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Home News University and tertiary sport lockdown league goes trans-Tasman

University and tertiary sport lockdown league goes trans-Tasman

FISU 12 May 2020

Ben Bowie   Basketball Lincoln UniversityBen Bowie, participant from Lincoln UniversityUniversity and Tertiary Sport New Zealand’s virtual competition may well become one of the first competitions amid the Coronavirus Pandemic to be contested on a Trans-Tasman basis, with the online challenge series set to be broadened to include their ANZAC comrades.

 

Unisport Australia contacted UTSNZ’s Executive Director Sarah Anderson after being impressed with their domestic online format that has seen Tertiary students from all across New Zealand participate in sporting challenges such as basketball, ultimate and golf all while representing their Universities.

 

“As well as preparing students for the World University Games in Chengdu next year, we normally run a programme of National Tertiary Championship competitions all around New Zealand throughout the year,” said Anderson.

 

“However, like everybody else, due to COVID-19 and its restrictions we’ve had to adapt and find new ways to keep engaging with our Universities and students,” she said.

 

Over the past four weeks UTSNZ has run a number of online challenge competitions including basketball, ultimate, golf, futsal, badminton and hockey.

 

UTSNZ sets the challenges by way of video demonstration and posts it in their social media group.  Students are then given a set time to complete the task and upload their own video. With close to 1400 members in the Lockdown League’s Facebook group there have been over 270 video entries.

 

There was also a chance for students to represent through the addition of a university category within the Athletics NZ Virtual 5km running event. This event  proving popular with 108 students recording and posting their fastest 5km timeachieved over a 3-week period.

 

Sarah Anderson, Executive Director of UTSNZ“The competitions have been great, we’ve had New Zealand’s smallest university, Lincoln University, win five of the seven challenges including the basketball, hockey, golf, 5k run and badminton events, with the University of Auckland taking out Ultimate and the University of Waikato the Futsal” Anderson went on to say.

 

Lincoln University’s success has seen them crowned the overall national Lockdown League champions and this week male and female MVPs will also be awarded. 

 

And it’s the inter-university rivalry that has resonated well with students, both increasing the intensity of the competition, but also creating a positive, connected, fun environment.

 

“It’s been awesome to have a variety of sports challenges to help keep the students, athletes and staff busy during the lockdown. Creativity and a bit of friendly competition between each of the universities has been really cool to be a part of!” says Ben Bowie from Lincoln University.

 

UniSport Australia David Simon, Saavanah Bourke and Leith BrookeUniSport Australia’s (L-R) David Simon, Savanah Bourke and Leith Brooke

In terms of expansion across the ditch, Anderson is delighted to work alongside Australian counterparts Unisport Australia to further increase the stakes and connections. “This wasn’t in our thinking to begin with, but if the last few weeks have taught us anything it’s to be prepared to adapt and try and make the best out of a tricky situation. If we can create an engaging platform for students to compete nationally and internationally then that’s great” says Anderson.

 

Leith Brooke, GM Commercial Manager at Unisport Australia says “UTSNZ has been really innovative in creating a great engaging system so we thought we’d build something similar.  We’re just keen to ensure this Trans-Tasman competition is one that Australia has a chance of winning!” 

 

Find out more about the upcoming Trans-Tasman clash here and check out a highlights video now!

 

 

 

Courtesy UTSNZ