UNSW Sport May Recap

May delivered another strong month across the UNSW sporting community, with athletes and clubs producing standout performances on national and international stages, while student experiences and club success continued to build across multiple programs.

Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs and Sydney Swans Academy ruck Amaia Wain achieved her AFLW dream in May, selected by the Western Bulldogs with pick No.4 in the 2026 Telstra AFLW Preseason Draft. The 18-year-old enjoyed a breakout season with the UNSW Eastern Suburbs Bulldogs in the AFL Sydney Women’s Premier Division, impressing against senior opposition with her athleticism, ruck craft and versatility. Originally from Victoria before moving to Urunga during the COVID period, Wain quickly emerged as one of the AFL North Coast’s brightest young talents. In 2024, she became the first player to win both the AFL North Coast Youth Girls 17s and Senior Women’s Best and Fairest awards in the same season. Her development through the QBE Sydney Swans Academy saw her represent the program at the AFL Under 16 Girls National Development Championships, while also earning senior opportunities with the Sawtell Toormina Saints in 2023. Speaking with Scoops – All Things Footy 24/7 following the draft, Wain reflected on the moment her name was called, Wain said: “It was just happiness and relief, finally a dream coming true. It was kind of all feelings at once.” She also outlined her long-term ambitions at AFLW level, adding: “Getting on the list is the easy part. My goal was always to get drafted, but from there it’s about playing consistent football and hopefully being one of the best eventually.”

In more good draft news in the AFL, Liam Puncher achieved his AFL dream in May, selected by Collingwood Football Club with pick No.15 in the 2026 Telstra AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft following a strong season in the SANFL with Woodville-West Torrens. Puncher developed through the AFL NSW/ACT pathway system, playing junior football with St Ives and North Shore before progressing through the QBE Sydney Swans Academy. The key defender made the move to South Australia to continue his development at SANFL level, where his strong form and consistency quickly attracted AFL attention. Standing at 195cm, Puncher established himself as an intercepting defender with composure behind the ball, earning his opportunity at the elite level after an impressive start to the 2026 season. His selection continues the growing list of athletes progressing from NSW football pathways onto AFL lists.

Archie Gargett and his Nacra 17 partner Sarah Hoffman produced a breakthrough performance at the 2026 Nacra 17 World Championships in Quiberon Bay, France, finishing an impressive fourth overall against the world’s best sailors. Competing in extremely challenging and constantly changing conditions, the pair navigated everything from low-riding modes to one and two hulls foiling throughout the regatta. Entering the final day in ninth position, Gargett and Hoffman surged up the standings with outstanding races, including first and second place finishes. Reflecting on the result, Archie said: “If someone told me 7 days ago that I was about to finish in the top 5 at the Worlds I would have said maybe if everything goes to plan, we might get there but top 10 is more realistic. We sailed every shift to the best of our ability resulting in the best day of our career to date and pulled ourselves into 4th.” The pair will now turn their attention to the upcoming European Championships in Eckernförde, Germany.

Isabella Yan delivered one of the standout performances of the month at the YONEX Australian National Championships, claiming silver in the women’s singles competition against the nation’s best badminton talent. Yan produced an outstanding tournament campaign to reach the national final, recording strong performances against some of Australia’s top-ranked players, including a come-from-behind semi-final victory, before finishing runner up to Australian representative Bernice Teoh. The result adds another significant achievement to Yan’s growing resume following recent success on the Oceania junior circuit and continued appearances at senior level competition.

UNSW para-athletes Tamsin Colley and James Tirado represented Australia at the 2026 Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin, competing against a strong international field in challenging hot and humid conditions. Colley delivered an impressive championship campaign across four events, highlighted by gold in the Women’s 800m Para Ambulant in 2:52.34, before adding bronze in the Women’s 400m Para Ambulant in 1:13.61, finishing just 0.1 seconds outside her season best. The versatile T36 athlete also recorded season best times in both the 100m and 200m Para Ambulant events. Tirado also impressed in Darwin, producing a strong performance in the Men’s 100m Para Ambulant heats in the T13 classification. Competing against athletes from Australia, New Zealand, France, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu, the UNSW sprinter clocked 12.07 seconds to finish 15th overall on percentage ranking with an 86.66 per cent performance score as he continued to build on a strong season representing Australia on the Oceania stage.

UNSW students experienced another memorable night at Allianz Stadium in May, with more than 100 students attending the NSW Waratahs clash against the Western Force through the University’s ongoing partnership. The match featured strong UNSW representation on the field, with Elite Athlete Program athletes Sidney Harvey and Andrew Kellaway lining up for the Waratahs, while UNSW alumnus Dylan Pietsch featured for the Western Force in a tight 20–17 result. A major highlight of the evening came at halftime, when UNSW students Dan Nguyen, Sonali Singh, Lucas Velasque and Emrik Moe took part in the stadium catch challenge, attempting catches launched more than 50 metres into the air in front of over 10,000 supporters. With Allianz Stadium lit up in UNSW branding, the event delivered another premium student experience, particularly for the many students attending their first live rugby union match and for those given the opportunity to walk onto the field during match day entertainment.

UNSW’s 3x3 basketball squads produced strong performances across the UniSport Nationals 3x3 Basketball Tournament hosted by the University of Canberra in partnership with 3x3 Hustle. Battling cold temperatures, strong winds and challenging outdoor court conditions across three days, every UNSW team improved on last year’s result. The Men’s Division 1 side finished fifth after an impressive undefeated opening day, while the Men’s Division 2 team progressed to the semi-finals before falling in overtime to eventual finalists Deakin University to place fourth overall. The Women’s Division 2 squad also secured fifth place following an overtime game winner from Kaitryel Pelaez against Macquarie University, while the Women’s Division 1 team improved to ninth overall. UNSW was also crowned the 2026 UniSport Nationals 3x3 Basketball Spirit Champions, recognising the university’s sportsmanship, team culture and presence throughout the tournament.

UNSW swimmers delivered a strong showing at the 2026 UniSport Nationals Swimming Championships, held in conjunction with Swimming NSW’s Sydney Open at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Competing against athletes from 26 universities across the country, the black and yellow squad finished 14th overall following a series of impressive performances across the three-day meet. Alex Quach led the way for UNSW, producing standout swims to finish second in the Men’s 200m Butterfly and third in the heats of the Men’s 100m Butterfly against a high-quality national and international field. Jackson McCleery impressed in the distance freestyle events, finishing eighth in the Men’s 800m Freestyle Final, while Gabriella Mramor recorded top 10 finishes in both the Women’s 200m and 400m Individual Medley events. Strong performances across freestyle, butterfly, medley and backstroke events highlighted the depth of the squad as athletes continued preparations for upcoming national trials and championship meets.

The 2026 Underwater Rugby National Championships were held in Adelaide at the SA Aquatic and Leisure Centre, with the UNSW Whales mixed team delivering a dominant tournament performance to secure the national title for the second consecutive year. The Whales finished undefeated throughout the competition and remarkably did not concede a single goal across the entire tournament, before defeating Brisbane Gauls in the final to continue the club’s long-standing success as one of Australia’s premier underwater rugby programs.

The UNSW Lacrosse Club men’s team claimed the 2026 Sydney Lacrosse League Autumn title after a dominant 14–6 victory over the combined North Sydney/Macquarie University side in the grand finale. The result capped off an outstanding campaign for the Lions, who overcame strong competition throughout the season before producing one of their best performances of the year in the decider. The title continues the club’s recent growth within the Sydney lacrosse community as the sport builds momentum ahead of its return to the Olympic program for Los Angeles 2028.

UNSW student-athlete Conor Stone has enjoyed a strong return from injury in 2026, working his way back through the VFL before earning a recall to the GWS Giants AFL side. After missing significant time with a navicular foot injury, Stone quickly rediscovered his form at VFL level, highlighted by a dominant 34 disposal and 10-mark performance against North Melbourne earlier this season. His strong form earned him a return to the Giants AFL side in last week’s win over the Brisbane Lions, where he collected 22 disposals, including 14 handballs and eight kicks, while also laying two tackles in an impressive first AFL appearance of the 2026 season.

May showcased the breadth of achievement across UNSW sport, from professional draft selections and international representation to national titles, UniSport success and memorable student experiences. Across clubs, competitions and partnerships, athletes and students continued to represent the black and yellow at the highest level while building momentum into the second half of the year.