At the annual Blues Dinner held on Friday, November 29, in the Great Hall, Taekwondo athlete Richard Lin and Race-Walker, Allanah Pitcher were celebrated as the Male and Female Blues of the Year for their outstanding sporting achievements.
Richard Lin (pictured left), a Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Civil Engineering) student and Fijian representative, achieved remarkable success in Taekwondo. He claimed gold in the U68kg category at the UniSport Nationals, first place in the U68kg category at the South Coast Open Taekwondo Championships, and gold in the U63kg division at the NSW State Selection. On the international stage, Richard earned silver in the U63kg category at the Pacific Games and bronze in the U68kg category at the Olympic Games Qualification Oceania Tournament.
Allanah Pitcher (pictured below), a Bachelor of Engineering Honours (Biomedical Engineering) student, excelled in race walking. She took first place in the 5km NSW State Championships, second in the 20km at the Australian Championships, and third in the 10km at the National Australian Championships. Internationally, she finished 7th at the Oceania and Australian 20km Race Walking Championships and 27th at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships. Allanah’s stellar performances earned her a reserve spot for the Marathon Race Walk Mixed Relay team for the Paris Olympics.
The event honoured 24 Blues and 17 Golds (all recipients are listed below) and welcomed over 220
guests, including distinguished alumni who received Blues as far back as the 1940s. Acknowledged alumni included;
- Greg Harris – 1974 Blue – Football (Rugby Union)
- Chris Noel OAM – 1971 Blue – Rowing
- Judge Stephen Norrish KC – 1970 Blue – Rugby League
- Anne Titterton, Therese Clancy, and John Boultbee AM – 1969 Blues – Rowing
- Rodney Tubbs – 1967 Blue – Aussie Rules
- Philip Titterton OAM – 1966 Blue – Rowing
- Hartley Anderson – 1966 Blue – Baseball
- Prof. Phil Harris AM – 1964 Blue – Rowing
- Patrick Greene – 1963 Blue – Athletics (also received a Gold in 2024)
- Peter Fitzgerald – 1962 Blue – Athletics
- Mac Chambers – 1959 Blue – Cricket
- Dr Frank Cheok OAM – 1958 Blue – Squash
- Joanna Maher – 1956 Blue – Hockey
- Dr Lloyd Hughes – 155 Blue – Athletics, 1958 Blue – Football (Rugby Union)
- Michael Baume AO – 1951 Blue – Soccer
- Lennon O’Brien – 1948 & 1949 Blue – Hockey
The evening opened with a welcome address from Sydney Uni Sport Director, Sarah Verne on behalf of Chair, Jane Spring AM.
Sarah celebrated a successful year for Sydney Uni Sport, highlighting key achievements such as retaining the UniSport National Champion University title for the 15th time in 27 years. She also emphasised major infrastructure upgrades, including the resurfacing of the football ground, expansion of fitness facilities, and implementation of sustainable initiatives such as LED lighting and solar panels. Jane praised diverse student participation programs, including water safety, self-defence classes, the RUNSYDUNI fun run, and social sports competitions, which enhance the student experience. She concluded by thanking the University of Sydney for its enduring support, emphasising how this partnership fosters a culture where sports contribute significantly to both student development and broader Australian society.
The evening was topped off with an engaging interview by Master of Ceremonies, Stephanie Brantz with two of the University’s Olympians: Keesja Gofers (silver medallist, Water Polo) and William Yang (silver medallist, 4x100m freestyle relay).
Sydney Uni Sport, CEO, Ed Smith concluded the night, commended Jane on her first year as Chair of Sydney Uni Sport and congratulated the students and clubs on their achievements. He recognised standout performances in the Olympics, UniSport Nationals, the Australian Boat Race teams, the University Tennis League and University Basketball League. He underscored the importance of Sydney Uni Sport’s programs and clubs in enriching the student experience on campus.
2024 Blues Cohort:
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | YEAR | SPORT |
| Zara | Nicholas | 2015 | Touch Football |
| Genevieve | Gilarski | 2023 | Fencing |
| Robert | Palmer | 2023 | Squash |
| Emily | Principe | 2023 | Fencing |
| Wing Long (Andrew) | Choi | 2024 | Table Tennis |
| Ethan | De Melo | 2024 | Futsal |
| Vincent | de Souza | 2024 | Snow Sports |
| Amelia | Feeney | 2024 | Soccer |
| William | Gibbs | 2024 | Aussie Rules |
| Charlie | Hawkins | 2024 | Netball |
| Jesse | Hirschowitz | 2024 | Soccer |
| Yasmeen | Janschek | 2024 | Netball |
| Saskia | Johnson | 2024 | Aussie Rules |
| Tameeka | Johnson | 2024 | Swimming |
| Amelia | Kirby | 2024 | Soccer |
| Richard | Lin | 2024 | Taekwondo |
| Samuel | Mak | 2024 | Taekwondo |
| Caitlyn | Martin | 2024 | Basketball |
| Olivia | Nattey | 2024 | Boat/Rowing |
| Charlie | Pade | 2024 | Tennis |
| Allanah | Pitcher | 2024 | Athletics |
| Fraser | Salmon | 2024 | Netball |
| Billy | Smith | 2024 | Netball |
| Phoebe | Teale | 2024 | Boat/Rowing |
| Lachlan | Townsend | 2024 | Athletics |
2024 Gold Cohort:
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | SPORT |
| Fiona | Banbas | Soccer |
| Ian | Cameron | Football (Rugby Union) |
| Brian | Cho | Volleyball |
| Stephanie | Clarke | Soccer |
| John | Cowling | Squash |
| Dave | Eldering | Squash |
| Pat | Greene | Athletics |
| Charles | Gwynn | Fencing |
| Simon | Lewis | Water Polo |
| Patrick | Lloyd | Soccer |
| Charles | Moore | Rowing |
| Michael | Murray | Aussie Rules |
| Nick | Olive | American Football |
| Stuart | Pavely | Sydney Uni Sport |
| Antony | Rowda | Volleyball |
| Kirsty | Stevens | Football (Rugby Union) |
| Leon | Talay | Sydney Uni Sport |
| Angus | Wilson | Football (Rugby Union) |
