New prize for Massey sports journalism students

publishers has resulted in a new annual prize for Graduate Diploma in Journalism students: the Brian F. O’Brien Memorial Prize in Sports Journalism.

The $1000 prize, funded by Dennis O’Brien, is a tribute to his late father, journalist and publisher Brian F. O’Brien, famous publisher over three decades of Sports Digest.

The Digest, New Zealand’s only sports monthly magazine, was a must-read for sports fans from its first publication in 1949 till ill-health forced Brian out of the game in 1979.

It enjoyed a huge readership for its reporting on sports as diverse as badminton, fencing, football, tennis, squash and table tennis – alongside its publisher’s personal loves of boxing, rugby and cricket.

Brian believed that sport and physical activity had a direct correlation to mental and physical well-being, a foundation stone in a life-long belief in the worth of young people and the value of sport.

Regular contributors of the magazine included T.P. McLean, Peter Heidenstrom, Alex Veysey, Garry Ward, Ian Wells, Spiro Zavos, Bob Jones, Joseph Romanos, Ian Gault, and photographer Peter Bush. 

Brian wrote many articles under his own name but also under pseudonyms – a favourite being Phillip Dennis, the names of his two sons.

A Commonwealth Games boxing judge, Brian wrote what is still the only complete history of New Zealand boxing, Kiwis With Gloves On. 

Each student will submit a portfolio of two sports stories, with the best portfolio collecting the prize.

Massey Journalism head Dr Grant Hannis said the prize would be a great addition to the prizes and scholarships already available to Graduate Diploma in Journalism students.

“The industry already funds a range of prizes and scholarships for our students.

“It’s fantastic to have this level of industry support for our course.”