Thrills and spills for final Staff vs Student event of 2023

The last Staff vs Student sporting contest to be held on Manawatū campus took place earlier this year. It saw staff retain the football trophy after a close match, leaving the students hungry for a win this time around.

The event took place in the last week of lectures for Semester 2, with a group of staff and students enjoying some friendly lunchtime competition. The four quarters involved both fun and highly competitive netball, which meant the spectators were treated to an amusing watch as the staff team endured some spills trying to keep up with the students.

The student team kept their play at a consistently high tempo. Massey futsal representative Tim Justice proved himself to be a dual-sport athlete in his centre role, gaining numerous turnovers and demonstrating his fitness by out-working the staff mid-courters.

Manawatū premier netballers Sam Mackinder and Melissa Bowkett, goal attack and wing defence respectively, provided stability and control whenever they were in possession. This allowed them to link up with Massey basketballer Michael Hipp who showed off his skill with the hoop as goal shoot, even while being marked by his Recreation Centre boss Ron Werner and the two-meter-tall Sports Advancement Manager Jacob Oram.

The staff provided strong competition, with ITS Service Desk Analyst and former Massey basketballer Jonty Vink coordinating with Recreation Centre staff Eva Mirko and Clubs, Activities and Wellbeing Coordinator Emma Carey to keep the scores close for most of the game. By the end however, the gap grew too large, with the students closing out the game with a victory of 25-18.

Sport Advancement Coordinator Chris Sharrock said the feedback from both teams indicated a great time was had by all and highlighted a willingness to see more Staff vs Student sporting opportunities take place in the future.

“The netball match was a great way to finish off a year in which we have seen three exciting Staff vs Student sporting contests. There is a clear want from students to be active in these events, and they also provide a great opportunity for our staff to take some time out of their day to be active and socialise with other staff and students. We look forward to creating and delivering more of these opportunities in the future.”

Following the success of the football, badminton and netball events, the planning for next year’s tournament will soon be underway. If you have an idea for a Staff vs Student event on your campus or you’re keen to be involved, please get in touch with Chris Sharrock.