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SQUASH
Henry Kross and his young Australian team have won the Junior Trans Tasman Test Series over New Zealand for a third year in a row.
The 19–13 victory on home soil in Melbourne on 10-11 April completed the historic three-peat, following Australia's triumphs in Melbourne in 2024 and their landmark away win in Hamilton in 2025 - the first time Australia claimed the shield on New Zealand soil.
It's also Henry's third year appearing in the series, pulling on the green and gold in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
The now 16-year-old missed last year's tournament because he had just aged into the Under 17s the month of selection and had no results over the older boys.
Australia took the opening test day 9-7, overcoming an early deficit after New Zealand built a commanding 6-1 lead.
The Aussies lifted when it counted most, showing resolve and competitive edge.
Day two saw the series locked at 12-12 heading into the final matches, before Australia's experienced players proved the difference, closing out the series in style.
One of 18 athletes on the team, Henry played two matches in the tournament, wining one and losing the other. He also had a three-even split in games won and games lost in his matches.
"There was a really good atmosphere with both Australia and New Zealand having strong line-ups, making every match count," Henry said.
National Pathways Coach Jenny Duncalf said she is proud of the team for achieving their goal of three consecutive wins.
"The New Zealand team tested us throughout the contest and we responded well, especially the U19 contingent who performed well under pressure to dominate the business end of both days," she said.
"Congratulations to all the players involved.”
Afterwards more than 300 athletes from 10 nations converged on Melbourne for the Australian Junior Open and Oceania Junior Championships, which Henry also attended.
The youngest competitors were in the Under 11s with divisions through to the Under 19s.
Other Western Squash representatives to compete at the national titles were Max Jones (Parkes), Conner Moriarty (Cowra), Jade Reynolds (Dubbo), and Parkes siblings Artie and Eadie Kross.
The Junior Open hit-off on 12 April and finished up on 16 April, with the Oceania Championships lighting-up the courts afterwards between 17-19 April.
The tournament, a Silver-status event on the 2026 Asian Junior Super Series, attracted a formidable international contingent, Squash Australia reported.
"New Zealand [is] fielding a powerful presence across multiple age groups and players from further afield add depth to what is already a compelling field," it said ahead of the tournaments.
It's certainly been a massive 11 days for Henry.
"For those of us representing Australia in the Trans Tasman Test, we went into camp on the Wednesday evening (8 April) and trained as a squad on Thursday. We played Trans Tasman Friday and Saturday, and went straight into the Australian Junior Open from Sunday to Thursday (12-16 April), and then Oceania Junior Championships from Friday to Sunday," Henry said.
"Eleven-days-straight of squash was tough, but pretty proud of how I went and to still be competitive on the final day," he reflected.
Rest is well overdue for Henry but his drive and focus isn't slowing down any time soon.
He has his sights set on two major selections - the Australian All Schools side in August and in a leap of courage, is vying for a place on the Under 19s World Junior Team, the pinnacle junior event around the world, despite being three years younger.