The Iona Fusion robotics team from St Columba Anglican School delivered one of the school's most outstanding performances in competition history this weekend, competing at the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition Southern Cross Regional at Penrith Valley Regional Sports Centre in Cambridge Park, NSW. Facing 42 teams from across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region at Australia's premier FRC event, Team 7433 demonstrated exactly what seven years of program building looks like on the international stage.
The highlights:
From the opening match, Iona Fusion's robot announced itself as one of the most capable machines in the field. The team finished Day 1 ranked 4th from 42 competing teams with a 7–1 record, recording the second-highest average match score at the event. Their autonomous routine, a precisely engineered sequence that fired up the scoreboard in the opening seconds of every match, was so consistently reliable and impactful that the judges took notice, awarding the team the 2026 Southern Cross Regional Autonomous Award. In a field of this calibre, that recognition speaks volumes.
Heading into the alliance selection process, the strategic heart of FRC playoff competition, Iona Fusion was named Third Alliance Captain, one of only eight teams afforded that honour from a field of 42. As captain, the team assembled and led their own three-robot alliance into the double elimination playoff bracket, competing against the very best the region has to offer.
The alliance fought hard through the playoff rounds, matching it with robots that have competed at the highest levels of international competition. In the finals, Iona Fusion’s robot was performing superbly until a heavy collision in the third final match caused significant mechanical damage to the robot’s intake system. Despite the team’s best efforts to continue competing, the damage proved too great and the alliance was narrowly eliminated. It was a tough end to a weekend that had showcased the very best of what this program can produce.
The robot itself was a testament to months of design and engineering work. Competing against internationally experienced programs from Sydney, Melbourne and across the Asia-Pacific, Iona Fusion’s machine was genuinely counted among the elite performers at the event - a fact reflected in their seeding, their alliance captain status, and their award recognition.
A result like this does not happen by accident. It is the product of an entire school community pulling in the same direction - students, teachers, mentors, families and sponsors united behind a common purpose.
The Drive Team, who carry the pressure of every match on their shoulders, performed with composure and strategic intelligence throughout the weekend. The students who designed and built the robot, working across CAD, mechanical engineering, programming, and electronics, produced a machine that competed with and against some of the most sophisticated student-built robots in the Southern Hemisphere. Every one of those students should be enormously proud.
Our teachers and mentors generously gave of their time and expertise throughout the build season and during the competition weekend. Their guidance, patience and passion for developing young engineers is the foundation upon which this team stands. A sincere thank you to every one of them.
To the broader St Columba Anglican School community, the parents, families and supporters who have cheered the team on throughout the season, your belief in what this program stands for makes a genuine difference. Thank you for your continued support.
Programs like Iona Fusion exist because local businesses choose to invest in the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers. We owe a very special thank you to our sponsors G-Works and JBL Glass for their generous support of the team this season. Without the backing of local businesses like these, a regional school competing at an international level simply would not be possible. Your investment in our students’ future is deeply appreciated by the entire school community.
While the World Championship in Houston was not reached this year, the team’s performance at this event, Alliance Captain, Autonomous Award winner, and a Finals appearance, is a powerful statement of where this program has arrived. Iona Fusion is no longer just a regional team making up the numbers at national events. They are a genuine contender.
The lessons learned from this weekend, the experience gained, and the relationships built with teams from across the country will only strengthen the program heading into future seasons. The team is already looking forward.
Go Iona Fusion.
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