Wagga Deputy Mayor Georgie Davies and Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame inductee Stephen Pike are encouraging local sporting organisations to nominate retired sporting talent for the Hall of Fame. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
Nominations for the Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame are open for the first time since 2019.
Local sporting clubs and associations are being encouraged to put forward the names of athletes and officials who have achieved at the pinnacle of their respective sports.
Wagga Wagga Deputy Mayor Georgie Davies said she believed sporting figures served as huge role models for their home towns, and it was important to continue honouring those who represented at elite levels.
“We haven’t had applications open for a while, and Wagga is known as the City of Good Sports, as we’ve produced a lot of elite sporting talent over the years, so we’re encouraging local sporting organisations to put nominations forward to add to our Sporting Hall of Fame,” she said.
“We are anticipating some really strong nominations coming through.
“The one thing we’ll say is that the nominations have to come from your local sporting group or association. So please, please nominate your local sporting heroes, and we can’t wait to see the applications.”
To be eligible for nomination for the Sporting Hall of Fame, the nominee must meet the
following criteria:
- They must have been born in the Wagga Wagga Local Government Area or have participated in the sport in Wagga Wagga for at least five years
- They must have retired from international or the highest level of competition for their particular sport
- Nominations must be supported by a sporting association.
Former rugby league referee and Hall of Fame inductee Stephen Pike said the Hall of Fame was unique in that it had representatives from so many sports, including AFL, NRL, cricket, soccer, hockey, diving, ballroom dancing and even karate.
“I think the nominations create a great opportunity for not just the sports people, but also the officials as well, to be recognised for their achievements,” he said.
“There are a number of off-field achievements like coaching and club representatives, that can be honoured in the Local Legend category.
“There are 103 inductees at the moment, and if you look through, there are a lot of people who achieved so much in their respective sports. As someone who is a part of the Hall of Fame, it is a huge honour and something I’d encourage others to nominate their peers for.”
The last group of nominees chosen for the Hall of Fame were selected in 2019, however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, their inductions have been postponed until later this year.
An inductee ceremony will be held at the Museum of the Riverina in November, where the successful nominees from 2019 will also be inducted: Kate Blackwell and Alex Blackwell (cricket) – Sporting Hall of Fame; and Brian Lawrence (cricket) – Local Legend category.
The Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame can be found at the Museum of the Riverina’s Botanic Gardens site.
