Honouring Outstanding Achievement at the 117th Annual Blues Awards

Over 240 guests joined us at the National Wine Centre as we celebrated the 117th Annual Blues Awards - our yearly tradition recognising the remarkable achievements of our sporting clubs and their members, elite and intervarsity athletes, and the people behind-the-scenes who make it all possible.

Proudly sponsored by Howard Vineyard and Coopers, the evening saw the presentation of 14 scholarships, 7 Blues, 17 Half Blues, 47 Club Letters for competition, 14 Club Letters for service, 25 Intervarsity Certificates of Merit, a Service to Adelaide University Sport and Fitness award recognising long-standing contribution, our annual Coach of the Year awards for elite and development coaches, and three prestigious Club of the Year awards for accomplishment throughout 2025.

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Congratulations to all of our award recipients in 2025...

Patron’s Cup – AU BOAT Club

Presented in recognition of Professor McWha’s support of AU Sport during his ten-year tenure as Vice-Chancellor, the Patron's Cup celebrates outstanding club sporting achievements across the year.

With a haul of 11 medals including three golds at the UniSport Nationals in October, the AU Boat Club and its members excelled throughout 2025. The State Championships saw 14 gold medals, and both the Australian Championships and Oceania Teams Rowing Championships added more to the trophy cabinet. This is the second time in the last three years that the AU Boat Club have won the Patron's Cup, and the sixth time overall since its inception in 2012.

JESSOP SHIELD – AU LAWN TENNIS Club

The Club of the Year award for clubs with 50 or less members is named after one of our first Life Members, Charles Jessop. The winning club received a $1,000 financial incentive, which can be put towards a club development project approved by the AUSF Board.

After a period of dormancy, the AU Lawn Tennis Club has been revitalised over the past two year, with a focus on strong governance, culture and member engagement. With huge growth in social and competitive participation, and plans to expand pathways for female players, the club has re-established itself as a thriving and inclusive part of the university sporting community.

BENNETT SHIELD – AU ATHLETICS Club

The Club of the Year award for clubs with more than 50 members is named after one of our first Life Members, Richard Bennett. The winning club received a $1,000 financial incentive, which can be put towards a club development project approved by the AUSF Board.

With their first victory in the SA Men's Winter Premiership in more than 25 years, the year has been a success for the AU Athletics Club. Strong participation in the City to Bay, State Cross Country Relays and Ekiden Relay spoke to the way the club has improved both community participation and their governance, with improved communication channels, boosted membership numbers and new sponsorships paving the way for more success in the future.

Service to Adelaide University Sport and Fitness - Adrian Howard, AU Football Club

With 33 years, 433 games and six premierships as a player for the AU Football Club, and with 30 years of volunteering across the AU Football Club and Adelaide University Sport and Fitness, Adrian Howard has epitomised what service to sport means. Adrian served as a Board Director with AUSF from 2012-16, and in 2025 was recognised with the Jo Richardson Memorial as AU Football Club's Volunteer of the Year. He has previously been recognised at the Blues in 2012 with a Club Letters - Competition and in 2019 with a Club Letters - Service.

Coach of the Year (Development) - Peter Barry, AU Fencing Club

Peter Barry played a pivotal role in elevating the AU Fencing Club’s performance and participation throughout 2025. Through his structured coaching programs and supportive team culture, the club achieved its best ever results at the UniSport Nationals - securing one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals while expanding female representation. His commitment to athlete development has delivered success at state and national levels, building competitive depth across all divisions and fostering both high performance and inclusivity within the club.

Coach of the Year (Elite) - Scott Freer and Lachlan Coppick, AU Waatu Basketball

For the second year in a row, New Balance University Basketball League coaches of the Adelaide University Waatu, Scott Freer and Lachlan Coppick, were named Coach of the Year (Elite). With enhanced pre-season training, weekly strength and condition sessions, and post-game recovery sessions, strong results were achieved throughout the 2025 UBL season. The women's team had their most successful season to date, making finals for the first time. The men made finals for the third consecutive year, placing 5th after the home-and-away games. Both men’s and women’s teams then followed up a hectic UBL season, going on to make finals of Division 1 at UniSport Nationals. With over 130 students trialling for places and athletes already registered for 2026 trials, the program continues to go from strength to strength under the guidance of Scott and Lachlan.

Blues, Half Blues, Club Letters & Intervarsity Certificates of Merit

On the night, we also celebrated our 14 scholarship recipients - among them the Adelaide University Sport and Fitness and University of Adelaide scholarships, the People's Choice Credit Union scholarships, the brand new AIS/AUSF three-year scholarship, and the Frances Adamson Scholarship - as well as all new recipients of the Blues and Half Blues, Intervarsity Certificates of Merit, and Club Letters for both competition and service.

These athletes spanned across generations, and represented the University of Adelaide in a range of sports in club leagues, state and national intervarsity competitions, and elite-level international competitions. We add their names to the list of more than 4,000 recipients of these awards.