Photo: AFL Victoria
In mid-2015 the Excellence in Sport program was established by ANU Sport to increase the involvement of students in the promotion of sport on campus. The program aims to increase the quality of athletic programs offered at ANU, as well as to shape and foster a culture of excellence for students engaged in sport on campus. The Women in Sport role was created to work directly with chosen sports as part of the program, and also to attract more women to participate in and enjoy the benefits of sport at ANU.
Last year was a great year for women in sport. At a professional level the burgeoning AFL Women’s competition, the success of the Australian women’s cricket team the Southern Stars, the Women’s Big Bash League and the W-League in top-division soccer were all stand-out moments. And the list goes on – the Aussie rugby 7’s team at the Olympic Games, Canberra product Kim Brennan’s rowing gold medal, and more – all showing that women’s sport is on the rise.
And this year will be no different.
The Excellence in Sport program and ANU Sport are excited to continue to foster and promote women in sport, health and fitness in 2017.
There are several exciting initiatives on offer this year. Coming up soon is our International Women’s Day event – similar to the one run in 2016 – which will showcase the opportunities for students on campus to experience what ANU Sport offers for women’s health and fitness.
Amid the opening round of the AFL Women’s league and the excitement surrounding the competition, the ANU Australian Football Club (ANUAFC) announced an Australian first – a Women’s Leadership Scholarship. In the inaugural year of the AFL Women’s league, the ANUAFC has decided to ‘share in the celebration’ of the competition by offering a women’s AFL scholarship. The scholarship will provide leadership and career development opportunities for women who are studying at ANU and wish to train and play football with the ANUAFC. This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for women in sport on campus – if you wish to apply or for more information, head to anuafc.com.au and follow the prompts.
The ANU Cricket Club has also been given encouragement after a call for new members resulted in a legion of new female cricketers from India and Singapore. The club has been overwhelmed by new players from the international student community and hopes to run a social competition at the beginning of 2017 with the aim of increasing involvement in women’s cricket. Stay tuned for more details on this competition! An intervarsity match against the University of Canberra is also planned for 9 March – if you would like to be involved, please contact Mary Waters via mary.waters@anu-sport.com.au.
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