Sports scholarships

Each year, Convocation makes available a Scholarship to assist one male and one female student to combine their studies with a sporting career.

Graduates of the University of Western Australia have contributed to provide for the Scholarship, whose purpose is to provide financial assistance to students who have demonstrated both sporting excellence (or potential sporting excellence), and a sustained level of proficient academic performance, to enable them to further their sporting careers or achievements.

The Scholarship may be used to acquire equipment, to defray travel expenses incurred in attending a sporting event, or to meet other appropriate costs associated with the recipient's sporting career.

Award

The value of the Scholarship is determined each year by the Council of Convocation and the UWA Sport and Recreation Association. Since 2013, the prize winners were awarded $3,000 each.

Applications

See more about the UWA Sport Excellence Scholarship.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for a scholarship, an applicant must be:

Enrolled as a part-time or full-time student at the University of Western Australia in an undergraduate degree course
Able to provide evidence of sporting excellence

Selection Criteria

The scholarship is awarded to the applicant who, in the opinion of the selection committee, best demonstrate:

Academic achievement
Sporting achievements
Benefits which are anticipated from being in receipt of the scholarship

More Information

For more information regarding the Scholarship, please contact Nicole Serafini.

Sports star of the year award

The 2019 Sports Star of the Year was awarded to Mr Nat Fyfe from the Fremantle Dockers, and was presented by Dr Doug McGhie on Monday 3/2/2020. Mr Fyfe generously donated his prize funds to another deserving sports person.

Roll of honour

2023 winner

(Male) Jes Bromley (Karate)
Jes is currently ranked 3rd in Australia for his division in Karate. Jes was selected (by policy) for Karate 1 Youth League-Porec, Croatia-29 June 2023 and Karate 1, Series A-Jakarta, Indonesia-18 November 2022.

(Female) Rhianna Hepburn (Triathlon)
Rhianna represented Australia and placed 9th at the 2023 Junior World Triathlon Championship. Rhianna also won the National Junior Triathlon Championship and placed 2nd at the Oceanic Junior Triathlon Championships.
2022 winners

(Male) Angus Armstrong (pole vaulter)
Angus placed 6th in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

(Female) Courtney Bruce (netball)
Courtney won a Gold Medal for netball at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
2021 winners

(Male) Declan Tingay (race walking)
Declan attended the Tokyo games setting a personal best, finishing 17th. Declan is a consistent contributor to the wider UWA community.

(Female) Tyler Miller (rugby referee)
Tyler attended the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and refereed in the Bronze medal match. Tyler is a consistent contributor to the wider UA community.
2020 winners

Johnson Daubney
Johnson competes for the Swan River Rowing Club, and at the West Australian State Rowing Championships he took home three gold medals. Johnson has also competed internationally at the Junior World Rowing Championships where the Junior Men's Coxed Four clinched a 5th place.
Johnson says: "My short term aim for sport is to make the U23 sweep rowing team next year in April. My academic aim is to complete my commerce degree with strong marks to stand me out from the rest for future job opportunities."
2019 winners

Phillipa Morgan
Phillipa Morgan is a UWA Hockey club, WAIS, Western Australian Thunderstick and Australian Junior development hockey scholarship holder. With great performances over the previous two years, Phillipa has elevated herself to the Senior Australian development squad in 2019 as well as juggling a Bachelor of Science. Phillipa says: "I am a current WA Institute of Sport scholarship holder in the women's hockey program and have been part of the National Junior Squad for three years now.

I have had the great opportunity of representing Australia at multiple junior tournaments, which have taken me all over the world and have given me unforgettable experiences. I will be participating in the inaugural national league, now dubbed HockeyOne, later in the year, which will showcase all of Australia's hockey talent and am hopeful to participate in a few more international tournaments soon. Whilst maintaining a heavy training load, I am also studying Engineering Science at UWA."

Zac Littlewood
Zac Littlewood is a yachting superstar who made his mark by becoming Australia's youngest open-class world champion at just 17. Specialising in the Laser Radial category, the WAIS athlete had little time to celebrate as he balanced international competition with Year 12 studies. The Junior Australian Sailor of the Year and WAIS Junior athlete of the year is also studying a Bachelor of Commerce.

Zac says: "I currently sail the Laser Radial Class and have achieved podium performances in the last three years at a World Championship level. This includes last year's performance where I became the youngest person ever to win a gold medal at the Men's World Championship in Germany. I’m also currently the Hyundai WA Junior Sportsperson of the year as well as the current Australian Youth Sailor and WA Youth Sailor of the year. I've just returned from Europe, where I claimed a silver medal at the Youth World Championships and look forward to transitioning into the Olympic class where I'll now prepare for the Nationals, Oceania and World Senior Championships in Melbourne at the start of next year. The Convocation bursary will help fund a new boat for my campaign, which will improve my chances at qualifying for a spot on the Australian Sailing Squad in Melbourne at the World Championships earlier next year."
2018 winners

Hayley Clark
Hayley is a current member of the National Sailing Team and her goal is to compete at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020. Hayley is a current WAIS scholarship holder and currently competing in Europe.

"I am currently representing Australia, sailing the Nacra 17 Olympic Class whilst completing a Bachelor of Arts at UWA. The Convocation Scholarship has assisted me in travelling to Germany, Poland and Denmark to compete in three major competitions including the first Olympic Qualifier for Tokyo 2020. I am so grateful for UWA's Elite Athlete Programs support which has provided me with the opportunity to be successful in both my sporting and academic careers."

Joshua Kippin
Josh is currently ranked inside the top 10 Marathon Kayakers in the world, his goal is to win a medal at World Championships in 2018 and work his way on to the podium for the first time after a number of top ten finishes.

"I compete in Marathon Kayaking, a tough and tactical endurance sport. In 2017, I won Open National Marathon titles in K1 (singles) and K2 (doubles), earning selection to race at the Marathon World Championships in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. At those World Championships I paddled my way to 9th in singles and 14th in doubles, a significant improvement from my previous world placing of 20th from the previous year. In 2018 I have again earned selection into the National Marathon Kayak Team to compete at the World Championships in Vila de Prado, Portugal, with a drive to better my top 10 finish from 2017.
2017 winners

Ben Craig
Ben is a member of the Kookaburras- the national hockey team of Australia. After playing well across three series' in New Zealand, Melbourne and Bendigo Ben was awarded a place in the National Senior Squad for 2017. To date this year he has played Pakistan in Darwin, the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia and is preparing for the World League Finals in December in India. This is all done with the distant goal of Tokyo 2020 in mind, with other milestones along the way such as the Commonwealth Games and World Cup in 2018. The scholarship will allow Ben to cover some of the costs of being on tour for such a large portion of the year.

Danielle Ten Vaanholt
Danielle first joined Australian Senior National Synchronised Swimming Team in 2014 and has competed at many international competitions as a part of that team. Including the Commonwealth Open, the Canadian Open, the Spanish Open, FINA World Cup in Quebec City and World Championships in Kazan, Russia. During her time on the National team she had put her study on a temporary hiatus, Danielle has now returned to schooling, studying Biochemistry and Mechanical Engineering while balancing synchro alongside. This scholarship will allow Danielle to further juggle her two passions of education and sport.
2016 winners

Grant Szalek

Jodie Palmer
2014 winners

Isabella King

Timothy Widdicombe
2013 winners

Samantha Richards

Timothy Widdicombe
2012 winners

Isabella King

Christopher Bausor
2011 winners

Isabella King

Timothy Widdicombe
2010 winners

Janine Murray
2009 winners

Zoe Timmers

Reece Baker
2008 winners

Megan Bagworth

Ben McCleery
2007 winners

Jessica Jordan

Ben McCleery
2006 winners

Jessica Jordan

Jamie Beadsworth
2005 winners

Claire McLean

Adam Lucas
2004 winners

Kylie Wheeler

Adam Lucas
2003 winners

Amity Campbell

David Dennis
2002 winners

Amy Ash