Queensland Combined UniSCQ Claim Women’s Title as UNSW Sydney Defend Men’s Crown at UniSport Nationals T20 Cricket  

The 2026 UniSport Nationals T20 Cricket Championships brought together university student-athletes from across Australia to Moreton Bay and the Sunshine Coast, with teams competing for national honours in men’s and women’s competitions. 

Played across Maroochydore Cricket Club, Caloundra Cricket Club, Yandina Cricket Club and Caboolture Cricket Club, the five-day tournament showcased the depth of university cricket. 

Students from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Creative Industries faculty delivered live coverage of the T20 Cricket as part of a Work Integrated Learning opportunity, with matches streamed on UniSportTV and YouTube. 

UniSC/UniSQ Crowned 2026 UniSport Nationals T20 Cricket Women’s Champions 

Returning for its second year, the Women’s National T20 Cricket Championship saw teams compete at Caboolture Cricket Club across three days and build on an increasing interest in women’s cricket across the university landscape. 

The competition featured four combined teams from universities across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and Western Australia, with 13 universities represented. 

Queensland’s combined University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) and University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) side, competing as UniSCQ, were crowned the 2026 UniSport Nationals T20 Cricket Women’s Champions after defeating NSW/ACT by 35 runs. 

After winning the toss and electing to bat, UniSCQ posted a formidable 2/155 from their 20 overs, with Trinity Doyle top-scoring with 56, Taylor Stumer contributing 42, and Tarah Staines finishing unbeaten on 43 from 27 balls. Chasing 156 for victory, NSW/ACT fell short, finishing on 5/120 from their 20 overs, with Staines completing an impressive all-round performance by also claiming 2/26 with the ball to help guide UniSCQ to the championship. 

UniSCQ Captain Tarah Staines said the championship was a proud moment for the team and reflected on the competition’s continued growth. 

“It’s a pretty special feeling to win the championship. We had an awesome group of girls, and being able to share the experience and celebrate it together made it even better. I couldn’t be prouder,” Staines said. 

“It’s been awesome to see how much the championship has grown, with more teams, players and support involved. Having more teams competing has made the competition stronger, and having the final live streamed with commentary was a great way to showcase women’s cricket. 

I’d love to see the championship continue to grow, with more universities and teams getting involved. It’s a great opportunity for players to compete, connect with others and continue building women’s cricket.” 

The victory capped off an unbeaten tournament for UniSCQ. 

In the bronze medal match, the combined ACU/MDU/UWA side claimed third place with an emphatic eight-wicket victory over the combined Deakin University (DEAK) and Monash University (MON) team.  

Individual honours recognised standout performances per team with a Champion Player Award. This award recognised a player’s batting, bowling and fielding statistics across the three days. The team awards went to Lucy Wilson (ACU/MDU/UWA), Mikayla Collins (DEAK/MON), Darcey Johnson (NSW/ACT) and Tarah Staines (UniSCQ). 

UNSW Sydney Claims Back-to-Back UniSport Nationals T20 Cricket Men’s Titles 

The Men’s National T20 Cricket Championship saw 16 teams representing 17 universities compete across five days at Maroochydore Cricket Club, Caloundra Cricket Club and Yandina Cricket Club. The competition featured three preliminary pools.  

UNSW Sydney successfully defended their UniSport Nationals T20 Cricket title, claiming back-to-back championships with a composed nine-wicket victory over The University of Sydney (USYD). 

After losing the toss and being asked to field first, UNSW Sydney restricted USYD to 115 in 19.5 overs through a disciplined bowling performance. UNSW Sydney’s Ethan Jamieson was the standout with figures of 4/15, while William Zakostelsky (2/15) and Nishanth Regulagedda (2/11) provided strong support to keep the pressure on throughout the innings. 

Set 116 for victory, UNSW Sydney reached the target in just 14.4 overs, finishing on 1/119. Following the early dismissal of Nirav Prasan, Mac Webster anchored the innings with an unbeaten 50, while Arnav Raina scored a match-winning 66 not out from 44 deliveries, including six sixes, as the pair guided UNSW Sydney to a second consecutive national title. 

Reflecting on what defending the title meant to the team, UNSW Sydney Captain Akshay Prasan said the back-to-back championship was a reward for the group’s hard work and consistency. 

“We put in a lot of work last year, so to come back and go undefeated for a second year is really special. Shout out to every single one of the boys, they all did their job this week and I couldn’t be prouder. 

The competition was awesome this year, with a really high-quality level of cricket across the board. We had some really close games, particularly in the semi-final, but to come out today and put in a strong performance in the final was really impressive, so I couldn’t be happier.” 

In the Men’s Division 1 bronze medal match, Western Sydney University claimed third place with a 10-run victory over the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). 

In the Men’s Division 2 Grand Final, The Australian National University (ANU) claimed gold after defeating University of Newcastle (UON) by seven wickets. After UON set a target of 131, ANU successfully chased the runs in 15 overs, finishing with 3/135 to secure the title. 

In the Men’s Division 2 bronze medal match, Griffith University secured third place with a six-wicket victory over Monash University after chasing down a target of 159. 

The Men’s National T20 Cricket Championship also saw several standout individual performances recognised. Ethan Jamieson (UNSW Sydney) and Will O’Brien (ANU) shared the Top Wicket Taker Award, each finishing the tournament with 13 wickets. Lincoln Hobbs (UWA) was awarded Top Run Scorer after plundering 523 runs and also claimed the Most Sixes Award after hitting 45 sixes across the competition. 

UniSport would also like to thank the four cricket clubs that supported venue delivery throughout the week, along with Queensland Cricket Umpires and the Sunshine Coast Scorers for their support across both competitions at this year’s event.

UniSport will now look to build representative teams in partnership with the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), continuing to grow the bilateral program with plans to send both Australian men’s and women’s university teams to India in 2026.

Congratulations to all the teams who took part in the UniSport Nationals T20 Cricket Championships in 2026. 

For full results and match scorecards, visit | https://www.unisport.com.au/sport/t20-cricket-national-championships/schedule-results/