The UniSport Indigenous Nationals is a week-long multisport competition which aims to bring together Indigenous student athletes from universities across Australia to celebrate the rich sporting culture of Indigenous Australia and acknowledge the heritage and history of the participating student-athletes.
The 2025 Indigenous Nationals was hosted from 23-27 June by The University of Western Australia on Whadjuk country in Western Australia, with universities participating in mixed competitions across touch football, basketball, netball, and volleyball.
UWA’s team, the Maaliwah, have an impressive legacy, having won a record seven championships and placed runner-up four times. Led by team captains Kirby Hobbs, Taleah Ugle, Braedon Taylor and Brooke Garlett, the Maaliwah sported a new uniform designed by Dr Richard Walley OAM, with the design focusing on themes of Country, community and strong team spirit. The team were supported by Samantha Garlett and Kyle Ennis from the UWA School of Indigenous Studies, as well as UWA Sport staff.
The Maaliwah A made a strong start in the competition, winning two games and drawing one game in the basketball group matches. Unfortunately, Monash University prevailed through a close encounter with UWA in the quarter final. An unlucky 34-21 loss saw Maaliwah A eliminated from the basketball competition, ultimately finishing in 8th place in the sport. The Maaliwah B team were up against a fierce pool of competitors, finishing 31st in the basketball competition.
In the touch football competition, the Maaliwah B continued to dig deep but unfortunately were unable to find a win. Maaliwah A started the competition in strong form, winning the first two games of their pool matches before losing the final pool match to the top of the ladder team, Southern Cross University. Maaliwah A and Maaliwah B finished the touch competition in 11th and 31st places. It was a tough day in the office during the netball competition, with both Maaliwah teams unable to overcome their opponents. Maaliwah A finished their netball campaign in 21st position while Maaliwah B placed 28th overall.
Finally, a similar story unfolded in the volleyball competition, with the Maaliwah teams winning one out of six group matches, ending their Indigenous Nationals campaign in Perth. The Maaliwah teams placed 20th and 31st in the volleyball competition.
Overall, the Maaliwah teams placed a commendable 15th and 31st in a field of 34 teams, a testament to their teamwork, perseverance and grit. Congratulations to all the students and staff involved in the 2025 Indigenous Nationals campaign. For more information on the overall results, visit UniSport Australia.