UNSW Sport November Recap

November closed out the year with strong international performances, national team selections and a major celebration of our sporting community at the 2025 UNSW Sports Awards Gala Dinner. Across AFLW, cricket, football, boccia, handball and underwater rugby, UNSW athletes continued to distinguish themselves on the national and global stage.

Montana Ham delivered her most complete AFLW season to date for the Sydney Swans, establishing herself as a genuine midfield–forward threat. Averaging close to 19 disposals, she impressed with her contested ball work and composure under pressure, with her Round 5 effort earning the AFLW Goal of the Year. Her consistency and impact were recognised with selection in the AFLPA 22Under22 squad, underlining her rise as one of the league’s standout young players.

After a breakthrough UniSport T20 campaign earlier this year, three UNSW EAPs — Cameron Frendo, Ryan Gupta and Ethan Jamieson — were selected for the Australian Universities T20 Cricket Tour. The trio will represent Australia in the Sydney leg of the series against the visiting Indian Universities side, joining a national squad made up of student-athletes from 10 universities around the country. The tour begins on 10 December, with the Sydney fixture set to showcase the strength of university cricket talent.

In para-football, Tamsin Colley earned selection in the CommBank ParaMatildas squad for the National Para Football Championships, which will be held for the first time at the Home of the Matildas in Bundoora. Her call-up followed a major milestone at the UNSW Sports Awards Gala Dinner, where she received the Student Athlete of the Year with a Disability Award. The 2025 Championships will feature mixed-gender teams from five states in an expanded competition format.

More success followed in women’s football, with Avaani Prakash once again named in the CommBank Young Matildas squad for a two-match friendly series against Korea Republic at the AIS. Avaani enjoyed a standout year at both club and representative level and was recognised at the UNSW Sports Awards as the Female Student Athlete of the Year.

On the boccia court, Jamieson Leeson continued her outstanding 2025 with two gold medals at the Canberra World Boccia Challenger. She claimed the BC3 Female title with a tight 3–2 win over China’s Ho Yan Chan, before pairing with Daniel Michel to secure another gold in the BC3 Pairs event with a 5–0 victory over India. The tournament brought together top athletes from across Asia and Europe, adding further weight to her achievements.

UNSW also celebrated national success in underwater rugby, with the mixed team securing gold at the Steinfeld Cup in Sydney. Facing strong sides from across Australia and New Zealand, the squad produced a composed and disciplined campaign to take the title. The team now shifts focus to the Champions Cup, currently underway in Berlin.

In handball, UNSW EAP Lucas Velasque represented NSW at Senior Nationals, contributing to a strong tournament that saw the side claim bronze with a 34–32 win over the New Zealand Barbarians.

The month concluded with one of the biggest events on the UNSW Sport calendar — the 2025 UNSW Sports Awards Gala Dinner. More than 300 students, alumni, staff and distinguished guests gathered at the Australian Turf Club to celebrate a year of achievement. Highlights included the awarding of UNSW’s inaugural Sport Lifetime Service Awards, recognition of outstanding volunteers and coaches, and major honours across rugby, football, netball, athletics and para-sport. Men’s T20 Cricket, Men’s First Grade Football and UNSW Wests Water Polo featured among the top team winners, while UNSW Rugby secured the coveted Club of the Year title after a landmark season.

With strong results across the board and another successful Gala Dinner bringing our community together, November provided a fitting close to an exceptional year of UNSW sport.