A 16-strong Sydney University Handball Club squad has arrived in Egypt to represent Oceania at the 17th Men’s Handball Club World Championship from September 27 to October 3.
Sydney University earned the right to represent Oceania when they won the Men’s Australian Club Championships in Canberra, which were the Oceania qualifier for the Cairo tournament.
Three Australian teams have previously represented the continent in the world competition, the Southern Stars in 2010 and 2011, Sydney University between 2012 and 2022, and the University of Queensland, who debuted in 2023. This year will mark SUHC’s 11th appearance at the World Club Championships.
Sydney-Uni headed Group A at the Australian Championships with wins over Saint Kilda, 27-16, the University of New South Wales, 39-22, and the University of Technology Sydney, 30-22. They then accounted for UTS 30-18 in their semi-final before claiming the title with a hard-fought 23-20 win over the University of Queensland in the final.
The world handball flagship club competition, the IHF Men’s Super Globe, has undergone a makeover and from this year onwards, it will be known as the IHF Men’s Club World Championship. The 17th edition of the event will take place at the New Administrative Capital, in Egypt.
In an exciting development for the sport, Handball Australia recently secured funded status from the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), the first significant investment since the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Sydney University Club President Steve Plummer now occupies the role of President of Handball Australia, alongside Sydney University HC Vice-President Pascal Winkler as Director. “We are thrilled that this funding will drive grassroots development across the country,” Mr Plummer said. “The ASC’s commitment will not only promote lifelong participation in the sport but will also help build a strong talent pipeline for the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.”
