For the 12th time in 18 editions – a record of appearances for the IHF Men’s Club World Championship – Sydney Uni will line up at the start of the world club handball flagship competition, aiming to get as much experience as possible for the Australian side.

With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games only seven years away, Australia are gearing up to feature in the Olympics, 32 years after their maiden appearance, at Sydney 2000, and experience at club level is crucial to improve the know-how and the experience, passing it on to the younger generations.

Sydney Uni’s best performance at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship was the fourth place in 2015, when they sensationally beat hosts Al-Sadd in the quarter-finals, 21:20, conceding losses in the semi-final against Veszprem HC and in the bronze medal match against FC Barcelona.

Since their debut in 2012, the Australian side has missed the cut only once, in 2023, when they lost the continental championship against rivals University of Queensland, but returned in 2024, when they finished seventh out of nine teams, and are ready to gear up for the 2025 edition, also in Egypt.

One of the players who played for Sydney Uni and represented the squad over this period is Sebastien Traverso, who has featured in six editions of the competition, in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2022.

He was due to play in 2024, but an injury sustained during the final run of preparation in Germany prevented him to feature for Sydney Uni, instead transitioning into a coaching role, as an assistant for head coach Chris Scholl.

“The transition is always interesting when you spend your whole life on the court and then you have to change roles and come to terms with the fact that you are you're too old to to be on the court as a player. And then you have to transition to a coaching or a management position. But it's for me, whether I'm on the court or the sideline, it’s always the same nice feeling to be close to handball,” says Traverso.

Traverso, a former team captain for Sydney Uni, is still lighting up at the prospect of having his side feature at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, despite Sydney Uni still being an amateur club, with no professional players on their ranks.

“It's always a great opportunity to play against, obviously, some of the best clubs in the world. It’s like the best of what you can get on the planet essentially. So for us, as an amateur club, it is fantastic, a long journey, but something absolutely incredible,” adds the former right wing.

“Every time we get here, it is a new challenge. We don’t take it for granted, even though we have been doing this so many times, it is a privilege.”

No team has featured more times than Sydney Uni at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, with the Australian side playing 12 times. FC Barcelona are next in the running, with 11 appearances, while Handebol Taubaté are completing the podium, with nine editions where they played in.

“I think we have been developing more and more over the last years. With Brisbane 2032 coming up, we need to accelerate and there has been some funding for the handball in Australia. Some clubs have been developing youth academies, such as our rivals, University of Queensland, who are doing a great job. We are also in the process of creating our academy, so we are getting there, even if it is slow,” says Traverso.

The former Sydney Uni captain and current assistant coach has been born in France and moved to Australia when he was already 26 years old. Until then, he has been playing in the lower leagues of his native country, France, starting at Toulon.

“I became a Australian citizen, so I was fortunate enough to represent Australia several times at the Asian Championships, where we are playing our continental competitions. I was a left-hander, which was a premium,” says Traverso, who cites former French superstar Jackson Richardson as his idol in his early years.

“When I was a teenager, that France team which started everything in the country was on, therefore I really loved watching them.”

At the 2025 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, Sydney Uni will have their work cut out, being drawn in Group B, alongside Egyptian side Al-Ahly and the reigning champions, Veszprem HC. Last year, Sydney also played against Al-Ahly and lost, 15:49, being thoroughly outplayed by the Egyptian side.

But with the chances of progression only virtual, Sydney Uni will focus on the next matches, in the placement round, where they will likely face the California Eagles, the team which they won against last year, 35:30.

Another win would see the Australian side, which won the 2025 Australian Handball Club Championships with a 30:19 win over the University of Queensland, finish on a better place at the end of the competition, which would likely boost their morale for the future.

But for now, Sydney Uni are just enjoying their 12th appearance at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship and striving to be better.