Rob Vincent (NCN) has become inducted into the Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame - the 3rd Waggaroo to be inducted alongside Georgina Macken and Alison Jones. Rob’s orienteering journey began in the early 1970s in Newcastle, when he was just 14. With a natural aptitude for the sport, he quickly achieved competitive success, and in 1979 represented Australia at the Australian-New Zealand Challenge in Auckland. In 1981, he became Australian Orienteering Champion in the M21 Elite class for the first time.
In 1983, Rob moved to Wagga Wagga, and within weeks of his arrival, had become an active member of the Waggaroos Orienteering Club. He would often sacrifice competing in state or national events because he was involved with training, mapping, course planning and organising local events for the club. In July 1983, Rob agreed to be the Event Coordinator for the1985 National Easter three-day meet, which became the largest orienteering event ever held in Wagga Wagga. He spent hundreds of hours organising and planning the event, working on developing maps and programs.
While living in Wagga Wagga, Rob also competed at high level events and reached the peak of his orienteering prowess. He represented Australia in three World Orienteering Championships: in 1983, in Hungary, where he placed 25th in the Individual event; in 1985 in Bendigo, Australia where he placed 21st in the Individual event (the best placing by any Australian man at the time) and in 1987 in France, where he placed 33rd in the Individual event. Rob also became Australian Orienteering Champion in the M21 Elite class again in 1987 and 1989.
Congratulations to Rob!
