The 2024 Sports Awards returned once again to toast success, celebrate achievement, and honour the University of Cambridge Sport Clubs and individual successes for doing great things right here in Cambridge.
Over 200 students, staff and members of the wider community came together in a transformed Sports Centre to recognise the breadth of sporting talent and achievement at Cambridge.
The event was hosted by sports commentator, Darren Paul, with award announcers including Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education & Chair of Sports Committee, Bhaskar Vira, Registrary, Emma Rampton, Master of St John’s College Heather Hancock, as well as CURUFC Director of Rugby & Senior Member of the Blues Committees, Scott Annett.
Awards were also presented by University of Cambridge Sport staff including Director of Sport, Nick Brooking, Deputy Director of Sport, Karen Pearce, and Sports Club Support Manager, Lucy McGennity.
The award winners themselves were selected by a panel of senior University staff, with the exception of the Sporting Moment of the Year category, which was decided by an audience vote in the build-up to the event!
The award winners in full:
Club of the Year: Judo Club
Team of the Year: Women’s Blues, Hockey Club
Sports Person of the Year: Phoebe Barker (Robinson), Athletic Club, Cycling Club, Hare & Hounds, Triathlon Club
Unsung Hero: Christo Smallwood, Olympic Gymnastics Club and Mia Ward (Pembroke), Cheerleading Club
Sports Club Personality of the Year: Jack Murphy (Hughes Hall), Ice Hockey Club
Sporting Moment of the Year: Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club - Last minute goal to secure the first ever National Championship. Julia Maybury (Christ’s College).
Newcomer of the Year: Ciara Boaden (Queens’), Cricket Club
College Team of the Year: Sidney Sussex College Squash Team
Outstanding Contribution:
- Arden Dierker Viik (Hughes Hall), Association Football Club
- Iain Davies (Trinity), Hare and Hounds
- Issy Routledge (Jesus), Cricket
- Jinhuem Park (Lucy Cavendish), Table Tennis Club
- Muireann de h’Óra (Wolfson), Australian Rules Football
- Simrat Sodhi (Lucy Cavendish), Ice Hockey
- Téa Ryan (Murray Edwards), Dance Competition Team
- Tads Ciecierski-Holmes (Wolfson), Modern Pentathlon
The event started off with a welcome and recognised the incredible achievements that Cambridge students have had across the year. Over 4,700 Sport club members, 7 league champions, 5 cup winners, more BUCS gold medals than last year and 15 qualifying for European or World student games level.
Just before the first award was handed out Bhaskar Vira took a moment to remember Clarissa Nicholls who sadly passed away this year from sudden cardiac death. Bhaskar paid tribute to Clarissa and highlighted “Clarissa’s Campaign for Cambridge Hearts” as well as the Cardiac screening that will take place in October.
The Team of the Year, a highly competitive award was won by Women’s Blues Hockey Club who achieved promotion and will compete in the highest level of BUCS, National Premier, for the first time in the club's history. They also got promoted, thanks to an unbeaten season, in the National League and won Varsity by a record score.
The awards moved onto the Unsung Hero award, which recognises tireless work done behind the scenes. The nominations were so strong for this award, perhaps a hint as to why Cambridge has done so well this year, that there were two winners. Christo Smallwood for his tireless work with the Olympic Gymnastics club, and Mia Ward for her revolutionary work with the Cheerleading Society.
A new award for this year was introduced next, the College Team of the Year award which was awarded to Sidney Sussex Squash Club. They started the year with a disbanded club and limited facilities in a very short space of time. They now have 40 members, 2 teams in the College League and significantly better facilities than they started the year. Clearly worthy winners.
Sports Club Personality of the Year was presented by last years winner Tom Wade, and similar characteristics could be seen in this years winner, Jack Murphy, from Ice Hockey. Jack is not only a top-level player but also tireless champion of Ice Hockey offering free time to coach and support others.
Sporting Moment of the Year was awarded next, this award is decided by a public vote and with over 600 votes cast in a short voting window clearly the moment will be remembered by lots more than just the players. The winner, however, was the last-minute goal to win the National title for the first time in the club's history, scored by Julia Maybury.
Great memories will also have been created by our nominees for the Sports Person of the Year award. However, the winner, Phoebe Barker has collected more than anybody else and probably more BUCS medals across more sports than any other athlete this year. Not content with winning BUCS medals and National titles, she also won medals as part of team GB at the FISU World University Cross Country Championships.
No doubt the next nominees will be trying to emulate the success of the Sports Person of the Year and perhaps are already close. Newcomer of the Year winner Ciara Boaden seems settled into Cambridge life and is clearly helping her perform to the highest level, a highlight was her Varsity Winning innings for the Cricket club at Lords. We are all excited to see what next year brings for Ciara.
The next awards recognised the individuals who made an Outstanding Contribution to sport whilst at Cambridge. Eight club members were recognised for this award and Cambridge, their colleges and their clubs would be a very different place without them.
The final award is the Club of the Year, won by the Judo Club who cater for all and create a fantastic atmosphere for anybody interested in Judo, record beginner numbers as well as club members competing at BUCS and European games it is clear they are worthy winners.
Full shortlists for all the awards and more information on the winners can be found by clicking on the award title in bold.
Thanks go to sponsors Aldi Careers UK.