Blues Ball celebrations mark RGU’s sporting highlights
RGU SPORT’s end of year ball proved the perfect tonic to celebrate the sporting achievements of those in purple over the past 12 months.
From Commonwealth and Scottish Student Sport (SSS) medals to British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) victories and Championship qualifications, the sporting year has seen many successes for RGU.
Here, we take a look at some of the big winners on the night and from across the year:
Sports Person of the Year: Louise Christie
Having become Student Sports Achiever of the Year at the Aberdeen’s Sports Awards just the week previous, it came as no surprise to see Louise pick up the top award at the 2023 Blues Ball for her achievements in rhythmic gymnastics. Last Summer Louise won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, Scotland’s first medal in the discipline for almost three decades and the nation's first ever gymnastics silver.
Calling it an “unforgettable year” after “a life changing moment”, the Applied Sport and Exercise Science student now has her eyes on May’s European Championships in Azerbaijan.
Fresher of the Year: Luke Davidson
Luke had an unforgettable year himself having tasted victory at the SSS Indoor Championships in February. A first year Sport Coaching student, he won gold in the men’s 800m as well as being part of the winning 4x400m relay – more than enough for him to claim Fresher of the Year.
Presidents Performance of the Year: Men's Athletics 4x400m victory
The relay gold medal was Joel Adebanjo’s pick as his Performance of the Year. Luke Davidson was joined by James McIntosh, Andrew Baldwin and Stewart Clark to beat University of Glasgow by almost four full seconds to claim a fantastic victory. The RGU quartet finished over 40 seconds ahead of Aberdeen Uni, who came fourth, with Edinburgh claiming bronze.
Club of the Year: Tennis
RGU’s Tennis Club won Club of the Year after a stellar year for both men’s and women’s. The Men’s Tennis 1’s won the BUCS Scottish 3A division as well as their match in this year’s Granite City Challenge.
Team of the Year: Women’s Basketball
The Women’s Basketball team deservedly won Team of the Year for an undefeated season which saw them pick up both the BUCS Women’s Conference Cup and the BUCS Scottish 2A division title. Coached by Rory Anton, the Club Development Officer at RGU SPORT, the team have now been promoted and will be looking forward to testing themselves in a higher division.
Volunteer of the Year: Shaelyn Pepper
Shaelyn Pepper, Research Assistant at RGU’s School of Health Sciences, was named Volunteer of the Year for her selfless work coaching the Women’s Rugby club.
Other highlights over the past year include the Men’s Hockey team winning their BUCS Conference Trophy and BUCS Scottish 4A division. Mia Mackenzie medalled in vault at BUCS while Christian Hitchcock and Fergus MacFarlane have both qualified for their respective upcoming BUCS Championship too.
Congratulations to each and every sportsperson for their achievements throughout the year. Here’s to a great summer as we look forward to the 2023/24 season. Remember that RGU SPORT offer free gym membership to all students for you to enjoy. To find out more and take advantage of the facilities on campus, visit:
