Randwick City Council has announced the winners of its 2026 Sports Awards, with recipients recognised from across a swathe of sports and age ranges.
Across six categories, the Sports Awards recognise the esteemed individuals who have done extraordinary things in their chosen sports, said Mayor, Clare Willington.
“The winners are a diverse plethora of gamechangers, and we’re all so proud to celebrate them,” she said.
The Randwick City Junior Sports Award is open to all sports people aged 5 to 12 years. This year it was won by Francesca Rugendyke.
Francesca excels across a range of sports, including athletics, swimming, cross country, surf lifesaving, aquathon, oz tag and netball. The judges also recognised her “sportsmanship, teamwork and encouragement of fellow competitors.”
Marcus Zhen received Highly Commended in the category.
The Randwick City Junior and Youth with a Disability Awards are open to people with disabilities between the ages of 5 and 18 years.
This year, the Junior Winner was Sofia Loghdey. Sofia excels at athletics and cross-country, and the judges recognised her as a “teammate who inspires those around her through her humility and perseverance.”
The Youth Winner was Daniel Driscoll, an adaptive surf lifesaving superstar. Earning medals at the Sydney Branch, NSW State and Australian Championships, he also contributes to the surf lifesaving community as a qualified official.
The Youth Highly Commended award went to Amielle Walker.
The Bradley Matthews Memorial Award for Sporting Excellence is open to all sports people aged 13 to 18 years who attend school in the City of Randwick. This year, Olivia Philp won the award.
A student of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Kensington, she has demonstrated “exceptional achievement and leadership” in surf lifesaving, completing the rare Champion Lifesaver Triple Crown, winning Branch, NSW and Australian Champion Lifesaver titles.
Audrey Papadopoulos and John Ziros earned Highly Commended.
The Randwick City Community Coach of the Year Award is open to community or part-time sporting coaches who have coached a team in Randwick City during the previous 12 months. It was won by Andrew Newrick.
A surf lifesaving coach for 11 years, Andrew has guided South Maroubra to a record 100 champions, a historic third-place finish at NSW State Championships, and the club’s best-ever Australian Championships result.
Every year, a legend in their field is inducted into the Randwick City Hall of Sporting Champions.
This year, Jessica Thornton was inducted. A track and field sprinter and Randwick local, she represented Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
“Randwick City Council congratulates all the winners of the awards and encourages Randwick City residents to start thinking about athletes they know with a shot at nabbing an award in 2027,” the Council said in a statement.
