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From historic national victories and global selections to milestone achievements and the passing of a foundational figure in ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç sport, June was a month of both celebration and reflection for our sporting community.

Ellie Cole delivered an outstanding performance at the 2025 Australian Open Diving Championships, claiming gold in the women’s 10m Platform Individual (988.00) and 10m Platform Synchro (592.50) alongside partner Milly Puckeridge. These results have earned her selection for her first World Championships team, marking a major step forward in her elite diving career. Ellie will transfer to Stanford University next term on a full diving scholarship, where she will continue both her academic and sporting journey at one of the world’s top institutions.

In a first for ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, basketball standout Alex Toohey was drafted into the NBA by the Golden State Warriors with pick 52 in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 21-year-old forward impressed across two seasons with the Sydney Kings as part of the NBL Next Stars program and now heads to a franchise with a strong championship pedigree. Toohey becomes one of three NBL players drafted this year and joins a squad led by the NBA greatest shooter of all time Steph Curry and Coach Steve Kerr.

ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç travelled to Perth for the 2025 UniSport Indigenous Nationals, hosted by the University of Western Australia on Noongar land. The four-day tournament brought together teams from universities across the country to compete in basketball, netball, volleyball, and touch football, celebrating Indigenous culture through sport.

ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼǒs results:

• Basketball – Quarter-final loss to USYD (24–22)
• Netball – Semi-final loss to UON (24–11)
• Touch Football – Did not progress from the group stage
• Volleyball – Quarter-final loss to UQ (2–0)

The team’s 4th place overall finish marks our strongest result in recent memory at the event.

The ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Handball Club sent the youngest team in the tournament’s history to the 2025 Australian Open Club Championships (AOCC) in Coffs Harbour. Competing against the country’s top teams, the squad showed great effort throughout the competition despite narrowly missing out on the semifinals, finishing 8th overall. The club continues to lead nationally with the largest youth and junior development program of any handball club in Australia. The team was led by Elite Athlete Program members Lucas Velasque (President) and Franciszek Lesniak (Secretary), alongside fellow ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç students David Li and Ting Hin (Kurtis) Chui.

The ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Football Club women’s Premier League side enjoyed a strong run in the Football NSW State Cup, progressing to the quarterfinals before falling 4–1 to a well-drilled Coogee United team. The campaign featured several strong performances and provides a solid platform for the remainder of the season.

This month, ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Sport bid farewell to Doug Crawford, a towering figure whose legacy helped shape the landscape of university sport over an incredible 70-year involvement. Doug served as President of the ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Sports Association across two terms (1958–60 and 1964–67) — the longest-serving in its history — and played a vital role in establishing the Rowing and Rifle Clubs, the Injury Assistance Scheme, the Link Building, and the Ben Lexcen Scholarship. His contributions were recognised through numerous honours, including the Doug Crawford Sports Recognition Awards, which continue to celebrate dedication to university sport. Vale Doug Crawford. 

June marked a significant midpoint in the sporting year. From Ellie Cole’s elevation to the international stage to Alex Toohey’s NBA breakthrough, and with strong team performances across Indigenous Nationals, football and handball, our athletes continue to show what’s possible when talent meets opportunity. As the second half of the year rolls in, we are looking forward to seeing what teams and individuals start to come out on top for 2025.