Bond athletes defend their title at 2014 Australian University Games

A team of 163 Bond Bullsharks will head down south to defend their crown as ‘Per Capita Champions’ at next week’s Australian University Games (AUG).

Bond athletes will compete in 16 different sports this year including athletics, T20 cricket and for the first time women’s AFL.

Bond will also field a rowing team of five women and eight men, with the men’s eights competing for one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in Australia - The Oxford Cambridge Cup - which is estimated to be worth $250,000.

Sydney will play host to this year’s AUG from 28 September to 3 October, with an estimated 7,100 students from 41 universities across the country competing in 30 sports.

The Games will be held at venues across the city including Sydney Olympic Park and Aquatic Centre, Sydney International Regatta Centre (Penrith) and Macquarie University.

Bond University Sport & Recreation Manager, Jackie Parra said she was really pleased to have such a large contingent of Bondies competing this year. 

“It’s going to be tough to defend our per capita title away from home, but we have such a large and talented team, we’re definitely in with a strong chance,” she said.

The Doug Ellis per capita trophy is awarded to the university who wins the most pennants per student numbers. Bond has strong medal hopes in a number of sports including athletics, men’s touch football, golf and pole vault.

“Many students see the Games as one of the highlights of their time at University, so hopefully we’ll do Bond proud, bring home some medals and have a great week!” Jackie said.

The Games are recognised as a perfect opportunity to provide university athletes, many of whom are of Olympic standard, to compete against each other in the nation’s largest annual national multi-sport event. 

AUG is renowned for providing a friendly but competitive environment and is the flagship event on the national university sporting calendar.

To keep up to date with the Bullsharks' performance at the AUG, check out the Bond Sport and Recreation page on Facebook, or Bond_sport on Instagram.