More than 8500 competitors representing universities from throughout Australia will descend on the Gold Coast this weekend for the 2013 Australian University Games.
Officially hosted by Griffith University, the event runs from Sunday, September 29, to Friday, October 4, and is one of the largest student sporting gatherings in Australia.
Griffith will field440 individual and team competitors and, after finishing fourth when the Games were held on the Gold Coast in 2009, is hoping for another top 10 finish.
Among the 30 sports to be contested will be athletics, swimming, cycling, volleyball, basketball, golf, squash, martial arts and touch football.
There will also be less conventional competitions, such as Ultimate Frisbee, and 2013 will be the first year Griffith has fielded women’s teams for AFL and rugby union sevens.
Griffith’s team captains are Master of Commerce student and Ultimate Frisbee entrant, Cameron Rumball, and touch footballer Emma Moore, who is doing a Bachelor of Forensic Science at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Both are from Brisbane.
Organising the Australian University Games poses an enormous logistical challenge for Griffith’s Campus Life team. In fact, preparations began two years ago.
“With 30 sports being held at various venues on the Gold Coast, along with arranging accommodation, transport and other activities while the participants are with us, there’s no doubt this is Campus Life’s biggest task for the year,” said Event Coordinator Ms Natalee Black.
“But it’s such a great event on so many levels, with opportunities for team-building and social engagement complementing the standard of the sporting competition.”
Campus Life Marketing Manager, Mr Mick Hawkins, said athletes of national and international standard would take part in the 2013 Games.
“Griffith’s athletes are partially subsidised by Campus Life and the University’s Student Guild and the Games also offera terrific opportunity for our student clubs,” he said.
“Holdingthe eventon the Gold Coast only seems to add to the excitement.”
Catch up with more News on the Australian University Games atABC.net.au/local
Follow the action throughout the Australian University Games, including results and photographs onthe websitegriffith.edu.au/sportandon theGriffith Sport Facebook pageor by using the hashtag #gogriffith on Twitter and Instagram.