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Two UWA teams named after the snakelike Dreamtime creature the Waagyl have swept the annual National Indigenous Tertiary Education Student Games (NITESG) for the second year in a row, taking out first and third places.

A record number of Indigenous students from universities all over Australia converged on The University of Western Australia for the Games, which kicked off last Sunday and finished late yesterday afternoon.

Twenty four teams made up of 350 athletes from 21 universities competed in mixed sports - netball, basketball, volleyball and touch football as well as a traditional Noongar game, Fly.  The Fly competition, where athletes negotiate a series of sticks laid out on the ground, was a highlight of the week, with UWA's Jade Lampton named female winner.

This year's UWA team, with 27 members, was so big it had to be split into two - the Western Waagyls 1 and Western Waagyls 2.  Team 1 took out the overall event, scoring a total of 83 points.  The University of Melbourne placed second, with 77 points, while the Western Waagyls 2 placed third with 75 points.  It was a tight race, with the 2 ^nd -5 ^th place rankings all one or two points apart.

The Games, begun in 1996 as the class project of 13 Aboriginal Studies students at the University of Newcastle, are considered a unique opportunity to enable students to participate and compete at a national level.  Just 30 students competed in the first Games, with the growth to this year's record numbers a sign of the growing participation of Indigenous Australians in tertiary education.

UWA School of Indigenous Studies Deputy Dean Darlene Oxenham said the Games fostered an atmosphere of inclusion and personal growth.

"With these Games amongst the largest in its history, this is a strong sign that more Indigenous Australians are pursuing tertiary education, evidenced by several universities attending the Games for the first time," Professor Oxenham said.

"Competitors come from all areas of study, but the common bond of culture and sport demonstrates the importance of developing students both within and outside of the academic environment."

The Western Waagyls have been involved in the event for 12 years, winning the championship seven times and making runner-up five times.

Although this year's Games are over, the competition isn't yet done for three Western Waagyls, who will fly out almost immediately to compete at another national competition, the Australian University Games.  Synarah Murphy, originally from Port Hedland, Ronald Bin Swani, originally from Broome, and Torey Rickerby, originally from Derby, will compete in AFL and touch rugby events at the AUG in Sydney next week.

NITESG STATS

• 350 athletes
• 21 universities
• 24 teams
• 17 volunteers (including 11 UWA students and staff)
• 29 officials (including 6 UWA Sports casual staff)
• 7 of the 8 Go8 universities participating
• 5 States and Territories represented

Participating universities:

• Australian Catholic University
• Curtin University
• Deakin University
• Edith Cowan University
• James Cook University
• Macquarie University
• Monash University
• Murdoch University
• Queensland University of Technology
• Southern Cross University
• The University of Adelaide
• The University of Melbourne
• The University of New England
• The University of New South Wales
• The University of Newcastle
• The University of Queensland
• The University of Southern Queensland
• The University of Sydney
• The University of Western Australia
• The University of Western Sydney
• University of Notre Dame Australia

Notable UWA results:

Jade Lampton (UWA, from Port Hedland): female winner of the Fly competition

Jade Dolman (UWA, from Perth):  most valuable female player, volleyball

Jeffrey Fong (UWA, from Broome): most valuable male player, netball

Jalla Alley (UWA):  most valuable female player, basketball

Media references

Brendon DeGois (UWA School of Indigenous Studies)  (+61 8) 6488 3847
Sean McMahon-MacRae (UWA Sports Marketing)  (+61 8) 6488 1640 / (+61 4) 24 448 062
David Stacey (UWA Media Manager)  (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716