AIM:

Otago Girls’ High School awards Sporting Blues to recognise outstanding achievement and participation in school sport. A NZ Sidey Blue can be awarded for any sport (including sports played outside of school) and is awarded for national representation or placing in high level divisions at a national event.

Criteria for an award of a Sports Blue are determined by individual sporting codes with the Boards approval.

All awards are at the discretion of the Blues Committee.

GUIDELINES:

The awarding of a Blue at Otago Girls’ High School is a premier award and a large number of factors are taken into account when deciding who will receive a Blue. The student must be in Years 11-13 and should be in a Senior A or top team to receive a Blue

Blues are not generally awarded to junior students in order to reflect the number of years representation for the school, unless they have shown exceptional ability and achievement; nominations of junior students will therefore be scrutinised closely. Juniors can receive an Outstanding Achievement award. 

Outstanding Achievement awards are presented to students that have achieved to a high level, or junior students that have met a level comparable to the Blues criteria.

The Blues committee reserves the right to decline the award to any student it feels has not displayed the necessary level of sportsmanship and/or who does not reflect the core values of the school: Integrity (Kia Pono), Respect (Kia Whakaute) and Positivity (Kia Hihiri).

For major sports clearer guidelines are itemised below. Regional B teams are not generally included as sufficient criteria.

Where an individual does not have a pathway to reach a higher level for that sport then  a Blue may be either awarded at the discretion of the committee or other guidelines may be put in place. The committee may make allowances in circumstances where sickness, injury or examinations prevented participation. 

Blues are generally not awarded to teams.  In the instance where a small team was to reach an exceptionally high level it may be appropriate for the Blues Committee to award a Blue to all members of the team. This is at the committee’s discretion and recognises that each member of the team would need to be performing at a very high level for the team to achieve this.

GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC SPORTS

Aerobics: Senior student who either qualified for Nationals as an individual or     

team in Division 1, 2, 3 and/or senior students who placed in the 

fitness team category at Nationals and showed excellence as part of the school team.

Athletics: Placed in the top three at the South Islands or the top eight at  

National Secondary Schools NZ Champs. 

Consideration is given to students placing at club nationals.  

Badminton: Otago U16, U15 or U18 team or showed excellence as part of school 

team.

Basketball:  Otago U16 or U18 team, New Zealand age group team (not Koru’s, 

also NZ teams that are not sanctioned by BBNZ) or showed excellence as part of the Senior A school team.

Climbing: Top three individual placing overall in NIBS series, or showed 

excellence as part of a school team that gained top three placing at SISS.

Cricket: Otago U17, or U19 team, or  showed excellence as part of the school 

team.

Cross Country: Top three individual or team in Otago/Southland champs senior 

section. 

Cycling: See multisport

Esports: Placing in regional or national tournaments of significance, or

displaying excellence as part of the team.

Equestrian: Placing at a Regional or National level (eg Springston event), or  

showing excellence as part of the team. 
Football:  Southern United representative team or National Women’s league 

team, or displays excellence as part of that team.   

Fencing: Displays excellence as part of school team or achieves highly at 

National Tournament.

Futsal: Making the final of the Otago Secondary Schools, Southern United 

Team tournament or showed excellence as part of the school team. 

Handball: Otago/ NZ Senior representatives team or showed excellence as part of a school team.

Hockey:  Otago age group A team or showed excellence as part of school 

team. 

Ice Hockey: Making the national team or showed excellence as part of school 

team.

Multisports: Either top three placings in provincial level U16 or U18 multisport or  

track/road cycling events run by recognised bodies or top three 

placings at provincial level in more than one recognised multisport 

event (eg. Road cycling and running, swimming and running, mountain skiing and kayaking, mountain biking.) 

Netball:  Otago (Dunedin Netball Centre Senior age group A teams), National 

Development Squad and showed excellence as part of the school team.

Orienteering: Top Three placing at Nationals or Excellence or at regional 

competitions. 

Rowing: Top three placing in A final at SS S.I. champs or making an A final at SS 

Nationals (Maadi Cup), and displayed excellence as part of a school team.

Rugby: Otago Secondary School team U18/South Island/NZ team or displayed excellence as part of the school team.

Softball: Otago senior  representative age group team, or if Otago age group 

teams are unavailable Southland senior representative teams, NZ age group representative teams (no to NZ teams not associated with Softball NZ), or showed excellence as part of the school team.

Sailing: Top three placing in Gold division of Otago Regatta. Consideration of NZ Secondary School Teams Racing Regatta, or showed excellence as part of the school team.

Squash: Excellence as part of the school team.

Swimming: Top three placing at OSSSC and/or qualify for finals at National Secondary School Championships, and/or being selected in Otago Squad for Division 1 age group (Nationals).  Consideration is given to students placing at club nationals.

Tennis: Senior Otago age group representative to travel to tournament or 

showed excellence as part of the school team.

Touch:  Otago/NZ  senior age group representative team or showed 

excellence as part of the school team.

Volleyball: Named in tournament selected team at the National Secondary school Championships.  Selection in S.I training/development squad or Otago 

Representative teams to be taken into consideration or showed excellence as part of a school team.

Waterpolo: Tournament select team at SI champs, Schools Nationals, selection in Senior Otago age group team or showed excellence as part of the school team.