From April 17th to 19th, nearly 100 athletes, coaches, managers, and families from the Illawarra Academy of Sport (IAS) joined some of NSW’s best young talent at the 2026 Your Local Club Academy Games in Tamworth. Organised by the Northern Inland Academy of Sport (NIAS), the Academy Games were being held in Tamworth for the second time as part of a three-year deal.
With participants from 11 Regional Academies across NSW, nearly 1,000 athletes and their families attended the Academy Games.
The Games were officially opened with a ceremony which saw all competing athletes proudly marching around the track at the Tamworth Regional Athletics Centre representing their Regional NSW academies.
IAS athletes competed in basketball, golf, hockey, netball and triathlon, while our netball umpire athletes officiated matches at the Academy Games.
The impressive results of our IAS athletes and their efforts are detailed below.
Basketball
The IAS basketball squad consisted of 11 male and 11 female athletes who travelled to Tamworth and played 10 games across 3 days.
It was a very jam packed weekend of back-to-back games and every athlete contributed greatly to their team’s success.
The IAS boys team went through the pool stages undefeated, followed by a close semi-final win against the Central Coast Academy of Sport, before losing the grand-final to the Hunter Academy of Sport.
The IAS girls team went 2-1 in the pool stages, suffering a 2-point loss to the Central Coast Academy of Sport on Saturday afternoon, before facing them again in the grand-final after beating Western Region Academy of Sport on Sunday morning. The team played some great basketball and finished runners up.
Congratulations to Edem Dowling and Lachlan Butler who were named in the Tournament All Star Five Boys team, and Kalani Chambers who was named in the Tournament All Star Five Girls team.
The IAS basketball coaching staff were thrilled with the athlete’s effort, behaviour, sportsmanship and adversity over the entire weekend. Our squads consisted of a mixture of ages from 14s to 16s and a range of experience from U16 NSW State Squad members, ACJBC athletes and a handful of SPP athletes.
Golf
The Illawarra Academy of Sport golf squad delivered a strong and resilient performance across three days of competition, navigating challenging conditions before finishing an impressive third overall.
Day 1 at Longyard proved a stern test, with windy, dusty conditions making scoring difficult. Despite this, the team showed composure. Nash Duncan led the way early at +5, while Jaidon Kyriacou, the defending champion, posted a solid +3. Sage Laird, the squad’s lone female competitor and last year’s third-place finisher, sat just one shot off the lead at +4 after a steady round. Archie Hollands (+8) and Samuel Choi (+7) battled through inconsistent ball striking but relied on strong putting, while Harlan Joshua handled the conditions well to sit square with his handicap and in contention in the nett division.
Day 2 brought improved conditions and scoring followed. Archie and Samuel capitalised to finish tied 15th with rounds of 73 and 74, while Nash continued to build consistency to place tied 13th. Harlan surged to outright fourth in the nett division at -3, and Jaidon produced a standout stretch of four birdies in seven holes to secure sixth overall in a strong title defence. Sage mounted a serious charge with an early pair of birdies, pushing the eventual winner all the way before finishing a heartbreaking one shot short. The team’s collective effort saw IAS seeded second heading into the match play event.
Day 3 saw IAS take on Hunter Academy of Sport in match play. Archie secured an early point with a composed 1-up win, and Jaidon added another with a calm, bogey-free performance. Despite strong efforts from Harlan and Nash, both went down to quality opposition, leaving the tie at 2-2. The final result came down to Sage in the deciding match, where she fought hard but was edged out 2 & 1 in a high-quality contest.
Across all three days, the team demonstrated skill, resilience, and outstanding sportsmanship. Finishing third overall, the squad can be proud of a performance that highlighted both individual talent and strong team culture.
Hockey
The Illawarra Academy of Sport hockey program enjoyed a standout weekend at the Academy Games, highlighted by resilience, rapid team cohesion, and impressive individual performances.
The weekend began with both teams taking to the field shortly after the opening ceremony. Riley, the squad’s only male athlete, represented a combined Central Coast Academy of Sport/Northern Inland Academy of Sport side and showed outstanding adaptability and commitment despite joining an unfamiliar group. He quickly became a key contributor in goal, delivering strong performances throughout the tournament. His efforts were instrumental in helping his side reach the semi-finals, where they were well placed at 1-1 before going down 3-1 to an undefeated Hunter Academy of Sport outfit.
The girls team entered the competition with limited preparation, with several players only joining the squad weeks prior. Despite this, they exceeded expectations from the outset, claiming back-to-back wins to open their campaign. After a tough loss to a strong NIAS side, they advanced to a semi-final against HAS, where a composed shootout performance—led by Audrey in goal and conversions from Eddie and Evie—secured a place in the final.
In the decider, the team produced their most complete performance of the tournament, taking a 1-0 lead into half-time through relentless defensive pressure and sharp attacking play. However, with minimal rotations across the weekend, fatigue set in during the second half, allowing NIAS to capitalise and claim a 4-1 victory. The silver medal capped off an outstanding campaign, with Zoe named Division 1 MVP after a series of exceptional performances against older and elite-level opposition.
Across the weekend, the squad demonstrated outstanding effort, coachability, and sportsmanship, representing the Illawarra Academy of Sport with pride both on and off the field.
Netball
The Illawarra Academy of Sport netball squads delivered a composed and competitive showing across two days at the Academy Games in Tamworth, navigating long days and high-pressure conditions inside the Tamworth Regional Sports Dome.
Day one set a strong foundation, with both Division 1 and Division 2 teams working through tightly contested matches. The focus on execution, role clarity, and maintaining intensity under fatigue was evident, alongside consistent sideline energy that reinforced a growing team identity. The next step identified was translating that off-court unity into on-court momentum during key moments.
On day two, both teams elevated their performances, showing clear improvements in defensive presence, attacking precision, and overall consistency. The Division 2 team pushed deep into finals contention, narrowly missing a grand final berth, while both squads demonstrated stronger composure under pressure and more disciplined decision-making when momentum shifted.
Individual performances were also recognised, with Indy Bradley named Team One MVP and Ava Target earning Team Two MVP honours, both voted by opposition coaches.
Overall, the campaign provided a valuable benchmark for the program, with clear progression across the group as focus now turns to preparation for the final tournament in September.
Netball umpires
Another super successful Academy Games for the IAS netball umpire athletes.
The Academy Games are an important pathway for netball umpire development with umpire athletes working with specialist umpire coaches to fine tune their rule knowledge, communication skills, and progression through the state and national netball umpiring pathway.
As a result of their individual and combined academies umpires squad effort, IAS netball umpire athletes were rewarded for their hard work being allocated to officiate semi-finals and a grand-final.
Another surprise reward was when all three athletes were awarded their National B Badges! Recognised as a huge achievement on their national umpiring pathway, the athletes had an absolute cracker of a tournament and their coaches couldn’t be prouder.
Triathlon
A successful weekend for the IAS triathlon athletes after a very long season kicking off in August last year. The Academy Games was our last race of the season.
Showing our squad strength we were second in the Mixed Team Relay with Isla O’Connor, Luke Barritt and Taylor Mulhere making up the team.
- Isla O’Connor had a great race coming 3rd in the Junior Girls
- Taylor Mulhere 4th, Luke Barritt 5th in a very competitive Youth Boys field
- Ruby Payten raced well with the fastest run split in the Youth Girls
- Tom Kite raced really well to make the A Final
All our IAS athletes put in an incredible effort at the Academy Games and showed an amazing display of talent and skill.
The IAS would like to thank all our coaches, managers and parents; without such a supportive community, opportunities like attending the Academy Games would not be possible.
Thank you to our long-term major partner Community First Bank for going above and beyond in support of our athletes at the Academy Games and thank you to our long-term performance partner BaiMed for keeping our athletes fit and healthy during the Academy Games.
Thank you also to Wollongong City Council, Kiama Municipal Council, Shellharbour City Council, Shoalhaven City Council, Wingecarribee Shire Council, University of Wollongong and the NSW Government Office of Sport for your continued support of the IAS and our athletes.
