ‘Surf Ball’. With a high demand for our camps and events, the Club is looking forward to welcoming 2023.

President Riley Kirkland

Vice-President Amy Gibbins

Secretary Marcus Schaper

Treasurer Liam O’Reilly

Club Membership Participation Data

President Ethan O’Brien

Vice-President Lachlan Copeland

Secretary Max Shannon

Treasurer Hannah Danks

Club Membership Participation Data

National Representation

Member Name League Discipline Achievement

Samson Melatua Uni Nationals Short/Long/ Body Board Participation

Marshall Maher Uni Nationals Short/Long/ Body Board Participation

Merrick Craven Uni Nationals Long Body Board Participation

Nick Boags Uni Nationals Short/Long/ Body Board Participation

Underwater

Established 1977

The Underwater Club started the new year with social events, talks from other ocean scientists, movies that promoted ocean conservations and scuba diving.

With the help of the pool, local divers were able to brush up their skills and us in the ocena.

Currently the Club have 130 total active members. The Club’s course coodinator trained 13 new open water student and it also improved the skills of other divers with advanced courses.

The Club is also going to start a divemaster trainingship that will help novice divers gain leadership skills.

Waterski & Wakeboard

Established 1965

The latest season for the Waterski & Wakeboard Club was about focusing on fare-welling the Mastercraft that has served the club over the last 4 years. The club made multiple trips up to Echuca over summer to enjoy the water-sport activities in the sun. Throughout the last year the Club worked through the process of ordering a new boat and at the end of the season were able to take out the clubs new Malibu which the members are very excited to use in the future seasons.

President Michael Lowe

Vice-President Sean Taffe

Secretary Ian James Termes

Treasurer Alan Jones

Club Membership Participation Data

President Maciej Necki

Vice-President Andrew Hebbard

Secretary Burak Uslu

Treasurer Kevin Sek

Club Membership Participation Data

Facilities & Finance

The University has a range of sporting facilities located within the Parkville Campus Sports Precinct. Other facilities include Lincoln Square Fitness, the Ski Lodge at Mount Buller, the Boat House on the Yarra River, and the mountaineering hut at Mount Feathertop.

The year saw tentative steps to a post Covid environment with students and staff beginning to return to campus.

An ambitious Facility Improvement Plan (20 projects) has taken up most of our time, with the rest devoted to progression of the Sports Capital Infrastructure Plan and responding to essential planned and unplanned maintenance.

The other key focus was on continuous improvement and engaging stakeholders via a Consultation – Collaboration – Communication framework.

Facilities have supported sporting club Pride and Indigenous rounds via bespoke line marking which as enhanced game day. In addition, ramps were installed to improve access to the hockey pitch and design work completed for improved accessibility to the Nona Lee Sports Centre.

Annual Highlights

• Gaining significant financial support from Campus Management for upgrades to the Alpine Lodge and disability access improvements in Nona Lee Sports Centre

• Anticipated support from the University for Priority Projects and Sports Capital Infrastructure Plan

Commencement of works to deliver new reception desk in Nona Lee Sports Centre

• Majority (70%) of 2022 Facility Improvement Program delivered

• Turf management contract providing best value extended with Andersons Horticulture

• Supporting the Reactivation team to activate new spaces and build University relationships eg, Student Precinct

- MU Sport is committed to providing and improving accessible spaces, with the recent door automation for Sports Centre north entrance and south entry door in compliance with DDA legislation.

- The introduction of a Student Lounge, a designated area for Elite Athlete Program athletes to study in a comfortable and convenient location, supporting their training.

- Works have also been done for the High Performance Studio, to improve access for users and provide higher quality sound and audiovisual equipment.

- In addition, an installation of a 24 hour access Key Cabinet for clubs to access keys for storage with ease and convenience.

- Installation of tennis court seating provides convenient and comfortable seating for players to sit and place equipment.

Melbourne University Sports Precinct, Parkville Campus

Finance Report

In accordance with updated reporting requirements from the University, Trusts and Sports Foundation accounts are included in financial reporting from 2021.

Donors & Supporters

The support of our generous community allows for crucial opportunities for students at the University to participate in high-performance sport.

The Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship is such an example of this support, which has allowed student-athlete Eliza Gaffney to pursue Rowing and her academic studies equally.

Competitive rower and University of Melbourne student Eliza Gaffney was named the third-ever Jopling Scholarship Awardee this year; one of the most valuable grants amongst the country’s tertiary institutions.

Established in 2020, the Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship is Australia’s preeminent rowing scholarship, awarding $25,000 annually in educational support plus other in-kind athletic assistance. The scholarship supports undergraduate and postgraduate student-athletes for up to four years.

Gaffney, a current Juris Doctor student and the 2022 recipient of the John Hall Rowing Scholarship, credits the financial support with allowing her to balance both full-time studies with being able to compete at an elite level.

“I feel super privileged having been awarded both scholarships. Being a recipient of the John Hall Scholarship for the past few years has allowed me to reach the position I am in today. Hopefully, the Jopling Family Rowing Scholarship will let me achieve my goals in the future.

"Having gained selection to both the U/23 National Team and Senior A National Team last year, Eliza is leading the pack of a group of young rowers fighting for Olympic selection for Paris in 2024. The 22-year-old was selected in the Queen’s Cup and Henley Royal Regatta, rounding out a brutal 2022 competitive season that Eliza is confident has provided her the experience in international competition that will prove crucial in Senior National Team selections.

“(Australia) is very fortunate because we have many returning athletes from the previous Olympia, many of whom are keen to continue to Paris. Their international experience is invaluable, and it helps us younger girls mature as athletes, having rowers with so much experience not just overseas, but with experience winning. But the double edge sword with that is that with so many people returning, it makes it so much harder to get in”.

President of the Melbourne University Boat Club (MUBC) and Olympic Silver Medalist Christian Ryan said that financial support from the Jopling scholarship is essential in allowing young athletes to balance an elite sporting career and their higher education study.

“An award of this type is a massive first step in providing financial support for athletes. The amount of time these young athletes need to train to compete on the international stage diminishes their ability to work part-time and study as well. This scholarship supports a gap for athletes who have the potential to make it; without it, something must give.”

“I feel the financial support Eliza received through the John Hall Rowing Scholarship last year has contributed to her making the senior team in 2022 ahead of expectations.”

Christian is also enthusiastic about the number of young rowers currently coming up in Australia. He described elite rowing as a game of ‘inches’ where athletes and their support teams work in a four-year Olympic cycle.

“If they’re not ready in 2024, our young rowers are in excellent stead for 2028.”

The Jopling Family Scholarships have been made possible due to the generosity of Mr. Peter Jopling AM in honour of his father, Mr. John Jopling Jr, and his passion for education and rowing. Mr. Jopling was passionate about the importance of quality education and the lifechanging impact that such an education can have on an individual.

Sports Centre

Tin Alley

The University of Melbourne

VIC 3010

SPORT.UNIMELB.EDU.AU