Netball
13 September, 2025
Rupanyup revelling in netball success
Rupanyup’s A grade netball side get the chance to make history in this Saturday’s Horsham District Football Netball League grand final, where a win would be their first-ever in the league’s top level of netball competition.
Having reached the preliminary final in 2023 and made last year’s grand final, the Panthers look set to make history.
Ray Kingston, president of the Rupanyup Football Netball Club, says a premiership would cap off the club’s best netball year in history.
“It's been a brilliant year, and if we're talking about A grade specifically they've had a really great year,” Kingston said.
“They just missed out last year.
"They weren't far off Laharum in the grand final, came back pretty well in the last quarter, and the side’s obviously hoping to take that one step further this year.
“I would suggest, you've probably got to look back at the records, but we've probably had our most successful season of netball ever this year.”
If the A grade side can pull off the premiership, then Kingston will be correct.
The club has won only two netball premierships dating back to 1986: the under 15s in 2002 and under 15s last year.
Despite the club’s B grade and under 17s and under 13s side falling at the preliminary final stage, Kingston says it is reflective of their netball growth – an effect of their A grade improvement.
“We’re very excited about A grade and we’ve had a strong A grade team for a few years now,” Kingston said.
“I don't think there's any doubt that we're seeing that flow on through to other levels of netball at the club and the junior ranks as well.”
With the club having had some success in football over the years, the emergence of netball has attracted even more people to the club as either players or supporters.
“We've been lucky as a club, historically, to have quite a bit of success in the senior football grades, and we probably haven't been able to replicate that in netball going back through the history of the club,” Kingston said.
“We obviously weren't that strong this year on the football field but the upside of that is it's really given what’s been done across our netball club in the last couple of years an opportunity to shine.
“It’s been huge for the club and huge for the town.”