Australian University Sport (AUS), the country’s peak body for university sport, recently wrapped up its annual flagship event – the Australian University Games (AUG). Held in Adelaide this year, the five day program of sport competition and social activities involved more than 5,000 students.

'The AUG is the largest, annual multisport event held in Australia,” says Fiona Cullen, Business Development Manager of Australian University Sport. 'Just under 6,000 students, university team managers, volunteers and AUS staff came to Adelaide to compete in up to 30 different sports.'

Held this year from 23 to 28 September, the AUG is based on events such as the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and the World University Games. Over the past 20 years the AUG has registered more than a million student athletes.
Since its inception in 1993, the AUG has welcomed competitors from 41 university campuses across Australia aged between 18 and 24 years of age. Over the last two decades, the AUG has fostered a “youth festival” atmosphere and built a loyal student following.

'Some of my fondest memories as a student were at University Games,' says David Schmude, Executive Director of Sport at the University of New England. “Over the years, working as a Sport Coordinator I have noticed the level of competition improve significantly from 2005 through to 2011.'

The annual event has also blazed a trail in Australian sports sponsorship trends, with the board deciding in 2009 that it would no longer accept any form of alcohol sponsorship. This move paved the way for a number of national sporting organisations (NSOs), who did the same soon after.

The AUS values its strong relationships with the sports community and has Memorandums of Understanding with NSOs across 30 different sports. The games have also led to increased participation in a range of sports, as many university campuses have developed sports clubs whose key driving force is to develop teams for the games. Examples of this include the University of Western Australia hockey club, Edith Cowan University beach volleyball teams and the Charles Sturt University lawn bowls teams.

The AUG is a great case study in providing opportunities for more Australians to try a wider range of sport. Each year local and international students who have not had the opportunity to play a particular sport get to try something new. The club structure on campus also provides an opportunity to develop a lifelong love of sport and the social opportunities it provides.

Although the AUG is not a direct qualifier for those who want to represent Australia at the World University Games, it has provided national competition experience for many athletes who have gone on to compete at this level.

The Australian Sports Commission, which is a Principal Partner of AUS, provides funding and support to develop both elite and grassroots participants.

'The ASC supports the preparation of teams representing Australia at World University Games and Championships,' says Peter Minchin, Senior Sports Partnership Manager at the ASC. 'It has also supported the AUS research into the feasibility of a University League as well as the development of sport across the broader tertiary sector including the TAFE environment.'