Deakin University has taken out top honours in an international sports business competition with a smart, low-budget solution to inspiring more people to try the sport of fencing.
Their top place was secured by beating out prestigious American and Canadian universities including Samford University, the University of Oregon and Laurentian University.
The team’s clever winning solution involved introducing schoolchildren to fencing using pool noodles and foam swords to create a fun, accessible gateway to the sport while building strong ties with local clubs.
Some of the team’s ideas have now been taken up by fencing organisations in the USA and Australia, with scope to expand to other niche sports across the world.
Noah Newnham, Bridie Blake-Burrows, Ruby Lewis and Jack Gurrie were the winning Deakin team tasked with increasing the membership base of USA Fencing – the national governing body for the sport of fencing in the United States – by 4,000 members on a tight budget of $80,000 USD.
Their grassroots plan quickly set them apart from competitors from much larger universities across the United States and Canada at the competition run by the National Sport Forum – the largest body of professional sport organisations in the USA.
Team captain Noah Newnham, 22, from Frankston South, said the Deakin team wanted to not only help grow a niche sport, but also spark a movement.
‘Fencing is about discipline, focus, and connection, and we saw an opportunity to build a sense of community around that,’ Noah said.
‘The competition is unique and is based around a case study of a specific American sport each year, although this is the first year they’ve chosen such a wonderfully unique and niche sport.
‘We found that many of the other university’s solutions focussed on the “fencing” aspect of the problem, whereas we stood back and looked at the problem more broadly – which was how do you introduce 4000 new members into a small, and relatively unknown, sport.’
‘This solution could work anywhere – any sport, any city, any country; it’s a small investment with a big impact,’ he said.
The team developed a three-tiered approach involving local clubs visiting schools and colleges and introducing students to fencing using foam swords and pool noodles to inspire them to join a club, artistic posters displayed near significant local landmarks (a concept inspired by the Paris Olympics), and a video which all intertwined for maximum impact.
Upon reaching the grand final, the team added a demonstration event where parents and their school-aged children could spar against an Olympian with foam swords.
Team member Bridie Blake-Burrows, 23, from Waurn Ponds, said the team’s aim was to maximise the small budget by taking a really grassroots approach to creating opportunities for people to engage with the sport.
‘Schools are a massive market and really key to getting people interested in a sport from an early age, so it made sense that we focused our efforts on schoolchildren.’
‘It was especially important that we provided targeted opportunities for females and non-Caucasian participants, who we found were not as likely to be involved in fencing.’
Bridie emphasised the universal potential of the Deakin team’s approach.
‘Although we were asked to focus on the Chicago market for the purposes of the competition, the plan we developed could be just as easily applied in any other city, in any other country, to any other sport,’ she said.
Bridie said she was very proud that the team’s ideas were now being used by USA Fencing and Fencing Victoria to inspire more Australians and Americans to try fencing.
Deakin Lecturer in Sport Management, Scott Field, highlighted the significance of practical experience in shaping future sports leaders.
“At Deakin, we believe in equipping our students with the tools to create real-world impact, and this win is a reflection of our students’ ability to think creatively and solve problems in a practical, scalable way,’ Scott said.
‘Our students’ success in this competition isn’t just about fencing; it’s about the power of grassroots initiatives to transform sports participation across the board.
‘They’ve proven that innovative thinking can turn small budgets into big outcomes.’
Watch team leader, Noah Newnham explain the strategy and thinking behind the team’s unique proposal.