Sydney-Uni return to the IHF Men's Club World Championship after sealing title at the Australian Club Championships

The 2024 Men’s Australian Club Championships, which were the Oceania Qualifier for the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship took place between 17 and 21 July in Canberra, saw eight sides battle for the title and the right to represent the continent in the world club premium competition in Cairo, Egypt.

Three Australian teams have previously represented the continent in the competition, the Southern Stars in 2010 and 2011, Sydney-Uni, between 2012 and 2022, and the University of Queensland, which made their debut in 2023.

The latter sides have also collided in the competition this time around, winning both their preliminary round groups, which saw eight teams line up at the start. On one hand, Sydney-Uni won Group A, with wins over Saint Kilda, 27:16, University of New South Wales, 39:22, and the second team of the University of Technology Sydney HC, 30:22.

On the other hand, the University of Queensland secured wins over Canberra HC (29:18), the University of Technology Sydney HC 1, 27:26 and the West Adelaide Handball Club.

In the semi-finals, both Sydney-Uni and the University of Queensland enjoyed big wins, with Sydney-Uni taking a 30:18 win over the University of Technology Sydney HC , while UQ secured a 35:24 win over Saint Kilda, therefore they set up a mouthwatering final, a rematch of their rivalry from the last edition.

Sydney-Uni got the best of their opponents, leading 13:9 at half-time and keeping their ground until the end, when they clinched a 23:20 win, which saw them win the title and return to the IHF Men’s Club World Championship for the 11th time, as the team with the largest number of appearances in history.

The line-up for the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship is now complete, with Sydney-Uni being the last team to qualify.

The following nine club teams are planned to participate in the 2024 IHF Men’s Club World Championship:

Host: Al Ahly (EGY)
Reigning Champion: SC Magdeburg (GER)
Asia: Khaleej Club (KSA)
Africa: Zamalek (EGY)
Europe: FC Barcelona (ESP)
South and Central America: Handebol Taubaté (BRA)
North America and the Caribbean: California Eagles (USA)
Oceania: Sydney-Uni (AUS)
Wild card: Veszprém HC (HUN)

The 2024 Women’s Australian Club Championships also took place between 17 and 21 July in Canberra, with five teams lining up at the start, playing in a round robin format, as the two best placed sides progressed to the big final.

Once again, it was a battle between Sydney-Uni and the University of Queensland, with the latter side clinching their maiden finals berths in the competition since 2019.

The UQ women’s side clinched the win, 28:24, going home with the big trophy, after a perfect-pitched performance against their rivals, finishing the competition with five wins in five matches.

Melbourne HC finished third in the competition, after a 26:15 win over hosts Canberra HC.

Photo credit: Handball Australia