‘Blue&Gold’ ‘Blue ‘Bl Blue Bl lue&G lue &G & G d Gold’ Gold d’ THE TH HE SPIRIT OF SPOR SPORT TA AT T SYDNEY UNIVERSITY Y | AUTUMN 2009
in this issue: an introduction to the ‘blue & gold’ club 2008 event photographs upcoming 2009 events calendar
news
Clark selected in ICC team of the year Sydney University and Australian fast bowler Stuart Clark had been selected as 12th man in the International Cricket Council (ICC) 2008 Test Team of the Year announced in September. The Test Team of the Year included: Graeme Smith (RSA, capt), Virender Sehwag (IND), Mahela Jayawardene (SRI), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WIS), Kevin Pietersen (ENG), Jacques Kallis (RSA), Kumar Sangakkara (SRI, wkt), Brett Lee (AUS), Ryan Sidebottom (ENG), Dale Steyn (RSA), Muttiah Muralitharan (SRI). 12th man: Stuart Clark (AUS). Clark, a Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness Scholarship holder and Master of Commerce student, is on the comeback trail to international cricket after an elbow injury kept him out of the most recent test series against South Africa.
Franklin receives outstanding appointment Trent Franklin, dual Olympian, Captain of the Sydney Uni National League Water Polo team and University of Sydney graduate has recently been appointed as a director to the Australian Olympic Committee Board, Chairman of the AWPI Athletes' Commission, and Deputy Chairman of the AOC Athletes' Commission. When asked what his reaction was to the appointment he said, 'I certainly felt very privileged to have been elected as the Athletes' Commission Chariman. Water Polo has been a big part of my life for many years, so it's a great honor to have the opportunity to contribute back to the sport. It's very humbling to have been chosen by my peers - people who I have played, travelled, and on some occasions lived with over the past decade - as their representative to the AWPI board.'
Weekes on the comeback trail Sydney Olympic Games women's water polo gold medallist, Liz Weekes, has returned to the sport and is in training to compete for her old club, Sydney University Lions, in the 2009 National League competition, beginning in February. Weekes was the outstanding goalkeeper during the 2000 Sydney Games - the first time women's water polo had been played as an Olympic sport – however she retired soon after. Liz was one of three Sydney University members of the Australian team that defeated the US for the gold medal with 1.3sec on the clock. The other two were Debbie Watson and Yvette Higgins, who has been coaching the Lions for the past five years
We are delighted to confirm that ACUVUE will once again be the
THANK YOU!
sponsor of our popular ‘Blue & Gold’ sporting functions in 2009. ACUVUE brand contact lenses are manufactured by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and they are the world’s leading brand of disposable contact lenses. ACUVUE (Johnson & Johnson Vision Care) continues to be: • a major sponsor of Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness • the naming rights sponsor of our high profile WNBL side – the ACUVUE Sydney Uni Flames • the sponsor of all ‘Blue & Gold’ sporting functions
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an introduction to the ‘blue & gold’ club The ‘Blue & Gold’ Club is a coterie of business organisations and individuals who share a passion for sport. They use popular ‘Blue & Gold’ sporting functions to provide affordable and really memorable entertainment for their guests. The ‘Blue & Gold’ Club allows sporting enthusiasts to maintain or create links with Australia’s premier university and its rich sporting traditions. All monies raised go towards the promotion of sport at Sydney Uni.
MEMBER BENEFITS As a corporate member of the ‘Blue & Gold’ Club you receive: A 10% discount on the cost of corporate tables (for 10 people) and on the cost of Golf Day entries (teams of 4) at all ‘Blue & Gold’ functions A subscription to ROAR magazine – featuring all the latest news from the ‘Blue & Gold’ and Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness (3 editions per year)
Functions with a Difference The ‘Blue & Gold’ difference is the large dose of university wit that is an integral part of all functions. It is wonderfully spontaneous and clever humour. Adam Spencer (of ABC Breakfast Radio fame) is our resident panel moderator and there is no funnier ... nor more incisive ... interviewer in the business. At all ‘Blue & Gold’ sporting functions you and your guests will enjoy rubbing shoulders with both the sporting luminaries on the panels and with our own elite athletes- from among our Olympians, Paralympians, Wallabies, Test Cricketers and more.
A prominent entry in the ‘Blue & Gold’ business directory, introducing the ‘Blue & Gold’ community to your products/services. Automatic “Friends of the Rock” membership, entitling you to superb Pooles Rock wines at attractive wholesale prices. An entitlement for your staff to receive $100 discounts when purchasing an annual gym pass to Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness facilities.
For membership enquiries and to put your company’s petty cash to good use, contact: Rodney Tubbs – 9351 7958 or r.tubbs@sport.usyd.edu.au
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photos
Left to right: Chris Noel, Tony Sukkar of Buildcorp and SUSF President Bruce Ross at the Blues dinner.
Olympic athlete Lachlan Renshaw uses Adam Spencer to demonstrate a land based version of Water Polo!
Bronwen Watson, Charlotte Walters, Ian Evans, Liz Kell and Renee Kirby enjoying cocktails in the Main Quadrangle.
Female ‘Blue’ of the year, Keesja Gofers, is congratulated by the Vice Chancellor, Dr Michael Spence, at the 2008 Sydney Uni Blues dinner.
Sydney Uni’s 2008 Beijing Olympians and Paralympians assemble for the special ‘Blue & Gold’ Olympic Celebration Lunch in August.
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Flames’ head Coach Karen Dalton has the mike and gets a chuckle from Adam Spencer as she spills the beans on former Flames’ team mates (L to R): Trish Fallon, Michele Timms and Robyn Maher.
‘Blue & Gold’ stalwarts Charles Williams and Drs Ray Hyslop and Peter Hammill at the Rugby Luncheon.
Second from left: Flames’ board member and supporter of Sydney Uni sport, Kerry Chikarovski, with Flames’ players Lindsey Pluimer, Jaimee Kennedy and Keira Sheils at the WatersEdge Restaurant.
Wallaby Dean Mumm, Waratah Tom Carter, trainer Tim Leahy and Rugby Captain Tim Davidson at the Rugby Luncheon.
Bec and Robert Harper, Wayne Erickson and Richard Dougan at Tattersalls Club.
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feature
In a global economic downturn businesses are frequently challenged by the need to reduce staff, or put recruitment on hold, while juggling resources to maintain productivity and deliver on strategic plans. Anne Moore, is a twenty-year veteran of the human resources sector and CEO of the University’s innovative recruitment and work-ready development organisation, SydneyTalent. She says that contractors are, for good reason, often called upon to solve the dilemma. “The current imperative for many is to minimise payroll risk and maximise capability which is where contractors can provide a solution,” she says. “Even those without financial SYDNEYTALENT difficulty - for DR IVING A FLE XIBLE example global WOR KFORCE organisations, especially those operating out of the US or UK – have head-count freezes. There may be comparatively insignificant financial imposts on those organisations [locally], but the global directive is ‘stop recruiting’. In that instance those organisations need to look to other models to attract and utilise talent that doesn’t involve them being on the payroll. That’s where an organisation would traditionally use contract labour which is exactly consistent with the SydneyTalent model.” Drawing from a talent pool consisting of 46,000 of some of the country’s brightest pre and post graduate students, SydneyTalent, was formally approved by the Senate of the University in November 2008. The organisation offers early access to a pipeline of student employees, from every area of study and from every level of learning within the University, to businesses and government. What elevates SydneyTalent above other recruitment structures is its delivery of students who have been developed through practical work-ready initiatives and who continue to progress via performance development programs during their placement.
MINIMISING RISK, MAXIMISING CAPABILITY
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With access to such a variety of student employees– and operating in an environment which sees 85 percent of students taking on employment while studying - SydneyTalent has a pertinent offering for today’s volatile marketplace. “First of all we entice industry to be more flexible in that, by offering reduced risk, it becomes easier for organisations to experiment and innovate with methods of on-boarding,” says Moore. “So, for example, an organisation might be loathe to recruit students into their organisation or onto their payroll for a short term project whereas by using the SydneyTalent model they can introduce the student into the organisation and have the student contribute to the project objectives without the risk that they would normally have if they were to use the traditional model. “By offering market competitive remuneration to students, without any additional on-boarding costs, it is easier and more transparent for organisations to engage talent that has undertaken our WorkReady Essentials™ training program. “It means that organisations are able to take on board students whose development will be guaranteed by an external party as part of the contractual obligations. So there are some key elements that make it easy for an organisation to be more innovative.” While contractors will contribute to a demand for flexibility, balancing the capabilities needed during a period of uncertainty with future needs will also throw up challenges for business. Those looking at, or undergoing staff reductions, need to have an eye to the impact on future capability requirements so that they are not caught short when the economy begins its recovery. Injudiciously shedding may, in the long run, cost more than it saves says Moore, “If you use a human capital model, where people represent a share unit, and if you shed them, your likelihood of getting a return on that divested share is zero. If we shed people, we are not going to get a return on them, at all, having made significant investments already.” The reverse is true for businesses who are carrying people who are not helping achieve business or performance objectives. In that scenario, Moore says, “Now is the time to ‘weed and seed.’” www.sydneytalent.com.au
2008 review
2008 was an Olympic year, which resulted in the ‘Blue & Gold’ Club staging more functions than usual for its members. The eleventh consecutive annual ‘Blue & Gold’ Cricket Luncheon, at Tattersalls Club on Friday 29th February 2008, saw Mike Coward – one of Australia’s most experienced cricket writers and commentators – review the season’s “intense competition” between Australia and India. Mike’s panel comprised three very prominent members of the subcontinent press – Khalid Ansari, Debasish Datta and Nagraj Gollapudi. The annual ‘Blue & Gold’ Aussie Rules Luncheon, at the Four Seasons Hotel on Friday 11th April 2008, saw Adam Spencer moderate a panel of legendary Sydney Swans’ players – Leo Barry, Jude Bolton and Michael O’Loughlin. Experienced ‘Blue & Gold’ campaigners declared that Adam’s player interviews were the most entertaining they had ever seen! The ‘Blue & Gold’ Olympic Dinner, in The Great Hall on Wednesday 7th May 2008, featured alumnus John Coates AC as the keynote speaker. John – the Chef de Mission of all Australian Olympic teams since Seoul in 1988 and again in Beijing – provided our guests with fascinating insights into Beijing’s Olympic preparations. Adam Spencer moderated a panel of previous Sydney Uni Olympians (Chris Fydler - swimming gold medallist; Peter Montgomery – 4 time Olympic waterpolo player; Natalie Porter – basketball silver medallist and Liane Tooth – dual hockey gold medallist) and another panel of Beijing-bound Sydney Uni Olympians (canoeist Robin Bell, waterpolo player Trent Franklin, 800m runner Lachlan Renshaw and wheelchair basketballer Sarah Stewart). The twelfth consecutive annual ‘Blue & Gold’ Rugby Luncheon, at Tattersalls Club on Friday 25th July 2008, saw Adam Spencer moderate an entertaining panel discussion, which involved SUFC first grade coaches, Damien Hill and Trevor Woodman, and SUFC senior players, Tom Carter (who had just completed a stellar Super 14 season with the NSW Waratahs) and Tim Davidson (who has now captained Sydney Uni to four consecutive Shute Shield victories).
“Debater” Rhys Muldoon
The principal entertainment that day was the annual ‘Blue & Gold’ debate, which this year saw The Gentlemen of Rugby (James O’Loghlin and Rob Carlton) successfully assert that “Rugby Union should be Reinstated as an Olympic Sport”. Although soundly defeated for the twelfth consecutive year, the Low-Life Academia team (Adam Spencer and Rhys Muldoon) were extremely amusing. Unfortunately, they once again fell foul of a totally and unashamedly biased adjudicator – the former Australian Rugby Union President, Mr PL Harry! The ‘Blue & Gold’ Olympic Celebration Lunch, at the Four Seasons Hotel on Friday 29th August 2008, was held in honour of the twenty 2008 Sydney Uni Olympians and Paralympians. Vice-Chancellor Dr Michael Spence presented each Olympian with a print of a montage, comprising art card pictures of the twenty 2008 Sydney Uni representatives in Beijing. During this presentation ceremony, the ViceChancellor was assisted by SUSF Executive Director, Robert Smithies, and by Simon Fieldhouse, the artist who created the montage.
David Shaw, Simon Cosgrove of ACUVUE and Rob Smithies.
Adam Spencer then moderated two very lively panels; the first comprised Australia’s first female Olympic wrestler, Dr Kyla Bremner; women’s 10m platform diver, Alex Croak; the coxswain of the men’s rowing eight, Marty Rabjohns, and men’s waterpolo captain, Thomas Whalan. The second comprised men’s C1 slalom canoe bronze medallist, Robin Bell; women’s waterpolo bronze medallist, Taniele Gofers; men’s coxless fours’ rowing silver medallist, Francis Hegerty and 800m runner, Lachlan Renshaw. The twelfth consecutive ‘Blue & Gold’ Xmas Hamper Golf Day, at the New South Wales Golf Club on Tuesday 25th November 2008, saw twenty teams compete for the Chancellor’s Cup, which
Left to right: John ‘Sparrow’ Dowse, Gavin Thomson, Murray Hartin and Sandy Tubbs
was won by the Finn Foster APB team. There were lots of laughs during the presentation ceremony – none more so than when Australia’s modern day Banjo Patterson, Murray Hartin, recited some of his wonderfully amusing verses. The Flames’ Silver Jubilee Luncheon, held in the Anchorage Room at WatersEdge Restaurant on Thursday 4th December 2008, saw 170 guests thoroughly entertained by Adam Spencer’s panels. The first of these comprised four players with more than 1,000 Opals’ appearances between them: Karen Dalton, Trish Fallon, Robyn Maher, and Michele Timms. This luncheon was the first ‘Blue & Gold’ sporting function dedicated to female sport.
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upcoming events Cricket Luncheon TATTERSALLS CLUB ON 20 FEBRUARY Jim Maxwell, Peter Roebuck, John Benaud and Mike Coward will dissect the best Test cricket series seen in Australia in recent decades and the astounding arrival of David Warner & Twenty20 cricket.
Aussie Rules Luncheon FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ON 3 APRIL Traditionally held the day before a block-buster Sydney Swans match (versus Hawthorn at ANZ Stadium), delights audiences with interviews of quickwitted AFL commentators and legendary Swans players including Jude Bolton and Michael O’Loughlin.
Soccer Football Dinner THE GRANDSTAND ON 5 JUNE Adam Spencer moderates a panel of soccer luminaries in his inimitable style.
Rugby Luncheon FOUR SEASONS HOTEL ON 21 AUGUST Be enthralled by the annual ‘Blue & Gold’ debate as The Gentlemen of Rugby once again triumph over Low-Life Academia, under the adjudication of former ARU President, Phil Harry!
Traditional Golf Day ST MICHAEL’S GOLF CLUB ON 21 OCTOBER A “not-too-challenging” teams event, but with trophies also for “selfish Singles players”.
Xmas Hamper Golf Day ST MICHAEL’S GOLF CLUB ON 25 NOVEMBER More than a golf day – with every player taking home a stunning Christmas Hamper.
Flames WNBL Lunch WATERSEDGE ON 3 DECEMBER Celebrates the achievements of this State’s foremost women’s basketball team against the backdrop of the gorgeous Sydney Harbour. Australia’s best known female basketball personalities discuss experiences and escapades in both international and domestic basketball. For advanced table bookings (ensuring the best seats in the house) contact Rodney Tubbs on 9351 7958 or r.tubbs@sport.usyd.edu.au
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