Nominate a sporting great: New category in Sports Hall of Fame

The most recent 2024 ceremony held earlier this year, featuring: judges panel Chair Keith Smith, Gary Ruby (son of the late Kenneth Ruby), Jonte Wright (son of Ian Wright), and Mayor Andrew Tripe.

Nominations open on Monday for the Whanganui Sports Hall of Fame, with a new category added this year acknowledging the region’s dedicated sporting administrators.

The Whanganui Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the contributions of local sportspeople who have represented New Zealand, as well as supporters and officials who, through their involvement in sport, have made a significant impact on our sporting heritage.

Nominations are open from Monday, October 21, until Wednesday, November 27. A judging panel will decide on the winners with two inductees formally recognised in a ceremony in March, 2025.

To qualify for nomination, candidates must be from the Whanganui district (either by birth or having moved here), have represented New Zealand as an athlete and have retired from competition for five years; and/or have made a positive contribution to sport in the district.

Chair of the judges panel, Keith Smith, says there is a deserving place in the Sports Hall of Fame for those who work behind the scenes to advance their chosen sport.

“This year we are delighted to offer clubs the chance to consider nominating not only their storied athletes but to recognise and celebrate those who have - through tireless commitment and often personal sacrifice - made an indelible mark on their chosen sport,” said Smith.

Anyone can make a nomination, with nominations generally coming from a sports club or an individual who is associated with the nominee. As well as any new nominations received, all previous nominations not yet inducted are eligible for consideration.

Mayor Andrew Tripe says the timing of nominations coincides neatly with the Whanganui Heritage Festival, organised by the Whanganui District Council and the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust, with both of these milestone events highlighting the incredible individuals and communities who have shaped our city.

“It is a pleasure to call attention to the impact of key figures in our city’s rich sporting heritage, as we also celebrate a century of cityhood this month,” said Tripe

A formal ceremony will be held for the inductees and invited guests in March 2025. New inductees will be recognised with a photo and citation displayed alongside current Sports Hall of Fame inductees in the atrium at Cooks Gardens in Whanganui.

The Sports Hall of Fame was launched in 2008 with 34 sportspeople inducted to date. Ian Wright and Kenneth Ruby were inducted earlier in 2024 for their respective achievements in rowing and wrestling.

Nomination forms can be downloaded from sportwhanganui.co.nz, or a hard copy picked up from the Sport Whanganui office at Springvale Park. A list of all inductees is available on the Whanganui District Council website at whanganui.govt.nz/Community-and-Culture/Sports-Hall-of-Fame.