VU student athletes soar at 2026 UniSport Nationals in Perth
The VU Vultures team of 60 student-athletes proudly represented the University, competing in mixed AFL 9s, men's and women's basketball, men's golf, women's netball, and mixed netball.
Gold for Mixed AFL 9s
VU’s Mixed AFL 9s team’s campaign was a competition highlight. The team were undefeated across the week and secured a gold medal victory over the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in the championship match. It was the team’s first championship win, cementing their place as the nation's best university AFL 9s team.
Semi-finals for netball
VU’s mixed netball team advanced to the semi-finals after an impressive tournament campaign. In a thrilling contest against the University of New South Wales (UNSW), VU narrowly missed a place in the gold medal match, falling short by just one point.
Teamwork & good sports
Across all sports, VU student-athletes demonstrated exceptional teamwork, resilience and sportspersonship throughout the week, competing against the best university talent in Australia.
VU Bachelor of Dermal Sciences student and Team Captain Te Rina Whatham said she was honoured to be part of this year’s UniSport Nationals.
To know that I’ve been able to play a small part in something so special is something I feel incredibly proud of. Being able to lead and share that experience with such an amazing group of people is something I’ll always cherish.
“Nationals is so much more than what happens on the court and field, it’s the connections, memories and sense of belonging that make it truly special,” she said.
Bachelor of Applied Movement Sciences/Master of Physiotherapy student and Co-Team Captain Ben Davies shared the same sense of pride.
“It was amazing to see the passion and competitive spirit that comes from the diverse talent of our players and the teamwork across the VU Vultures.
The bond formed between the VU Vultures is something special and makes the whole experience so enjoyable and memorable. I appreciate everyone’s buy-in and contribution to making the week fun, and I am grateful to have experienced my third year of Nationals, this time with the addition of some gold!”
Want to get involved in the 2027 UniSport Nationals? Find out how you can represent VU in sport.
