UNSW Sport September Recap

September delivered another huge month for UNSW Sport, with premierships, historic club achievements, international selections and standout performances across Australia and abroad. From record-breaking seasons for UNSW Hockey and premiership success for the UNSW-ES Bulldogs, Netball and Handball clubs, to major representative milestones for UNSW athletes on the national and international stage, there was plenty to celebrate as winter competitions reached their conclusion and new seasons got underway.

UNSW Hockey has enjoyed its most successful season on record, claiming 13 premierships across its men's and women's competitions to surpass its previous best of eight, achieved in both 2024 and 2025. The men's Premier League 1 side completed a historic minor and major premiership double, defeating Moorebank Liverpool 4–1 in the Markham Cup Grand Final on 12 September. After falling short in last year's decider, UNSW became the first team in the competition's 10-year history to achieve both honours in the same season. The following day, the women's Metro League 1 side secured back-to-back championships with a 2–1 victory over previously undefeated minor premiers Moorebank Liverpool, completing a first-grade premiership double for the club. The success extended throughout the grades, with eight men's and five women's teams crowned premiers. The men's Masters Second Grade side celebrated its return to competition after more than a decade with a 2–1 Grand Final victory over Manly GNS, while the women's ML2, ML3, ML4 and ML5 teams all claimed titles. The club also secured seven minor premierships, with the men's SL2 side narrowly missing out on another championship following a 3–2 overtime Grand Final defeat despite finishing the regular season with a +91 goal difference.

It was a September to remember for the UNSW-ES Bulldogs, with the club celebrating two AFL Sydney premierships as the Women’s Under 20s and Men’s Division Three sides both lifted silverware. The Men’s Division Three side struck first, defeating Balmain Tigers 8.9 (57) to 4.4 (28) in their Grand Final on 12 September. The Bulldogs secured a convincing 29-point victory to cap off their season as premiers. Eight days later, the Women’s U20s completed their own remarkable premiership run. After finishing the regular season as minor premiers with a dominant 14–1 record, the Bulldogs bounced back from a 52-point semi-final loss to Sydney University to earn another shot at their rivals in the Grand Final. Trailing by three points at half-time, the Bulldogs exploded with five unanswered goals in a decisive third quarter before holding on for a 9.3 (57) to 6.9 (45) victory. Scarlett Rodwell led the way with three goals as the Bulldogs completed a memorable 12-point triumph and secured the club’s second premiership of September.

UNSW Handball Club made history in September, becoming the first Australian men’s club to win the New Zealand Handball Club Championship after completing an undefeated campaign in Wellington. The Bulldogs went a perfect five wins from five games across the four-day tournament, progressing through three pool matches and the semi-final before defeating Auckland 36–29 in the final to claim the club’s first NZHCC title. The triumph marked a remarkable turnaround after UNSW fell short in the bronze medal match at the 2025 tournament. Led by captain and UNSW Elite Athlete Program member Lucas Velasque, the squad combined experienced senior players with developing juniors and overcame late injuries and changes to the travelling team to secure a landmark international title for UNSW Handball.

UNSWFC’s Women’s First Grade came agonisingly close to adding another trophy to a remarkable 2026 campaign, reaching the NPL Women’s NSW Grand Final after an impressive Championship Series run. After finishing the regular season second, UNSW booked their place in the decider with a commanding 3–1 semi-final victory over APIA Leichhardt at The Village Green. Demi Koulizakis struck twice, opening the scoring in the 19th minute before adding her second shortly after half-time, with Alexia Karrys-Stahl sealing the result late on. That set up a Grand Final showdown with Premiership winners Bulls FC Academy at Jubilee Stadium. The two sides couldn't be separated after regulation time, finishing 1–1, before the Bulls eventually prevailed 4–2 on penalties, leaving UNSW just short of completing a remarkable trophy treble. Despite the Grand Final heartbreak, 2026 will go down as a landmark season for the UNSWFC women. In just their third season in NPL Women’s NSW, they claimed their maiden Sapphire Cup, secured the NPL Women’s Club Championship, finished second in the Premiership race and reached the Championship Grand Final. The side also produced a 16-game unbeaten run during the season and entered the Grand Final on another 10-game unbeaten streak. Aya Yamahata, Poppy Channing, Erin Nayley, and Demi Koulizakis were also named in the NPL Women’s NSW Team of the Year. 

UNSW Cheer and Dance enjoyed a successful campaign at the 2026 Australian All Star Cheerleading Federation (AASCF) State Championships, securing three state titles and seven podium finishes across 11 divisions. The club's Premier Contemporary and Premier Hip Hop teams were crowned state champions, while Cheer 3/4 also claimed gold. The success continued with silver medals for Cheer 1/2, Premier Jazz and Intermediate Contemporary, while Premier Pom rounded out the podium finishes with bronze. UNSW's All Star teams also delivered competitive performances across four divisions, with All Star Contemporary and All Star Jazz both finishing fifth, while All Star Hip Hop and All Star Pom placed sixth.

UNSW Netball Club capped off its 2026 season with premiership success, with UNSW 4 – Omurais taking out the B1 title to headline a strong set of results across the club. Omurais finished first in B1, while UNSW 2 – Blues secured second place in A2. UNSW 7 – Seals and UNSW 9 – Baijis also reached the podium, with both teams finishing third in their respective B3 and B4 competitions. Elsewhere, Pilots and Gingkos finished fourth in B2 and C2 respectively, Belugas placed fifth in C2, while Seis, Orcas, Minkies, Rights and Fins rounded out the club’s results across a successful season.

The UNSW Raiders have made an unbeaten start to their Gridiron NSW title defence, opening the 2026 season with back-to-back victories. The reigning Waratah Bowl champions began with a dominant 34–0 shutout of the Wollongong Mustangs, led by quarterback Ben Finkel, who completed 63 per cent of his passes for 227 total yards and four touchdowns. On defence, Sam Riley starred with seven tackles, two pass break-ups and a pick-six as the Raiders kept the Mustangs scoreless. The Raiders then showed their resilience against Sydney University. Trailing 9–6 entering the fourth quarter and without Finkel after a late decision to rest the quarterback through illness, UNSW turned to an option-based offence and amassed an impressive 380 rushing yards. The Raiders rallied with 14 unanswered points in the final quarter to secure a gritty 20–9 victory and move to 2–0 for the season. The Raiders have now outscored their opening two opponents 54–9, continuing the momentum from their 2025 championship-winning campaign.

Sandon Smith produced a match-winning performance to help the Newcastle Knights reach their first NRL Grand Final in 25 years. Smith scored two crucial second-half tries as Newcastle stunned minor premiers Penrith 22–14 in a remarkable preliminary final victory at Accor Stadium. Trailing 14–6 at half-time and reduced to 12 players following the send-off of Phoenix Crossland, the Knights held Penrith scoreless throughout the second half to complete an extraordinary comeback. The UNSW student crossed for his first try in the 59th minute before producing the defining moment of the match in the dying stages, intercepting a Penrith pass and racing 80 metres to score the try that sealed Newcastle’s place in the Grand Final. The victory sends the Knights into their first decider since their 2001 premiership and just the third Grand Final in the club’s history, having won their previous two appearances in 1997 and 2001. Smith will now join Newcastle legend Andrew Johns as the only two players to start at halfback for the Knights in an NRL Grand Final, when Newcastle faces Smith’s former club, the Sydney Roosters, on Sunday.

Amelia “Milly” Whitaker made an impressive start to her international career in September, earning her first two Wallaroos caps during the WXV Global Series. Whitaker made her Test debut against reigning world champions England just two days after her 20th birthday, starting on the wing in Australia’s 48–15 defeat before retaining the No.14 jersey against France the following week. The young winger played a key role in a much-improved Wallaroos performance against Les Bleues, including a crucial try-saving defensive effort alongside Caitlyn Halse, as Australia led for 74 minutes before being edged 29–26. The appearances continued a remarkable 2026 for Whitaker, who has gone from Super Rugby Women’s champion and NSW Waratahs Women’s Player of the Year to Wallaroo #237. Her international campaign now continues into the Wallaroos’ three-Test series against Scotland.

Tamsin Colley has earned another international call-up, named in the CommBank ParaMatildas squad for the 2026 IFCPF Women’s World Cup in Atlanta, USA. Colley is part of the 10-player Australian squad that will head to Atlanta in October as the reigning world champions. The ParaMatildas will defend the historic title they claimed in Spain in 2024, when they became the first Australian senior national football team to win a World Cup. The selection continues an impressive international run for Colley, who represented Australia in the 2024 World Cup-winning squad and at the 2025 IFCPF Women’s Intercontinental Cup. Australia has been drawn in Group B alongside the Netherlands, Republic of Ireland and Colombia for this year’s tournament.

Chloe Jackson earned another representative honour in September, selected in the Australian Women’s Prime Minister’s XIII for the second consecutive year. The Parramatta Eels forward will return to Papua New Guinea with the Australian side to face the PNG Women’s Prime Minister’s XIII at Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby on 3 October. Jackson was also part of the Prime Minister’s XIII in 2025, when Australia recorded a dominant 50–0 victory over PNG at the same venue. Her back-to-back selection follows another strong NRLW campaign and provides Jackson with another opportunity to represent Australia as part of a squad coach Jess Skinner described as combining some of the game’s leading emerging talent with experienced players.

Heath Hall-Muir has helped the Australian UniRoos to a fifth-place finish at the 2026 FISU World University Rugby Sevens Championship in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Hall-Muir was part of the 12-player Australian squad competing against some of the world's leading university rugby nations across three days of competition. The UniRoos closed out their campaign with a 21–12 victory over Chile in the fifth-place playoff, securing Australia a second consecutive top-five finish at the World University Championship.

From premiership celebrations and historic club firsts to Grand Final heroics and international call-ups, September showcased the depth of sporting achievement across the UNSW community. With Sandon Smith preparing for an NRL Grand Final, Tamsin Colley and Chloe Jackson heading into international representative duties, Milly Whitaker continuing her first Wallaroos campaign and the UNSW Raiders beginning their title defence unbeaten, there is plenty more to come as UNSW in Perth at the moment competing at UniSport Nationals hoping to secure a podium finish.