21 September; Matt Roseby
The University has announced its sporting captains for 2022; Joel Rimes (Doctor of Philosophy - Immunology) and Gabby Coffey (Bachelor of Arts) will be leading the Winged Victory teams in Perth as student-athletes compete across 27 different sports. Having not taken place since 2019, the competition is returning for a week-long event from 24-30 of September.
Joel Rimes is competing in his seventh Games, having received Blues awards on five occasions. Rimes was named UniSport’s 2021 Male Student-Athlete of the Year after earning inaugural MVP honours in the University Basketball League.
“UniNationals has been a highlight of my university career, and being able to share the experience with my teammates and peers once again is something I am extremely excited and grateful for”.
Having captained the University’s UBL team in both 2021 and 2022, as well as the Melbourne University Basketball Club men’s team in 2022, Joel is no stranger to leadership. Albeit, even he acknowledged the unique opportunity Sporting Captain presents in the context of Uni Nationals.
“The Games are so much more than just athletic competition. Being able to compete throughout an entire week with your mates by your side, especially in an incredible city like Perth, it’s a rare opportunity… and being able to hold a leadership role alongside Gabby throughout that experience offers a great level of responsibility to ensure that win or lose, all our student-athletes have just as an incredible and memorable experience as I have had throughout my six games”.
Heading to her first Perth-hosted Games, Gabby is looking to build upon the Melbourne University Lightening’s success this past season as she dons the Winged Victory kit. A training partner for the Melbourne Vixens and recipient of the University’s Friends of the Sport Association Scholarship, Gabby was integral to the Melbourne University Netball Club’s 2022 finals run. Gabby’s already impressive athletic resume has grown immensely so far this year, but Sporting Captain for the University is already highlighted as an achievement the netballer is particularly proud of;
“The Sporting Captain role is an immense privilege and is very exciting… a majority of the time sport is about the people you meet and the memories you create more than anything else, including winning. I hope that everyone who goes to Perth thrives on and off their court and pitch, and I will be there to support them along the way”.
Like many students, Gabby has long awaited the chance to again don the University’s colours; after the Game’s two-year hiatus, the Melbourne University Lightning member explained how “it is always such a special opportunity to put the University's colours and I am so excited to finally do it again”.
Similar to Rimes, Gabby enters the captaincy role with extensive leadership experience; a proud Wiradjuri woman, Coffey served as a Share a Yarn ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport and was a primary contributor to the NAIDOC Week efforts of both the University and AIS. As the first Indigenous woman to be chosen as Sporting Captain for the University, Gabby will carry over the vocality she has shown surrounding her heritage to the new role, continuing to stand as an advocate for Indigenous Australians throughout her ever-growing list of athletic successes.
On Tuesday 20 September the captains were announced at a send-off event on campus. Provost Nicola Phillips attended the event to present the captains with their blazers and to wish the 229-strong cohort of student-athletes well in Perth.
Uni Nationals kicks off in Perth on 24 September. Follow MU Sport for updates during the week.
