Sports Awards 2025 recognised Team UOP successes at an annual celebration!
On Wednesday 14 May, we came together to celebrate the incredible achievements of Team UOP at our annual Sports Awards. The evening marked the culmination of another outstanding year for sport at the University of Portsmouth, bringing together athletes, volunteers, coaches, and supporters to reflect on the dedication and spirit that define our sporting community.
Before the main event, we held a Sports Reception, where we recognised the wider impact of sport and student leadership across the university and beyond. We were honoured to be joined by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Chris Chang, as well as our valued partner Carrington West and South Coast Rx Physiotherapy, who continue to support the development and wellbeing of our student athletes.
The Sports Awards ceremony that followed was a true celebration of our community - an opportunity to spotlight the individuals and clubs that make Team UOP so special. With over 206 club award nominations and a staggering 823 individual nominations, the scale and quality of submissions reflected the passion and commitment of our students this year. In fact, the calibre was so high that finalists were selected from shortlists in every category, showing just how many have gone above and beyond.
From BUCS podium finishes to the quiet consistency of weekly training sessions, from leading committees to championing inclusive sport, every contribution has shaped a remarkable year. Our 34 sports clubs, 300 committee members, and 3,000+ club members have represented Portsmouth across competitions, community events, and everything in between.
This year has also seen impressive milestones: 31st place in the BUCS National Rankings, nearly 10,000 students participating in activity, over 1 million visits to Sport and Recreation services, and more than 50,000 hours of sports volunteering delivered.
But beyond the statistics, the heart of Team UOP lies in its people. Sport at Portsmouth is more than competition - it’s about leadership, resilience, friendship, and the pursuit of growth. Every late-night session, early morning workout, and moment of encouragement has helped create a lasting legacy.
To all our athletes, teams, coaches, support staff, recreational participants, volunteers, organisers, and committee members - thank you. Your contributions, whether visible on the scoreboard or behind the scenes, are what make Team UOP the success it is. You’ve each played a part in creating an environment where students can thrive, lead, and connect through sport.
As we celebrated the outstanding finalists and award winners, we were reminded that success isn’t just about medals, it’s about effort, progress, and the positive impact we have on others.
To those graduating, thank you for leaving your mark. You’ll always be part of the Team UOP family. And to those returning next year - we can’t wait to build on everything you’ve achieved.
Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists and winners. You’ve made 2025 a year to remember.
Our annual Sports Reception and sports awards really are a wonderful and fitting celebration of student achievement and success, and this year I was blown away by the breadth and quality being achieved across our sporting programs. It really is quite humbling to hear some of the incredible stories and achievements of our students and the impact they are having on their peers. Sport and physical activity play such a crucial part in our University experience and have a demonstrable impact on positive student outcomes. A huge congratulations to all of our award nominees and winners.
Paul Tilley
Director of Sport
Individual Awards
Coach of the Year
Finalists:
Rich Fergus - Climbing
Steve Taylor - Rowing
Winner: Cliff Boddington - American Football
Contribution to the Community
Finalists:
Ben Green, Ben Heyes, Lottie Parker - Movember Campaign
Georgia Chaffey - Team UOP Exec
Winner: Keira McClary - Swimming and Water Polo
Student Coach of the Year
Finalists:
Lucy Lawrence - Taekwondo & Karate (Taekwondo)
Tash Bird - Netball
Winner: Eve Cawood - Dance
Student Official of the Year
Finalists:
Ethan Marmo - Basketball
Tanisha Grahame - Netball
Winner: Sophie Guy - Netball
Volunteer of the Year
Finalists:
Sophie Guy - Netball
Wing Kan Chan - Sport Psychologist (Basketball)
Winner: Jacob Winspear - Men's Football
Executive Committee Member of the Year
Finalists:
Anne Thompson - Netball
Tianee Adams-Downie - Gymnastics & Trampolining
Denzil White - American Football
Zak Taylor - Climbing
Winners:
Jamie Drew - Men's Rugby
Marnie Hayter - Equestrian
Scholar of the Year (Performance)
Finalists:
Abigale Norgrove - Cricket
Max Beaman - IQfoil Windsurfing
Mia Adaway - Women's Football
Winner: Nebechi Abana - American Football
Scholar of the Year (Special Recognition)
Finalists:
Connie Wells - Karate
Dan Mock - Gymnastics & Trampolining
Dom Piggott - Golf
Winner: Alfie Dixon - Boxing
Outstanding Contribution to University Sport
Finalists:
Ishbel MacLellan - Dance and Team UOP
Lydia Sellen - Gymnastics and Trampolining & Team UOP Exec
Andi Hoxha - Sailing
Winners:
Nadine Smith - Rowing
Ben Green - Squash & Team UOP Exec
Most Supportive Committee Member
Finalists:
Izzy Grant - Gymnastics & Trampolining
Lily Beard - Climbing
Mia Scott - Equestrian
Winners: Eleanor Hoad - Dance
Sports Personality of the Year
Finalists:
Ben Green - Squash
Ed Lewis - Hockey
Emily Smout - Equestrian
Emmanuel Emiru - Basketball
Georgia Chaffey - Netball
Harrison Cooper - American Football
Harry Dickson - Tennis
Ishbel MacLellan - Dance
Lydia Sellen - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Millie Chauhan - Climbing
Winner:
Harrison Cooper - American Football
Special Recognition Award
Winner:
Lydia Sellen
Individual Awards
Jamie Neller - American Football
Ruben Tanner - American Football
Ben West - Athletics
Ayush Damodaran - Badminton
Alexia Tafmizi - Basketball
Anne Sunega - Basketball
Bella Schofield - Basketball
Ciaran Murtagh - Basketball
Ezekiel Pre - Basketball
Jessie Bakare - Basketball
Reggie Richards - Basketball
Aleksandra Bozhkova - Boxing
Josh Cambridge - Boxing
Molly Fletcher - Boxing
Daisy Allen - Climbing
Freyja Bermudez - Climbing
Lily Beard - Climbing
Millie Chauhan - Climbing
William Swinhoe-Standen - Climbing
Aryan Patel - Cricket
Zac Jennings - Cricket
Emily Illsey - Dance
Emma Horn - Dance
Jan Bote - Dance
Rhianne Mortimer - Dance
Jayden Olden - Dodgeball
Alex Skofteland - Equestrian
Emily Smout - Equestrian
Lily Wilkins - Equestrian
Mia Scott - Equestrian
Hussain Al Safi - Futsal
Dom Piggott - Golf
Amelia Ferris - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Jamie Hill - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Lucy Dawson - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Luke Thomas - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Olivia Han - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Brandon McPherson - Handball
Sam Cheng Yung Wen - Handball
Charlotte Sunnucks - Hockey
Dora Garland - Hockey
Ed Lewis - Hockey
Freja Wilson - Hockey
Lauren Blake - Hockey
Mantanani Stather - Hockey
Miles Orr - Hockey
Sophie Stone - Hockey
Viktoria Blanke - Hockey
Ben Filer - Lacrosse
Tyler Edgar - Lacrosse
Alex Ward - Men's Football
Matt Donnelly - Men's Rugby
Becca Griffiths - Netball
Brooke Mellor - Netball
Sian Kearney - Netball
Hannah Boulter - Rowing
Liz Rietdyk - Rowing
Oliver Othen - Rowing
Rhiannon Evans - Rowing
Coco Bicknell - Sailing
Curtis Mckay - Sailing
Andrew Servaes - Snow Sports
Edward Samuels - Snow Sports
Helena Duguid - Snow Sports
Becca Mott - Swimming and Water Polo
Lidia Janik - Swimming and Water Polo
Daniel Winders - Table Tennis
Maureen Tagum - Table Tennis
Isabella Abraham - Taekwondo and Karate
Reuben Reeves - Taekwondo and Karate
Abigail Rymer - Tennis
Anna Vinnell - Tennis
Oscar Boyle - Tennis
Ria Rajebahadur - Tennis
Aaron Lumabas - Volleyball
Daniela Tobongbanua - Volleyball
Isaac Wynne - Volleyball
Victoria Schelhase - Women's Football
Andrea Fast - Women's Futsal
Rhiannon Powell - Women's Rugby
Denzil White - American Football
Harrison Cooper - American Football
Jaden Ondoua - American Football
Jake Akinnuoye - American Football
Jacob Harwood - Archery
Eman Emiru - Basketball
Fred Fleming - Basketball
Evie Duffield - Boxing
Leah Carroll - Cheerleading
Chloe Johnson - Climbing
John Fuggle - Climbing
Miranda Austin - Climbing
Zak Taylor - Climbing
Eleanor Hoad - Dance
Ellen Mills - Dance
Maisie Edwards - Dance
Millie Jezzard - Dance
Tori Lane - Dance
Ishbel MacLellan - Dance & Team UoP Exec
Joseph Orbell - Dodgeball
Amy Taplin - Equestrian
Jessica Phillips - Equestrian
Louise Davidson - Equestrian
Marnie Hayter - Equestrian
Bailey Carbis - Fencing
Giorgia Gallone - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Izzy Grant - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Lottie Parker - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Tianee Adams-Downie - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Lydia Sellen - Gymnastics and Trampolining & Team UoP Exec
Jacob Winspear - Men's Football
Jamie Drew - Men's Rugby
Ben Heyes - Men's Rugby & Team UoP Exec
Anne Thompson - Netball
Natasha Bird - Netball
Sophie Guy - Netball
Georgia Chaffey - Netball & Team UoP Exec
Nadine Smith - Rowing
Andi Hoxha - Sailing
Daniel Oswald - Sailing
Jake Chapman - Sailing
Monty Wardle - Snow Sports
Ben Green - Squash & Team UoP Exec
Keira McClary - Swimming and Water Polo
Charday Stone - Taekwondo and Karate
Connie Wells - Taekwondo and Karate
Lucy Lawrence - Taekwondo and Karate
Harvey Reeves - Volleyball
Abbie Barrett - Women's Football
Ney Sukson - American Football
Ethan Marmo - Basketball
Malikai Sigauke - Basketball
Rob Ayres - Climbing
Meet Patel - Cricket
Eve Cawood - Dance
Kerry Lovett - Dance
Liberty Henson - Dance
Louise Gregor - Dance
Lucy McDougall - Dance
Ellis Knight - Futsal
Catrise Hart - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Nuhu Abeka - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Ellen Herring - Gymnastics and Trampolining
Katie Rapo - Netball
Tanisha Grahame - Netball
Imogen Jackson - Swimming & Water Polo
Olivia Spratling - Swimming & Water Polo
Cieran Sung - Taekwondo & Karate
Felix Howard-Beadle - Tennis
George Mutter - Tennis
Abigale Norgrove - Cricket
Alfie Cogger - Sailing
Andi Hoxha - Sailing
Ben Osborne - Sailing
Benjamin Filer - Lacrosse
Cieran Sung - Taekwondo
Curtis McKay - Sailing
Ella Dent - Taekwondo
George Ross - Sailing
Johnnie Rudd - Sailing
Lorcan Ward - Karate
Louis Silk - Boxing
Louise Davis - Sailing
Max Beaman - Windsurfing
Mia Adaway - Women's Football
Nebechi Abana - American Football
Rachel Palmer - Sailing
Tinashe Munyenyiwa - Hockey
Trinity James - Karate
Zhu Qidong - Taekwondo
Club Awards
Media Club of the Year
Finalists:
Basketball
Climbing
Dance
Women's Football
Winners: Volleyball
RAG Club of the Year
Finalists:
American Football
Climbing
Rowing
Tennis
Winners: Dance
Varsity Team of the Year
Finalists:
Cricket Women's Team
Hockey Men's 1s
Men's Football Devs
Rowing (W Intermediate Quads)
Winners: Table Tennis Men's 1s
Committee of the Year
Finalists:
Basketball
Dance
Gymnastics & Trampolining
Netball
Winners: Equestrian
Team of the Year
Finalists:
Lacrosse Men's Team
Lacrosse Women's Team
Sailing Yacht Team
Taekwondo
Winners: American Football
Most Improved Club of the Year
Finalists:
Equestrian
Fencing
Snow Sports
Taekwondo & Karate
Winners: Climbing
Carrington West Club of the Year
The Carrington West Club of the Year award, rewarding the club that has continually gone above and beyond across all areas of club delivery including RAG events, social media presence, and continually engaging with all of Team UOP, and Sport and Rec.
Finalists:
American Football
Basketball
Climbing
Gymnastics & Trampolining
Netball
Winners: Dance