HILLS INDEPENDENT HILLS 131 May 2026 | Seite 29

Hills Rugby Club still going strong

with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Hills Rugby Club was established in 1959 in Baulkham Hills, playing out of Yattenden Oval. The club is still working to uncover more of its early history, but its legacy continues to shine through the players it has produced.
I’ ve been fortunate to speak with several former juniors who went on to outstanding careers, including former Wallabies Andrew Leeds and Tony Melrose, along with his brothers Gregg and Brian. All came through Hills at junior level before moving on to the Parramatta Two Blues, where they built impressive rugby careers. The Melrose brothers, who attended Northmead High School, were talented all-round athletes, particularly in running— no doubt a useful skill on the wide expanses of Yattenden Oval.
Fast forward to 2000, and Hills Rugby
Hills Rugby Club with the 2025 premiership trophies. Credit Hills Rugby Club.
Club re-emerged as a competitive force. James Lovely, along with a group of juniors( including some who played with my cousin), helped restart the club in the Meldrum Cup 6th Division. In 2001, Craig Brinnand took the reins and has been a driving force ever since. Today, his son Matthew is the club coach, his brother Mick captained first grade in 2025, and their cousin Adam coaches the secondgrade side— highlighting the strong family culture that underpins the club’ s longevity.
Since returning to NSW Suburban Rugby, Hills has enjoyed considerable success. The club won the McLean Cup( 4th Division first grade) in 2004, along with the Herlihy Shield club championship. In 2012, they claimed the Radford Cup Colts title, followed by a standout 2014 season, winning both the Clark Cup( Division 3 first grade) and the Keith“ Doc” Harris Shield for club championship honours. Promotion to Division 2 followed, where Hills secured a hat-trick of Richardson Cups( 4th grade) in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
More recently, the club has continued to build on that success, winning back-toback Blunt Cups( Division 2 third grade) in 2022 and 2023. Last season, Hills added the Farrant Cup( Division 3 second grade) and again secured the Keith“ Doc” Harris Shield. With strong numbers returning, the club is rebuilding well and shaping up to be highly competitive in the 2026 NSW
Hills Rugby Club after beating Epping. Credit Hills Rugby Club.
Subbies competition.
Hills has kicked off the 2026 season in style, taking on local rivals Epping at home in Round 1. The second-grade side delivered a dominant 33 – 5 win in the Grose Cup, securing a five-try bonus point performance. With a strong bench of six reserves, Hills set the tone early in what is always a fiercely contested local derby. That momentum carried into first grade, where Hills claimed a convincing 40 – 10 victory over Epping in the McLean Cup. The home side raced to an early 19-point lead before Epping found their footing with two quick tries. However, Hills quickly regained control, scoring a penalty try and adding two more converted tries to seal a commanding win. Shaun Williams
starred with a double in a performance that underlined Hills’ intent for the season ahead.
A challenging run of fixtures now awaits, with upcoming clashes against Sydney Oysters( home), Oatley and Blacktown( away), followed by home games against Canterbury and Sydney Harlequins. A key test looms against last year’ s Division 5 premiers Hawkesbury Valley at McQuade Park, before the June long weekend bye and the push towards finals.
It shapes as a big season for Hills Rugby Club, and after an impressive Round 1 performance, they are well placed to mount a serious challenge for the McLean Cup.

Kenthurst Upper Hills Cricket Club 2025 / 26 season a success

with Matt“ Duck Man” Austin
Kenthurst Upper Hills Cricket Club( KUHCC) has wrapped up a successful 2025 / 26 season, laying a strong foundation to build on for the future.
I recently caught up with Nick Summerhayes from the club, who reflected positively on the season and the progress being made across all grades. Nick, now 31, has been playing cricket since he was nine and previously spent two seasons with the Glenwood Redbacks. An opening bowler in A Grade, Nick has been part of a squad that has enjoyed success in recent years, including winning the A2 competition. He has also spent time in B Grade alongside his father, with
KUHCC ready for the grand final. Credit KUHCC.
Nick and his three brothers all playing together— a great example of the strong family culture within the club.
KUHCC competes in a highly competitive local association, with a noticeable step up in both skill and tactics at the higher grades. The B Grade side began the season in B1 but was regraded to B2, where they were more evenly matched. The C Grade side enjoyed a strong campaign, while the D Grade team also performed well and secured a finals berth.
Nick noted that A Grade cricket in the district is played at a strong standard, with clubs such as West Pennant Hills and Berowra considered competition heavyweights. The association continues to evolve, with rule changes such as requiring teams to complete 65 overs in a day, while A Grade matches now push through 80 overs.
Pre-season typically begins in late August or early September, and one of cricket’ s great strengths remains its accessibility, with a relatively low barrier to entry compared to many other sports.
Nick describes himself as a seam bowler with a nine-step run-up,
delivering at around 105km / h— typical for the competition. While primarily a bowler, he also contributes with the bat, usually in the lower order. He emphasised the importance of flexibility within modern teams, with successful sides often balancing both seam and spin options.
The competition itself continues to grow in diversity, with teams such as Sydney Lions— featuring a strong Sri Lankan contingent— and clubs like Hornsby reflecting the multicultural nature of the game. KUHCC is also seeing increasing diversity within its own ranks, which is a positive sign for the club’ s future.
The club will celebrate the season with post-season awards across April and May for both juniors and seniors. Among the standout individual performances this year were the club captain, who claimed 30 wickets, and specialist leg-spinner Lucas, who finished with 25 wickets. While bowling has been a strength, Nick noted the club is still working to build greater consistency with the bat.
On the field, KUHCC finished fifth in Mixed A Grade, while the B Reserves endured a challenging season to place seventh. The highlight of the year came in C Reserve Grade, where KUHCC claimed the premiership with a five-wicket win over Beecroft.
After finishing the regular season on top of the ladder with 68 points— recording 10 wins and just two losses— the side carried that momentum through
Kenthurst Upper Hills CC with the champions trophy. Credit KUHCC.
the finals. A semi-final victory over Hornsby secured their place in the grand final, where they chased down Beecroft’ s total in 47.5 overs.
Benjamin Currie led the bowling attack in the grand final with figures of 3 / 21 off 10 overs, well supported by Ben Bowrie( 2 / 18 off 11.5 overs) and Richard Woods, who produced a standout spell of 2 / 7 from 13 overs, including seven maidens. With the bat, Colby Howard top-scored with 42 to guide the team to victory.
The D Reserve Grade side also enjoyed a solid season, finishing fourth and earning a place in the finals.
Overall, it was a strong season for Kenthurst Upper Hills Cricket Club, with plenty of positives and momentum heading into the next campaign.
THE HILLS INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 131 // MAY 2026 29