The 2025 Regional Academy Netball Challenge, held from September 27–29 at the Illawarra Sports Stadium in Berkeley, was a resounding success, bringing together more than 400 rising netball stars from the Regional Academies of Sport across New South Wales.
The event, proudly sponsored by Destination Wollongong, provided an important pathway for young netball athletes to showcase their talent, develop their game, and experience high-level netball in a supportive community environment. All 11 Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) were represented, along with the Sydney Netball Academy.
This year’s Challenge marked the first time the event was hosted by the Illawarra Academy of Sport, with both the Division 1 and Division 2 IAS netball squads playing some outstanding netball throughout the event.
The Illawarra Academy of Sport would like to congratulate our two netball teams, along with our netball umpires who officiated during the event, for a fantastic few days of netball. Thank you to our coaches and managers for the support shown to our athletes at the 2025 Regional Academy Netball Challenge and during the scholarship year.
A special congratulations to IAS Division 1 squad co-captain Isabella Christian, who was named Player of the Tournament, and well done to IAS netball umpire athlete Manha Khan who was awarded her National C Badge accreditation on the first day of competition.
Please see below for reports from our IAS netball coaches and netball umpire coaches.
2025 Regional Academy Netball Challenge – Netball Squad Report
The 2025 Regional Academy Netball Challenge was a fantastic experience for our netball squad, combining growth, connection, resilience, and performance both on and off the court. Across the three days, our athletes demonstrated not only their playing ability but also their understanding of pathway behaviours and commitment within a high-performance pathway environment.
Day One
The opening day set the tone for the weekend, with athletes, coaches, and managers mixed into new teams for match play. This structure required everyone to adapt quickly to unfamiliar coaching and playing styles, testing communication, flexibility, and the ability to build new connections under pressure — all essential skills within the performance pathway.
The day concluded with the much-anticipated Lip Sync Battle, always a highlight of the Academy Challenge. IAS delivered a crowd-favourite performance of High School Musical, taking out the win. Our very own “Troy Bolton” — AKA Squad Co-Captain, Chelsea Sheridan — was recognised for her outstanding costume and commitment to character. The victory set the squad alight, with celebrations carrying on throughout the weekend — from spontaneous renditions in the pool at recovery sessions to downtime between games and even post game courtside celebrations.
Division 1
After the highs of Saturday evening, athletes returned to their respective Division 1 and Division 2 teams.
Team One showcased strong connection and intensity, with their “play for each other” attitude translating seamlessly into their on-court performance. A key focus for this group was learning how to close out games across the full 15 minutes. This was a challenge in their match against Western Sydney Academy of Sport, but immediate improvement was evident when they held off Southern Sports Academy, showing a clear commitment to growth and adaptability.
A standout feature of Team One’s game was their ability to apply tight, one-on-one defence across the entire court. This collective pressure consistently forced turnovers, which they were able to convert into fast paced attacking transitions, catching opposition teams off guard. They created scoring opportunities through a quick-moving shooting circle, with strong decision-making and composure from the midcourt players ensuring control and efficiency in attack.
Another impressive strength was their dominant defence on opposition centre passes — disrupting structures, applying relentless pressure, and often regaining possession within the first few passes. This defensive intensity set the foundation for their attacking game and highlighted the team’s ability to work as a cohesive unit.
In the semi-final against Hunter Academy, the team delivered a strong first half but unfortunately could not sustain momentum, narrowly missing a place in the grand final on home soil. They responded superbly, bouncing back with resilience and composure to defeat Sydney Netball Academy 14–12 in a nail-biter, securing third place overall.
Division 2
Team Two faced significant challenges across the weekend, with illness and injury forcing players to step into extended minutes and positions outside their usual roles. Despite this, they showed resilience and determination, rising to the occasion.
A common focus across both teams, their major focus also was maintaining intensity across full halves of netball, which they achieved impressively. This was particularly evident in their comeback against Far West Academy and Southern Academy to secure the win by 2 goals.
Another priority was improving communication and cohesion, particularly around centre pass attack and defensive structures. The team’s progress in this area was obvious, and many athletes commented that they felt far more connected compared to their previous performance at the Academy Games.
The group’s growth was reflected in both individual improvement and collective confidence. They finished the weekend 5th overall, but more importantly, demonstrated clear progress, adaptability, and unity. It was a noticeable step forward for this team.
Success continues
The weekend concluded with well-deserved recognition of Isabella Christian, who was named Player of the Tournament. As Squad Co-Captain, Izzy displayed exceptional reliability, leadership, and consistency both on and off the court, embodying the values of our Academy program.
The Academy Challenge provided a valuable opportunity for our athletes to test themselves, grow, and perform within a competitive pathway environment. From the Lip Sync Battle win to resilient on-court performances, the weekend was filled with highlights and learning moments where we truly were “all in this together”.
Both teams demonstrated growth, resilience, and connection, leaving us proud of their achievements and excited for what lies ahead in their netball journeys.
Gemma
2025 Regional Academy Netball Challenge Summary – Netball Umpires Program
Taking part in this year’s 2025 Regional Academy Netball Challenge were four umpires from IAS:
• Abbey Whitchurch (Shoalhaven)
• Manha Khan (Illawarra) Saturday only
• Matilda Donnan (Illawarra)
• Sophia Mander (Illawarra)
After three long days of umpiring, being assessed and receiving feedback from a diverse group of experienced and knowledgeable umpire coaches, these umpires were still smiling at the end.
All of the IAS umpires at this event improved remarkably over the three days – in confidence and rule knowledge and application as they umpired some hotly contested games across both divisions.
Highlights included:
• Manha Khan was awarded her National C badge on the first day of competition
• Abbey, Matilda and Sophia recognised for their efforts by being awarded semi final allocations on the last day of competition.
The umpires displayed an engagement to the feedback they received over the three days by showing improvements in their officiating and for this, they should be so proud. Comments back to Rach and I over the three days were all positive and centred around their improvement and coachability.
It’s a privilege to work with these umpires and Rachael and I thank each of them for allowing us to guide them on their umpiring journeys. Good job!
Emma and Rach
