News Archive

When it's UWA's turn to host the annual student University Games, the athletes from the other states all cheer.

They appreciate the playing grounds at the University's McGillivray Oval, arguably the best tertiary sports park in Australia.

The people from Grounds (Campus Management) who keep it in such good condition are the turf technicians based at UWA Sports Park.

One of the newly-graduated apprentices in turf management, Luke Cooney, has recently won the CH Bailey National Sports Turf Graduate Award.

This makes UWA the only organisation in WA which has won the award three times - ahead of all the commercially-run sporting venues.

Luke, who started his apprenticeship as a mature-age trainee, is described as ‘sports mad', especially passionate about cricket.

It was a natural progression to align his passion with a new career.

He completed his apprenticeship with top marks at the end of last year.  With no permanent graduate position for him at UWA, he has now moved to Hale School.

When his award was announced recently, it was as an apprentice turf manager at UWA and he thanked his supervisors and workmates for their training and the part they played in changing his life.