Hawkesbury Valley Rugby Club soaring
with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Interest in rugby union has seen a welcome resurgence in the community, buoyed by the revival of the Wallabies under coach Joe Schmidt and the Waratahs under the leadership of Joseph Sua’ ali’ i and Dan McKellar. This renewed enthusiasm is filtering down to the grassroots level, with local competitions – including suburban rugby – enjoying greater attention. Leading the charge in the Hawkesbury is the mighty Hawkesbury Valley Rugby Club, proudly flying the flag against traditional rugby heartlands such as the North Shore and Eastern Suburbs.
In 2025, Hawkesbury Valley is undergoing a rebuilding phase. A recent restructure of the Sydney Suburban Rugby competition saw the club move from its long-time home in Division 3 back to Division 5 due to a decline in player numbers. This year, the club is fielding two senior grade sides but is not contesting the Colts( under 21s) division. It’ s a challenge familiar to many clubs, especially when compared with the stronger junior pipelines enjoyed by rugby league, football and netball in the district. Unlike most, Hawkesbury Valley does have a direct link between its junior and senior programmes – but the ongoing task remains: attracting new, enthusiastic young players as they leave school and enter the workforce.
Despite these challenges, the 2025 season has been far from disappointing for the men from Hawkesbury Valley. Embracing a“ we’ ll show them” mentality, the club has delivered a string of dominant performances. The campaign began with a commanding 29 – 5 win over familiar rivals Sydney Harlequins – long-time adversaries in closely fought encounters.
In Round 2, Valley travelled to face local rivals Western Raptors at their new home ground, Peter Van Hasselt Park, for the highly anticipated‘ Battle of the West’. They returned victorious with a 34 – 19 result. Brad Halliwell rolled back the years with a James O’ Connoresque performance, tallying 19 points, while Zach Fortini crossed for two tries.
Back at McQuade
Park for Round 3, Valley hosted Canterbury – one of the competition’ s heavyweights – and dispatched the visitors 22 – 7. Fortini was again on form, securing another brace. The
Jack Fleetwood racing away for a try. Credit Brett Kenna
good news continued in second grade, with Valley securing a 29 – 22 win, thanks in part to Zac Pearson’ s two tries. Pearson, who has impressively transitioned from a fleet-footed back to a dynamic blindside flanker, continues to shine, while Louis Cefai added another try and a pair of conversions to his season tally.
Round 4 took the team to Burrows Park, where they faced the combined side of Maccabi and Colleagues Convicts. Valley ground out another impressive double – second grade winning 15 – 12, and first grade securing a 20 – 12 bonus-point victory. Former Two Blues player and talented cricketer Liam Tully sealed the win with two crucial tries.
In Round 5, Valley returned home to face the Rouse Hill Renegades. The outcome was a defensive masterclass. Second grade turned on the style with a 45 – 24 win, including a hat-trick from blindside flanker Samuel Aukuso and a double from former HAC player Aidan Lilly
Hawkesbury Valley fighting for the ball. Credit Brett Kenna.
at scrum half. Gene Peterson also crossed the line. First grade followed with a 45 – 0 demolition, featuring doubles from Jack Fleetwood – whose flying man bun is becoming something of a mascot – Brad Halliwell and Jason Collison.
With the season in full swing and confidence building, the Hawkesbury Valley faithful will be hoping to see their side bring home the silverware in 2025.
Nicholas Toscan – a man of the people in local sport
with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Many people around the world dream of a career in sport. For Nicholas Toscan, that dream is not only a reality but a lifelong passion. Having played both cricket and football with various clubs and organisations, Nicholas is now giving back to the sporting community through his work as Director and Co-Founder of the Australian International Sports Organisation Pty Ltd( AUSISO).
With over 25 years of participation in community sport and more than a decade of professional experience in the industry, Nicholas brings a strategic, passionate, and community-focused approach to helping sporting organisations achieve their goals.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science from the Australian Catholic University in 2015, Nicholas embarked on a career defined by dedication to inclusion and grassroots growth. In 2012, he was selected as one of 12 Multicultural Ambassadors for Cricket Australia’ s Commonwealth Bank Multicultural and Talent Leadership Program, representing his Italian heritage. This led to his involvement in the inaugural‘ Mosaic’ multicultural initiative at Cricket NSW and a role as Marketing Assistant with the Sydney Thunder during BBL | 03. Nicholas went on to serve as
Development Manager at Cricket NSW for the Sydney North West region, covering the Hawkesbury, Blacktown, and Hills Shire local government areas. During his four-year tenure, he worked closely with clubs, associations, local government, and schools, driving participation numbers from 12,500 to 20,000. He also led development initiatives for boys, girls, and multicultural communities and served as head coach of the Thunder Nation Cup All Stars team. He was later seconded as Assistant Team Manager for the Sydney Thunder in BBL | 06.
In 2018, Nicholas partnered with the Nepalese Cricket Association of Australia( NCAA), delivering high-quality coaching to representatives from 17 clubs over two weekends. This partnership marked a significant milestone in the development of Nepalese cricket in Australia. AUSISO continues to collaborate with the NCAA, who remain grateful for the expert coaching provided by Nicholas and his colleague Herman Singh.
Nicholas’ s commitment to coaching is longstanding. He was Head Coach of
Nicholas Toscan training Nepalese Cricketers. Credit AUSISO
the Cricket NSW Winter Development Squad from 2014 to 2016 and remains a Level 1 Community Coach Facilitator and Assessor with NSW Cricket. His passion for cricket and grassroots development is unwavering.
On the field, Nicholas played Premier Cricket with Hawkesbury Cricket Club for eight seasons, captaining the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade teams. He was runnerup in the‘ Captain of the Year’ award for 4th Grade in the 2017 / 18 season and served as the club’ s Grants Coordinator from 2018 to 2020. He has also played football with Lowland Wanderers FC and Glossodia FC in the Nepean District Soccer
Nicholas Toscan in action for Hawkesbury Cricket Club. Credit Hawkesbury CC.
Football Association.
Nicholas Toscan is a man driven by passion, energy, and a commitment to community sport. His efforts to create opportunities for others to participate and thrive in sport have not gone unnoticed, and his contribution continues to make a lasting impact across the region.
32 ISSUE 181 // JUNE 2025 theindependentmagazine. com. au THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT