AS Australia’s Olympians were readying themselves for the opening of the Paris Games, a grassroots sporting competition was being launched in the Port Macquarie-Hastings.

The 2024 Sunrise Hastings Sports Awards and the Wayne Richards Scholarship are now open to entries from aspiring champions across the Camden Haven, Comboyne, Wauchope and Port Macquarie region.

Members of the Rotary Club of Port Macquarie Sunrise joined sponsors and guests at the Port Macquarie Indoor Stadium on 26 July, to launch the annual competition.

They heard from last year’s Sportsperson of the Year Tess McWilliams, who has signed to play with the Sydney Roosters in the National Women’s Rugby League (NRLW).

Tess is also the 2024 Port Macquarie-Hastings Young Citizen of the Year.

Chair of the Port Macquarie-Hastings Sporting Fund Sub-Committee, Councillor Nik Lipovac spoke about the Wayne Richards Scholarship.

Named in honour of former mayor Wayne Richards, the Council-funded scholarship provides $5000 to a young sportsperson aged between thirteen and 21 to help with the cost of competing, travelling, accommodation and uniforms.

“Although the committee has been around since 1999, it’s the 20th anniversary of the scholarship itself,” Cr Lipovac said.

“It has been awarded to some truly extraordinary local athletes representing fourteen different sports, including those who have achieved success at an international level, such as King Creek’s Ryley Batt (wheelchair rugby), Port Macquarie’s Lauren Kitchen (cycling), Comboyne’s Luke Meier-Smith (mountain biking) and last year’s recipient Skyla Lange from Lorne who competes in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.”

Applications for the Wayne Richards Scholarship can be uploaded to Council’s website at pmhc.nsw.gov.au/Your-Council/Grants-and-Scholarships/Wayne-Richards-Sporting-Scholarship

Entries in the sports awards can be made via the Sunrise Rotary website at sunrise-rotary.org.au/sports_form_2024/.

The categories are:
– Junior Sportsperson of the Year (primary school), AusSport Scoreboards.
– Junior Sportsperson of the Year (high school), Donovan Oates Hannaford.
– Senior Sportsperson of the Year (must have left high school), Flower Hotels.
– Sportsperson with a Disability, Laing + Simmons Port Macquarie.
– Junior Team of the Year (18 years and under), Patterson First National Real Estate.
– Senior Team of the Year (18 years and over), Donovan Oates Hannaford.
– Sporting Volunteer of the Year, Hastings Physiotherapy

Two other awards will be at the judges’ discretion. They are the:
– Excellence in Sporting Achievements, Greenmeadows Health Centre.
– Sportsperson of the Year, Regional Australia Bank.

The closing date for applications and entries is Monday, 30 September, with the awards to be presented at Panthers on Friday, 8 November.

By Sue STEPHENSON