TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA · 2019-10-28 · FROM THE TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA CHAIR The 2018/19...

T O U C H F O O T B A L L

A U S T R A L I A2 0 1 8 / 2 0 19 A N N U A L R E P O R T

TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIASuite 1/18 Napier Close, Deakin ACT 2600

www.touchfootball.com.auABN 55 090 088 207

Sport and physical activity has enormous influence on our nation’s health, education, social, economic and diplomatic outcomes.

It’s why Sport Australia and the AIS remain steadfast in our vision: to make Australia the world’s most active sporting nation, known for its integrity, sporting success and world-leading sports industry.

Australia’s commitment, outlined in the Australian Government’s national sport plan, Sport 2030, is to reduce physical inactivity by 15 per cent. It’s a huge challenge Sport Australia enthusiastically accepts.

We are making significant progress and Sport Australia’s programs are benefitting sport, as well as broader community health and wellbeing, including tackling issues such as obesity. Our partnerships with National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) remain fundamental, but we are also engaging more than ever with other networks to grow our sporting industry. Collaboration with physical activity providers, health, education and various levels of Government can deliver more for sport and all Australians.

This was highlighted in 2018-19 when Sport Australia, on behalf of the Australian Government, delivered $150 million in new participation programs. The $100 million Community Sport Infrastructure grants program is enhancing hundreds of grassroots facilities across Australia. The $28.9 million Participation grants program is encouraging innovative programs that help break down barriers to physical activity. The new $22.9 million Better Ageing grants program is helping senior Australians 65 and older to get more active and socially connected.

Our national Sporting Schools program remains a key platform to address childhood inactivity and drive generational change. We have funded 7300 schools and recorded more than 5.2 million attendances since its launch in mid-2015. We continue to look at ways to maximise the impact of Sporting Schools and link it with our work in physical literacy. By teaching our children to run, throw, jump or kick, we put them on the path to better lives. There is no success without integrity. We continue to encourage environments that are inclusive and welcoming. Increasing diversity in our industry is critical and we want to make sport the benchmark for a more equitable society.

All this work is emphasised by our national behaviour change campaign, Move It AUS. Our call to action is to ‘Find Your 30’ minutes of physical activity every day, and enjoy the benefits. We are continuing to build the capability of the sports industry, addressing governance reform to bring out the very best in our sporting organisations. The One Management project looks at helping sports align their strategy, workforce and financial management.

FROM THE SPORT AUSTRALIA CHAIR

The AIS, in partnership with the National Institute Network and National Sporting Organisations, is aligning Australia’s high performance sport strategy too. The National High Performance Sport Strategy 2024 signals the first time all Federal and State/Territory sports agencies have signed up to a joint high performance strategy.

In November 2018, the AIS announced an updated investment model for high performance sport and through this improved framework, Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports will benefit from a longer term approach to funding. Instead of annual grants to sport, for the first time the AIS is providing longer-term funding commitments to give sports more stability and certainty to plan ahead.

All of this work is important with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics drawing near, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and Paris 2024 beyond that. Enhancing athlete pathways and athlete wellbeing are primary areas of focus for the AIS, and are keys to creating long-term sustainable success. We have embedded 20 Athlete Wellbeing Managers across National Sporting Organisations, and, working closely with the AIS Wellbeing and Engagement team, are delivering key programs and support from mental health programs, through to career guidance and connection to Australians at the community level.

The AIS is also leading collaborative sports research, applied technology and innovation initiatives including the Gold Medal Ready program, a unique partnership with the Australian Army to help athletes perform under pressure.

From backyards to benchmark international events, we believe unquestionably in the power of sport and physical activity to reflect the very best in our culture and to be a powerful vehicle for change.

Thank you for all you do for Australian sport and best wishes for the year ahead.

JOHN WYLIESport Australia Chair

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T F A A N N U A L R E P O R T

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FROM THE TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA CHAIRThe 2018/19 period has been a huge one in the sport and organisation’s history, with the celebration of the sport’s Golden Jubilee, an expanded NRL Touch Premiership competition, the development of an alternate format in NRL League Touch, the adoption of Touch Football Specialised, not to mention the fact that Australia brought home both the Youth and Open Touch World Cups.

None of this would have been possible without a committed Board, Leadership team and staff.

During the period, the Board worked tirelessly behind the scenes to future-proof the sport. The staff, under the guidance of CEO Jamie O’Connor and, before that Steve Mitchell, demonstrated their dedication to achieving game-changing outcomes for the sport.

My thanks goes to Steve Mitchell for his time as CEO before he was appointed as CEO of the Gold Coast Titans. In his time with TFA, Steve provided the innovation, new direction, big energy and strong leadership that the sport and organisation needed.

My full gratitude goes to Jamie O’Connor, who was the outstanding candidate to take the helm when Steve left, after guiding the TFA staff as Chief Operating Officer with Steve and, prior to that, leading Queensland Touch Football for two-and-a-half years as CEO. Jamie’s understanding of the community and passion for the game is what drives him, and he has managed to provide stability and direction for a team spread throughout Australia after a period of significant change. Thanks also to the incredibly hard-working TFA Leadership team.

This financial period, the Board was committed to making the largest single investment in the sport’s history to expand the new NRL Touch Premiership in the second season of this elite tournament. The advantages of having Touch Football on television and in front of live audiences at major stadiums around Australia and New Zealand can’t be underestimated – “you can’t be what you can’t see”, and the sport has already witnessed growth in junior participation since all Australians have had the chance to watch our aspirational female and male athletes displaying their phenomenal skill.

We thank the NRL clubs, the stadiums, sponsors, spectators and broadcasters – Fox Sports, Kayo Sports, NRL.com and Sky Sports in New Zealand – who have supported this competition so far, and we look forward to seeing the Premiership develop and audiences grow over the coming years. The opportunities that the competition presents will continue to propel the Board and staff to work hard so it can reach its full potential.

We would also like to thank NRL CEO Todd Greenberg and ARLC Chair Peter Beattie for their ongoing commitment to supporting Touch. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with the NRL, especially in rolling out new non-contact formats and programs together, to achieve significant outcomes for both codes.

As mentioned previously, TFA has achieved other wins this year, including bringing home those Youth and Open World Cups. Congratulations to our High-Performance team, as well as our athletes for these significant triumphs achieved in the 50th year of the sport. A year when we honoured the greatest Touch Football athletes of all time by selecting the Golden Jubilee teams (see pages 8-9 for names), and a year when we gave our Aussie teams of the past, present and future a name – The Emus. Congratulations also goes to Australian referee David Baggio, who was once again ranked as the number one referee in the world by the Federation of International Touch (FIT), and to the six other Australian referees who were named in the top 12.

It was also exciting to take on the operation of Touch Football Specialised during the period. By rolling out programs that allow people with intellectual and physical impairments to enjoy our sport with their friends, family members, carers and even elite athletes, Touch Football is becoming an even more inclusive sport. With the introduction of an Inclusion department at TFA, the organisation is truly committed to making Touch the most accessible sport in Australia, a sport that everyonereally can play.

On behalf of the TFA Board, I would like to thank the NSWTA and QTF Boards for the collaboration that has taken place over the 2018/19 period. I would also like to thank the hard-working members of our State and Territory Advisory Committees (STACs) for their selfless commitment to growing the sport around the country. The TFA Board is looking forward to seeing what we can achieve togetherin the next 12 months.

In closing, I would like to sincerely thank everyone around the country who works so hard to make Touch Football the great sport that it is. We are in an exhilarating stage of opportunity, and the Board and I are excited to work with you all to continue to propel the game forward.

ANITA HAGARTYTFA Chair


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BOARD MEETING

ATTENDANCES2018 - 2019 FINANCIAL YEAR

DIRECTOR Board Meetings Eligible Attended

Anita Hagarty 5 5

Neil Collins 5 5

Barry McNamara 5 5

Michael Rush 5 5

Rachel Baird 4 4

Todd Greenberg 5 1

Yvonne Sampson 4 0

Jim Yeo 1 1

Touch Football Australia (TFA) acknowledges the dedicated support of the Directors for the period from July 2018 through to June 2019. The ongoing dedication of these volunteer Directors to the national body is vital to our

ongoing success and links to the membership.

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REPORTThe 2018/2019 year will undoubtedly go down as one of the most critical and most successful in the sport’s history, with the introduction of the NRL Touch Premiership, our elite men and women playing at NRL stadiums across the Tasman, broadcast live. We celebrated our Golden Jubilee and recognised the best of the best in announcing our Golden Jubilee Teams. We were successful in both the Youth World Cup and Touch World Cup in Malaysia – we now proudly hold all international silverware. And following a refocussing of our participation strategy, we grew the sport, with almost 700,000 participants taking part in our sport throughout the year.

In every measure, this was a marquee year for our sport, and it is important to recognise all of those who have made such a significant contribution to the organisation. I would like to start by recognising and thanking TFA Chair Anita Hagarty and the TFA Board of Directors for their support and counsel during the year. Their commitment to our sport is extraordinary, but it is their vision, belief and conviction in setting the strategy that has made this year a success.

To our Leadership team – Brad Mitchell, Tim Wyld, Garry Foran, Alice Ellis and Wayne Grant – thank you for your dedication and sacrifices in making sure we delivered on the strategies that have been set. We have grown participation, grown commercial revenue, invested into the sport while containing costs, grown our audiences to reach more people than ever before and we won the Youth, Opens and Masters World Cups. Each of those are critical benchmarks of your success over the past year.

The organisation committed to investing $1 million in this cycle, and the NRL Touch Premiership headlines the investment strategy. The strategy is important on a number of levels; it provides an opportunity for athletes to stay in our sport knowing that they can play on the big stage. It provides commercial opportunity that in time, will allow us to re-invest back into other areas of the sport. But, most importantly, it provides a level of profile for our sport that we have never experienced before – the upside of that is growth in participation. Our focus has been and must always be to grow the sport.

The Premiership has many moving parts and wouldn’t tick without support from plenty of people and organisations. First and foremost are the eight NRL clubs: North Queensland Cowboys, Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Titans, Newcastle Knights, Parramatta Eels, Wests Tigers and newcomers the Sydney Roosters and NZ Warriors – thank you for your support of this concept and we look forward to continuing to build strong partnerships with your clubs. Secondly, the NRL and its broadcast partners Fox Sports, Kayo, Sky Sports NZ and NRL.com. Your support and contribution to the Premiership is vital and we thank you for your ongoing backing.

Our relationship with the NRL is broader than just the Premiership, and over the course of the past year we have reviewed the partnership and developed a more comprehensive overarching strategy that will deliver improved outcomes for both codes and the collective community. Greater alignment in participation, digital, communications, commercial and operations are at the forefront of the plan and I would like to thank the ARLC led by Chairman Peter Beattie, NRL CEO Todd Greenberg, Jim Doyle and Luke Ellis and all NRL staff for their ongoing commitment to the partnership.

Our increased focus on participation led to a reconsideration of the role the previous State Operations Advisory Panels played within the sport’s structure. This reconsideration unveiled a need to change structure and function in order to give greater autonomy and capacity to affect change on localised participation strategies and I am looking forward to seeing the benefits of this change over the coming years. Our state offices are vital in delivering on the overarching national priorities and, on that note, I would like to thank Dean Russell, Ben Mannion and their respective operational teams for their collaborative approach to driving our sport forward. Strong and positive relationships are at the core of our collective approach to growing the sport and I look forward to continuing that next year.

The success of our teams at the recent World Cups is something that we are incredibly proud of. Staying ahead of the curve for as long as our program has is a credit to all of those involved but I would like to highlight the retiring Tony Trad and Michael Lovett for their contributions to the national teams. Coaching the Mixed Opens team is arguably the most difficult job in our national program and having sustained success in that role is a credit to Michael. Put simply, Tony Trad is without peer in coaching in the 50-year history of our sport; his record speaks for itself but his ability to innovate, to reinvent the game and to have teams perform at their best at the right time campaign after campaign is unmatched. Thank you to both Michael and Tony for their contributions and I wish them well in retirement.

Finally and most importantly, I would like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers – referees, administrators and coaches – who donate so much time and energy at the grassroots. They are the lifeblood of our sport and they are what continue to keep our great sport strong. I look forward to working with you all again in the upcoming year as we continue to grow the game.

JAMIE O’CONNORTFA Chief Executive Officer


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Touch Football was formally established as a sport in 1968 by Bob Dyke and Ray Vawdon of the South Sydney Juniors Rugby League Club. To mark the 50th anniversary year of the sport in 2018, TFA announced the Touch Football Golden Jubilee Teams – the best of the best, ‘elite of the elite’ teams. The best Australian Men’s, Women’s and Mixed players from throughout the history of the sport, spanning all decades from the seventies until now.

JUBILEE TEAMS

TFA selected these players based on the following criteria:

• The selected players demonstrated passion and commitment and made more than significant contributions to the teams they represented;

• They dominated the game during the era in which they competed;

• Statistical data and duration of representation were also big factors in the selection of theseplayers.

ELIN MORTIMER

BOB BRINDELL FORMER AUSTRALIAN WOMEN’S OPEN TEAML-R: SCOTT NOTLEY, BOB BRINDELL,

MARK BOLAND

MARIA ARTHUR & ANDREW VOSS


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Mixed Open Golden Jubilee Team:Cathryn Lochhead OgleRod ThorogoodDean RussellBarry ChenhallStacey Black (Gregory)Darren ShelleyMark HearndenCorey FosterTony EltakchiNadina TeskeraAlison Plath (Kay)Kylie Hilder (Lambert)Dylan ThompsonElin Mortimer

Men’s Open Golden Jubilee Team:Owen LaneTerry JacksGarry LawlessBob BrindellMark BolandScott NotleyCraig MaddersGavin ShukerGarry SondaShane FrederiksenDrumayne Dayberg-MuirScott BuckleyMatt ProwseDylan Hennessey

Women’s Open Golden Jubilee Team:Maria ArthurGai TaylorLisa NealKerry NormanKaren SmithKatrina Toohey (Maher)Giselle Martin (Tirado)Catherine Bell (Barr)Sharyn WilliamsKristy JuddAmanda JuddBo de la CruzLouise WinchesterPeta Rogerson

The following Golden Jubilee Teams were announced at the 50th Year Celebration in the Heroes and Legends Rugby League Museum at Rugby League Central, Sydney,in December 2018:

L-R: DEAN RUSSELL, MARIA ARTHUR, GAVIN SHUKER TONY ELTAKCHI

TERRY JACKS

DYLAN HENNESSEY

Leading into the 2019 Touch World Cup, Touch Football Australia commenced a search for a suitable name that could be applied to all teams representing our country ongoing.

TFA decided that one of Australia’s most iconic animals, the emu, is the ideal representation of our national Touch Football teams, for these reasons, among others:

• The emu sits beside the kangaroo on the coat of arms and takes pride of place on all Australian team shirts, over the heart.

• Sharing the coat of arms with the kangaroo reflects the partnership between the NRL and their national men’s Rugby League team, The Kangaroos, and TFA and our national Touch Football teams, The Emus. Working side by side, representing both sports, are the kangaroo and emu.

• The emu has a long history with our Indigenous culture and is featured in many Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and artworks. The emu reflects our respect for our past, current and future Indigenous athletes.

• The emu, as with the kangaroo, cannot take a backward step. Our Emus program will always look forward and evolve; we will continue to look for ways to improve. We will never go backwards.

WE NAMED OUR

TEAMS!• Emus are athletic and fast; with long powerful legs, the bird can reach speeds of up to 50km/h and can travel hundreds of kilometres. Our athletes are fast and will run all day.

• The adult male emu aggressively defends his young, teaching them all the skills they need to survive as an adult. Our Touch Football program self-perpetuates – our senior players help develop the next generation, and on the field, protect them from the opposition.

TFA announced our Australian teams name, the Emus, in February 2019, and released our Emus logo, which was designed in alignment with the NRL’s Kangaroos logo.

The Australian teams that competed in the 2019 World Cup were the first Touch Football athletes to represent the country as ‘Emus’. Read more about the World Cup overleaf.

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The 2019 Touch World Cup (TWC) was held in Malaysia from 28th April to 4th May in Putrajaya, Malaysia, with a total of 28 nations taking part.

After losses to New Zealand in a few divisions (the Women’s 27s, the Men’s 40s and the Men’s 50s), Australia had to fight hard to bring home the Cup. But the newly named Emus teams finished strong, beating New Zealand in all three Opens finals – winning 4-3 in the Men’s Open, 10-2 in the Women’s Open, and 7-6 in the Mixed Open. South Africa made it to the Grand Final in the Men’s 30s, though Australia defeated them 19-4. While the Cook Islands made it to the big dance in the Mixed 30s before going down 6-3 to the Aussies.

AUSTRALIA

THE 2019 TOUCH WORLD CUP

Congratulations to the following Australian players, who were named Players of the Final for their respective divisions: Stuart Brierty for Men’s Open, Hayley Maddick for Women’s Open,

Finals results Men’s Open Aus 4 def. NZ 3Women’s Open Aus 10 def. NZ 2Mixed Open Aus 7 def. NZ 6Women’s 27s NZ 5 def. Aus 4Men’s 30s Aus 19 def. Sth Afr 4Mixed 30s Aus 6 def. Cook Isl 3Men’s 35s Aus 6 def. NZ 5Women’s 35s Aus 8 def. NZ 0Men’s 40s NZ 8 def. Aus 6Men’s 45s Aus 5 def. NZ 4Men’s 50s NZ 9 def. Aus 5

Corey Russell for Mixed Open, Anna Gleeson for Women’s 35s, Brad Lugg for Mixed 30s, Sebe Rey for Men’s 30s, Dave Zanette for Men’s 35s and Paul Thomasson for Men’s 45s.

Other highlights for Australia included appointing our flagbearers, Men’s Open captain Nick Good, Women’s Open captain Jess McCall, Men’s 50s player Rob Day and Mixed Open Coach Mick Lovett. Australian referee Luke McKenzie officiated his 100th international game, David Baggio was once again ranked as the number one referee in the world by the Federation of International Touch (FIT), and six other Australian referees were named in the top 12. Australian Men’s Open Coach Tony Trad earned his 100th international cap at the event before retiring from international coaching after the event’s end. Mick Lovett also retired from his position as Mixed Open Coach after seven outstanding years. Indigenous Australian player Marikki Watego was surprised to be appointed as captain of the Women’s Open team for the very first time for their game against Samoa when the Emus had the special experience of wearing their Indigenous jersey for the first time.

All teams toughed it out in extreme heat and also the occasional lightning storm. TFA would like to thank the hard-working coaches, assistant coaches and team managers, as well as medical staff and physios, who helped athletes cope with playing in the heat.

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WE ALSO WON THE YOUTH

WORLD CUP!The 2018 Youth Touch World Cup

was also held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, from 8th to 11th August.

Australia took on New Zealand in Grand Finals for all six divisions (Girls 18s and 20s, Boys 18s

and 20s, and Mixed 18s and 20s) and won all six final games. New Zealand finished with

silver and South Africa took Bronze.

INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN PLAYER MARIKKI WATEGO WAS APPOINTED CAPTAIN OF THE WOMEN’S OPEN TEAM FOR THE FIRST TIME WHEN THE EMUS WORE THEIR INDIGENOUS JERSEY

TFA would also like to thank FIT for putting on a fantastic event in tough conditions, FIT Touch Malaysia for hosting, the referees who attended from Australia and around the world to make the event possible, all our Opens and Masters Emus athletes for their passion and dedication to their sport and the country, as well as our competitor nations for providing excellent competition. The event indicated fantastic things to come for the sport of Touch Football around the world.


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OF THE NRL TOUCH PREMIERSHIPAn expanded NRL Touch Premiership tapped off on 6th April 2019. Two new NRL clubs, the Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Warriors, joined the six inaugural clubs, and the men’s and women’s elite Touch Football teams competed over a total of 26 game days over a period of five months.

The competition was played at 13 stadiums in 10 cities across Australia and in New Zealand, with games broadcast on Fox League, Kayo Sports and NRL.com, as well as Sky Sports in NZ. Broadcast numbers grew, with an average of 26,000 viewers per game. The cumulative total audience on Fox League grew by 101% from 2018.

When compared to 2018, the 2019 season in both Australia and New Zealand has shifted towards a greater percentage of female viewers and those under the age of 18, demographics that are traditionally hard to reach for the NRL (Futures report).

Audiences in-stadium were exposed to Touch as a spectator sport for the first time. Around 6,000 spectators turned up to Cbus Super Stadium early to watch each of the three Gold Coast Titans NRL Touch Premiership home games played ahead of NRL Titans home games throughout the season. Regional games at stadiums in locations such as Gosford, Newcastle, Townsville and Mudgee were strongest – for example, an audience of 10,000 watched the NRL Touch Premiership Newcastle Knights versus Parramatta Eels at Glen Willow Stadium in Mudgee.

Social media post performance was particularly impressive, with single try video posts reaching hundreds of thousands, even millions of viewers (see figures over page). The NRL Touch Premiership helped Touch Football Australia’s social audience grow significantly – TFA ranked number 2 out of all NSOs for percentage audience growth from 1st Feb 2019 (pre-Premiership) to 1st May 2019 (post-Premiership tap-off) (SHUNT report).

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THE 2019 NRL TOUCH

PREMIERSHIP IN NUMBERS

8 NRL clubs: The competition expanded from six clubs in 2018 to eight in 2019, with the

Roosters and Warriors joining the Tigers, Eels, Knights, Titans, Broncos and Cowboys.

240 elite athletes: Each of the eight NRL clubs fielded both an elite women’s and elite men’s

Touch team, meaning that more than 120 female and 120 male athletes competed for

the Premiership.

26 game days: The competition significantly extended in game days – from just seven in

2018 to 26 in 2019.

13 stadiums: Matches were played at major stadiums throughout Australia: the Sydney Cricket Ground, ANZ Stadium, Leichhardt

Oval and the brand new Bankwest Stadium in Sydney, Central Coast Stadium, McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, GIO Stadium in Canberra, Glen Willow Stadium in Mudgee, Adelaide Oval, Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold Coast, Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane,

1300Smiles Stadium in Townsville, as well as Mt Smart Stadium in New Zealand.

47 referees: 33 Australian and 14 New Zealand referees officiated the competition.

A LIVE AUDIENCE OF 10,000 WATCHED THE NRL TOUCH PREMIERSHIP NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS VERSUS PARRAMATTA EELS GAME IN MUDGEE


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OUR INSTAGRAM FOLLOWING GREW BY THIS

MUCH IN JUST THE FIRST 2 MONTHS OF THE NRLTP

FROM 29,781FOLLOWERS TO 33,791

by the start of Jun 2019. Touch started the season ranking #4 in % Audience Growth of ALL SPORTS on Instagram and went

on to rank #1

Source: SHUNT report

MEDIA INSIGHTSTFA’s social media channels have gone from strength to strength in the period, with

huge growth in followings and posts going viral, largely thanks to the engaging content opportunities that the NRL Touch Premiership (NRLTP) provided during the period. This

demonstrates that the NRLTP is a powerful marketing tool for the sport.

NO.2FB AUDIENCE INCREASEOur Facebook net followers grew by

this much in the 2018/19 year compared to the 365 days prior

93.2%

TFA RANKED 2ND OF ALL AUSSIE NSOS

for Facebook % audience growth from 1 Feb to 1 May 2019 – and even moved into 1st place as the NRLTP season progressed

Source: SHUNT report7TH IN FB LIKESIn Apr 2019, Touch ranked 7th in Total Likes

on Facebook after these big-hitters: Cricket, AFL, NRL, Rugby, Athletics and Tennis


ENGAGEMENT +100%On Facebook, our ‘Engagement’

(reactions, comments and shares) doubled from the 2 months prior to the NRLTP starting (1 Feb to 31 Mar) to the

first 2 months of the comp (1 Apr to 31 May)

IN THE 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE NRLTP TAPPING OFF, INSTAGRAM

‘LIKES’ TOTALLED 104K. In the first 2 months of the NRLTP, that increased by

66K to a total of 170K Likes. People REALLY LIKE the Premiership!

When the NRLTP tapped off in Apr 2019, Touch ranked 8th for ‘most prolific’ content producer

of ALL SPORTS in Oz on Facebook. We ended the season

MOST PROLIFIC PRODUCER


32K#1 13.5%

3.9 MILLI N MINUTES

People viewed this many mins of TFA video on Facebook alone in the 2018/19 year

> 9 IN 12 < On Instagram, 9 of the top 12 posts with the highest engagement

in 2018/19 were 2019 NRLTP posts

INSTA LIKES

The Instagram video with the highest number of Views (32K) as well as Likes (4,530)

and comments (96) was a Men’s Warriors Try of the Week video

MOST PRODUCTIVE

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INITIATIVES Here’s a look at some other national initiatives from 2018/19...

NRL League TouchThe alternate NRL League Touch format was first piloted during the period. NRL League Touch has been developed by TFA and the NRL. The rules take Touch back to its roots, bringing back things like the marker and a kick, slowing the game down to make it more accessible to attract people who don’t enjoy the speed of Touch, or who come from Rugby League backgrounds. The product is available to Rugby League clubs to run in their off-seasons, and Touch Football clubs to run alongside regular competitions. Go to touchfootball.com.au/nrl-league-touch to find out more.

Touch Football SpecialisedTFA became more inclusive than ever during the period, with TFA taking on the operation of Touch Football Specialised (TFS) to deliver the program on a national scale. TFS’s founder Graeme Clancy was appointed as TFA’s National Inclusion Manager to run the program. TFS is about developing relationships between schools, post-school agencies and sporting organisations to deliver athletic opportunities for individuals with a disability while promoting participation and socialisation using Touch Football. To find out more, go to touchfootball.com.au/touch-football-specialised-tfs

A Touch of League TFA was pleased to be involved in the NRL Women’s Rugby League National Championship on the Gold Coast, this time in a more significant capacity, with three ‘A Touch of League’ games instead of the single exhibition match that took place in 2018. Two teams of female Touch athletes keen on pursuing the Rugby League pathway competed in a best-of-three series of Rugby League 9s matches in front of NRLW selectors. The ‘Blues’ Studdon Stars team was led by League/Touch athlete Maddie Studdon and coached by Cliff Lyons, while the ‘Maroons’ Baker Breakers team was led by Chelsea Baker and coached by Scott Prince. The series ended in a nail-biting finish, with the Studdon Stars winning the decider with a try in golden point. Taking part helped showcase the partnership between the two sports and helps keep women interested in the contact form of the game in the Rugby League family. It’s an initiative that led to elite touch players Tarryn Aiken and Tamika Upton being selected for the Brisbane Broncos NRLW squads, while Rylie Seamark and Abby King were named in the Women’s Rugby League Team of the Week.


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OUR PATHWAYSEnhanced School Focus

400,000 engaged in school programs by Jun 2020

400,000target

Transition Through to Our Community

15% transition from school programs to community competitions by Jun 2020

15%

Increased Participation Footprint

350 locations

Developing Our People

20,000target

Diversity In Our Offerings

500 new

teams

Alternative models to grow by 500 teams by Jun 2020

10%

Junior Participation Growth

Junior participation increases (in affiliated competitions) by 10% by Jun 2020

Senior Affiliate Retention

Increase senior retentionby 5% (to 54.1%) by Jun 2020

5%

PARTICIPATION TARGETS

2 2High-Quality Sport Delivery

The sport will be delivered to a satisfaction level of 75% or higher by Jun 2020

75%

Event participation to grow by 5% by Jun 2020

Providing Unique Experiences

5%

A coordinated approach to delivery is required to optimise the impact of the contactand non-contact product mix.

Note: Only primary seasons are identified taking into account Touch Football provides a year round offering.

Delivery ModelPRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Inter-Club

Club/AffiliateOwned

and Operated

Touch FootballAffiliate Model

Rugby League

League Tag

Rugby LeagueTouch

Rugby LeagueTouch

Touch Football Touch Football17%

MULTICULTURAL PARTICIPANTS

9%INDIGENOUS

PARTICIPANTS

ACCREDITEDVOLUNTEERS

9% growth

15,000OVER

JUNIOR & SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS

16% growth

460,000OVER

48%FEMALE

PARTICIPANTS

52%MALE

PARTICIPANTS

675,000OVER

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS11% growth

CLUBS309

TEAMS18,232

OUR PARTNERS

SCH

OO

L

SOCI

AL

CLU

B

REG

ION

AL

STA

TE

NA

TIO

NA

L

INTE

RN

ATI

ON

AL

350 locations by Jun 2020

20,000 volunteers by Jun 2020

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Sporting Schools

School Gala Days

School Events

School Development Days

Teacher Education

Modified formats

Competition growth

Unaffiliated transition

Active multicultural areas

Increased user experience

Enhance ageing opportunities

Provide value for money

Upskill Referee accreditations

Educated & informed coaches

Active Affiliates (clubs)

Effective monitoring

Informative competition leads

NRL Development Officers

Leverage NRL Touch Premiership

Enhance partnerships

Promote female pathways

Transition unaffiliated competitions

16/17: 318,526

17/18: 380,720

18/19: 372,437

16/17: 369*

17/18: 309

18/19: 320

18/19: 28.3%

16/17 to 17/18: 4% increase

17/18 to 18/19: 10% increase

Current: 88,540

Goal by Jun 2020: 88,494

16/17 to 17/18: 49.1% retention

17/18 to 18/19: 44.2% retention

49.1% (baseline) + 5% = 54.1% goal

*incorrect calculation

OUR PATHWAYSEnhanced School Focus

400,000 engaged in school programs by Jun 2020

400,000target

Transition Through to Our Community

15% transition from school programs to community competitions by Jun 2020

15%

Increased Participation Footprint

350 locations

Developing Our People

20,000target

Diversity In Our Offerings

500 new

teams

Alternative models to grow by 500 teams by Jun 2020

10%

Junior Participation Growth

Junior participation increases (in affiliated competitions) by 10% by Jun 2020

Senior Affiliate Retention

Increase senior retentionby 5% (to 54.1%) by Jun 2020

5%

PARTICIPATION TARGETS

2 2High-Quality Sport Delivery

The sport will be delivered to a satisfaction level of 75% or higher by Jun 2020

75%

Event participation to grow by 5% by Jun 2020

Providing Unique Experiences

5%

A coordinated approach to delivery is required to optimise the impact of the contactand non-contact product mix.

Note: Only primary seasons are identified taking into account Touch Football provides a year round offering.

Delivery ModelPRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Inter-Club

Club/AffiliateOwned

and Operated

Touch FootballAffiliate Model

Rugby League

League Tag

Rugby LeagueTouch

Rugby LeagueTouch

Touch Football Touch Football17%

MULTICULTURAL PARTICIPANTS

9%INDIGENOUS

PARTICIPANTS

ACCREDITEDVOLUNTEERS

9% growth

15,000OVER

JUNIOR & SCHOOL PARTICIPANTS

16% growth

460,000OVER

48%FEMALE

PARTICIPANTS

52%MALE

PARTICIPANTS

675,000OVER

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS11% growth

CLUBS309

TEAMS18,232

OUR PARTNERS

SCH

OO

L

SOCI

AL

CLU

B

REG

ION

AL

STA

TE

NA

TIO

NA

L

INTE

RN

ATI

ON

AL

350 locations by Jun 2020

20,000 volunteers by Jun 2020


P A G E 1 92 0 1 9

New Learning Management System

Enhanced course maintenance

Accessing new volunteers

Increase course facilitators

Club (Affiliates) Resource Hub

Affiliate Health Checks

Effective monitoring & reporting

Increased education & training

Modified offerings

Commercial Competitions

Strategic alliances

Inclusive offerings

Provide first-class events

Provide first-class facilities

Increase age divisions

Increase events

Effective monitoring & reporting

16/17: 12,157

17/18: 15,647

18/19: 18,964

Satisfaction levels:

16/17: 75%

17/18: 75%

18/19: 80%

18/19: 47 new diversified teams

16/17 to 17/18: 4% increase

17/18 to 18/19: 18% increase

Current: 74,948 event participants

Goal: 69,803 event participants

PARTICIPATION 2018/19PARTICIPATION CATEGORY 2013 - 14 2014 - 15 2015 - 16 2016 - 17 2017 - 18 2018 - 19

1. Full Active Membership - Adult 138,881 147,678 141,054 132,028 126,080 129,090

2. Full Active Membership – Junior 69,840 72,338 71,989 77,380 80,449 88,347

3. Program Participants 22,728 20,050 6,648 9,875 12,948 13,790

4. Event Participants 67,873 73,647 91,239 60,812 63,313 74,948

5. School Delivered Programs 63,803 107,979 86,939 114,747 95,664 95,352

6. School Managed Competitions 218,053 202,176 248,490 203,779 285,056 277,085

7. Accredited Volunteer Participants 42,988 48,950 48,068 12,157 15,647 18,964

TOTAL PARTICIPANTS 624,166 672,818 694,427 610,778 679,156 697,576

SCHOOLS AND JUNIORS 351,696 382,493 407,418 395,906 461,169 460,784

Key highlights from the 2017/18 Participation Report include:

Key highlights from state associations

• Total Participant growth by 1.3% (697,576 participants)

• Full Active Junior membership growth by 3.7% to over 88,347

• Program Participants growth of 6.5% (13,790 participants)

• Event Participants increased by 18.4%

• Accredited Volunteers increased by 21.2%

• Victorian Touch has achieved a 144% growth in Program Participants for the reporting year

• ACT has seen growth across Schools and Junior participants by 47.9%

• Full Active Adult memberships has grown by 11.3% in Western Australia

• Tasmania’s Accredited Volunteers have risen by 264% with a total of 51 educated in 2018-19

• School Delivered programs in the Northern Territory has seen an increase of 46.9%

TRADITIONAL FULL AFFILIATED MEMBERS Senior Team Comparisons 2017/18 to 2018/19

S2 - 2017 S1 – 2018Total

2017 - 18S2 - 2018 S1 – 2019

Total 2018 - 19

Total Variance

Percentage Variance

NSW 3,383 1,043 4,426 3,423 972 4,286 -140 -3.2%

QLD 2,221 2,197 4,418 2,290 2,035 4,325 -93 -2.1%

ACT 196 132 328 172 122 294 -34 -10.4%

VIC 422 168 590 383 143 526 -64 -10.8%

TAS 194 31 225 204 36 240 15 6.7%

SA 187 89 276 154 101 246 -30 -10.9%

WA 447 150 597 378 163 541 -56 -9.4%

NT 88 101 189 88 108 196 7 3.7%

TOTAL 7,138 3,911 11,049 7,092 3,680 10,654 -395 -3.6%

P A G E 2 0


2 0 1 9

PARTICIPATION CATEGORY 2014 - 15 2015 - 16 2016 - 17 2017 - 18 2018 - 19

1. Full Active Member - Adult 54,309 54,079 52,020 51,086 55,955

2. Full Active Member – Junior 40,016 54,079 42,210 43,684 52,084

3. Program Participants 8,444 517 296 3,028 1,623

4. Event Participants 36,959 63,060 30,055 31,119 32,208

5. School Delivered Programs 76,600 40,279 49,865 43,037 42,358

6. School Managed Competitions 189,822 229,447 179,241 255,557 251,387

7. Accredited Volunteer Participants 2,853 1,058 1,536 1,512 1,291

TOTAL PARTICIPATION 409,003 442,519 355,223 429,023 436,906

SCHOOLS AND JUNIORS 306,438 323,805 271,316 342,278 345,829

PARTICIPATION CATEGORY 2014 - 15 2015 - 16 2016 - 17 2017 - 18 2018 - 19

1. Full Active Member - Adult 60,627 59,670 52,223 49,703 48,559

2. Full Active Member – Junior 26,460 27,630 30,128 31,500 31,624

3. Program Participants 3,188 4,651 7,255 8,185 9,769

4. Event Participants 13,311 21,575 22,939 25,667 29,184

5. School Delivered Programs 15,565 17,329 27,995 18,152 15,471

6. School Managed Competitions 4,391 5,965 10,715 12,903 9,315

7. Accredited Volunteer Participants 1,033 1,166 1,316 1,349 1,322

TOTAL PARTICIPATION 124,575 137,986 152,571 147,459 145,244

SCHOOLS AND JUNIORS 46,416 50,924 68,838 62,555 56,410

Junior Team Comparisons 2017/18 to 2018/19

New South Wales Touch Football Participation 2018/19

Queensland Touch Football Participation 2018/19

S2 - 2017 S1 – 2018Total

2016 - 17S2 - 2018 S1 – 2019

Total 2018 - 19

Total Variance

Percentage Variance

NSW 3,782 86 3,868 3,997 104 4,067 199 5.1%

QLD 1,906 894 2,800 2,011 796 2,807 7 0.3%

ACT 123 0 123 69 4 73 -50 -40.7%

VIC 56 52 108 50 53 103 -5 -4.6%

TAS 105 0 105 115 0 115 10 9.5%

SA 36 17 53 39 12 60 7 13.2%

WA 91 3 94 64 0 64 -30 -31.9%

NT 12 20 32 1 3 4 -28 -87.5%

TOTAL 6,111 1,072 7,183 6,346 972 7,293 110 1.5%

VIC


P A G E 2 12 0 1 9

P A G E 2 2


2 0 1 9

Touch Football ACT (TFACT) experienced another big year of change during the 2018/19 reporting period.

The TFACT Annual Meeting was held on Tuesday December 4 and was attended by TFA COO (now CEO) Jamie O’Connor, TFACT STAC members and representatives from the five ACT clubs. Erin Taylor and Robert Sinclair-Smith were reappointed and two new members, Sandra Hughes and Jack Gibson, were appointed as General Members.

Personnel changesThere has been a significant change to the office structure and personnel, including the State Manager’s role – Gabe Hodges began in this role in November 2018 on a 12-month secondment from Sport Australia. An Events and Pathways Coordinator role was created, a role that Mitch Kent stepped in to in December 2018. Mark Barnes continued working as the Sports Operations Coordinator, and Brodie Ingram started as Competitions Coordinator in May 2019.

ParticipationSignificant work during this reporting period was done to arrest the participation decline of the previous two reporting periods. Although we saw a decline in team numbers, actual overall participation numbers increased by 29.1% for the period. It is hoped that the work that has been done during the 2018/19 period will see an increase in numbers during S2 2019.

Most of the increase and success has been attributed to the increase in school gala days and school clinics. Free clinics were offered to schools in 2019, resulting in a 172% increase in participants.

While junior participation numbers have increased significantly, we realise that a lot of work must now be done to transition these participants to competitions. In both seniors and juniors our sport faces major

CAPITAL TERRITORY STATE REPORT

competition from other sports, and TFACT understands that we must focus on the quality of the service we are providing to compete in the market.

Within the reporting period, the following increases were achieved at TFACT junior program events:Years 5 & 6 All Schools Day – 128% increase in participant numbersYears 3 & 4 All Schools Day – 150% increaseYears 7 & 8 and 9 & 10 All Schools Day – 48% increaseCollege All Schools Day – 86% increaseSporting School clinics – 17% increaseSchool (other than Sporting Schools) clinics delivered – 172% increase

In regards to referees and coaches, TFACT conducted seven TFA Accredited referee and coach courses during 2018/19. Although the total number of courses declined from previous years, the total number of participants increased by 55% from the previous reporting period.

Funding and relationshipsThis reporting period sees us halfway through our Tri-Annual Funding from the Sports and Recreation Grants Program. Part of receiving this funding is a commitment to have 40% female TFACT membership – TFACT exceeded this, with 50% female representation.

TFACT continued to be a recipient of the Indigenous Sports Program, which has assisted players to play both in the domestic and representative arena. One of TFACT’s female athletes also gained a scholarship to undertake the Elite Coaching Course. TFACT would like to thank Sport and Recreation ACT for their continued support of Touch Football.

The TFACT office continues to work collaboratively with Parliamentary Services and ran another successful NAIDOC Touch Football Day. The event was run at capacity, with 31 teams.


P A G E 2 32 0 1 9

CAPITAL TERRITORY STATE REPORT

TFACT’s relationship with the Canberra Raiders continued to develop, and we are very appreciative of the support we received from the club. TFACT and the Raiders are sharing resources, especially in the junior space, where TFACT assisted with the running of school holiday programs and gala days.

The State Manager attends Raiders staff meetings monthly and shares what is happening in the non-contact form of the sport. TFACT also sat down with the Raiders and Canberra Region Rugby League (CRRL) to plan out 2020 calendars, since calendar alignment will assist in the promotion of both sports.

Together TFACT and the Raiders formed the first joint Raiders Development Program, designed to teach and enhance key skills that both codes look for when identifying ‘next level’ junior players. The program was aimed at girls and boys aged 12 to 18. The coaches were a blend of Canberra Raiders junior representative and development coaches and TFACT representative coaches. This year saw 257 Rugby League and Touch Football players attend – 98 girls and 159 boys.

Event involvementOver the past 12 months TFACT participated in both national events, the 2018 National Youth Championships (NYC) and the 2019 National Touch League (NTL). Although we were able to field many Masters teams, we continue to struggle to field Boys and Men’s teams in the NYC and NTL.

The 2018 ACT Super League saw a change in format, with the finals being played at the Greenway Enclosed Oval. Tuggeranong Vikings were successful in the Women’s division and Phoenix in the Men’s. The finals day was hugely successful and the venue, with its covered grandstand, was well received by all.

TFACT continued to run multiple other events, too, including the:2018 NAIDOC Touch Day2018 Lifeline Touch of Life Corporate Day2018 Super League Finals Day2019 Indigenous Round of Rugby League Activation

Relationship with NSWTAThis reporting period saw TFACT become an Associate Member of the NSW Touch Association (NSWTA). This helped bring about the development of a Junior Representative Pathway.

Some of the other benefits of becoming an Associate member of the NSWTA for both junior and senior players have been:• The creation of two TFACT Affiliates: Deakin Thunder and City Magic;

• Pathway access to NSW events for TFACT coaches, referees and players;• Eligibility for NSWTA representative state teams/pathways where TFACT is not represented;• Access to NSWTA-delivered technical development courses.

Commercial partnershipsTwo new commercial partners signed with TFACT in 2018/19. Limelight Cinemas signed an initial six-month partnership. Among the benefits are movie vouchers for our referee of the week, discounted movie tickets for members and a free screening of our promotional advertisement for one month leading in to summer competition.

Canberra podiatrist The Walking Clinic also partnered with TFACT during the period, providing a cash investment, field feather banners that have improved the look of our City location competition, and discounts to our members.

TFACT would like to thank our STAC members, volunteers, participants and staff for their support and guidance throughout the 2018/19 financial year. TFACT is looking forward to seeing the results of the foundations that have been laid this year.

Gabe HodgesState Manager, Touch Football ACT

The 2018-19 financial year was one of many highlights for the NSWTA community, with the retaining of the State of Origin in Queensland being at the top of the tree. A lot of hard work and toil by players, coaching staff and support teams went in to achieving this result. We are proud to have held the crown since 2004.

NSW eventsWe saw increased participation numbers in all NSWTA representative events across the period.

The splitting of the Junior State Cup into a Northern and Southern Conference with a State Final came with some trepidation for several of our Affiliates. However, a 160-team increase across the event justified the decision. This increase was far more significant than we had predicted in the first year of change. The State Finals date proved difficult for several of our Affiliates and participants. NSWTA have listened to feedback to ensure that the changes we will make for 2020 will be reflective of what the majority of Affiliates have told us.

ParticipationIn the area of grassroots participation, NSW experienced a 5.1% increase in junior team numbers and a 3.2% decrease in seniors. The adult decline continues to be a concern and is an industry trend, not only for our sport. Work needs to continue in this area to enhance our current position. NSWTA is assessing this aspect of the business and have proposed a product diversification model for affiliation fees. This has been forwarded to TFA for consideration and discussion.

In juniors, we continue to show growth and strength. Our view is that the transitioning from school-based programs to community-based Affiliates could be far stronger and increase our numbers further. We feel the work NSWTA and TFA have collaborated on in developing an Affiliate Marketing Plan/Template and

TOUCH ASSOCIATION

resources to provide Affiliates with tools to engage with their community will assist in halting senior participation decline.

Further, the work that has gone into developing products like the NRL League Touch and Commercial Models over the past year will also provide growth potential over the next 12 to 24 months.

A project that commenced at the end of the period with TFA, QTF and the NRL around a non-contact strategy also has the potential to deliver growth opportunities within our Affiliate network. The ability to be able to link current Affiliates and junior leagues/clubs via the NRL League Touch product and working with the NSWRL can open opportunities not only in participation areas of our game but also with green space.

NSWTA have continued to improve school engagement, and relationships both at primary and secondary school levels, with the schooling systems’ State Associations, via our Primary School Gala Days and Allschool events, along with our High Performance Program. Sporting Schools is a significant area of the business. It is providing our sport reach and access via the coaching/ Field Officer network and it continues to see considerable growth. The opportunities in this space to connect school and community Touch players is boundless.

Relationship with TFACTAnother highlight of the period was the Associate Membership of Touch Football ACT (TFACT) to the NSWTA. An MoU was signed by both entities and the participation at the 2019 Junior Regionals was the first part of this new partnership. The partnership sees TFACT pay an Associate Member fee for their competitions and provides a pathway and technical development opportunities to the TFACT.

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Technical Development PlanWork was finalised on the Technical Development Plan during the period, which saw it commence from the new financial year. Significantly, the program aims to have Referee Coaches/Facilitators in all Affiliates working with grassroots referees. This element of the plan will be fully funded by the NSWTA in its first 12 months. There are expected challenges, specifically, the implementation of the accreditation program across the state. This will be enhanced via consultation with the Regional Referees Directors for Courses Level 1 through to Level 3 as well as the plotting of the Foundation and Talent Referees Coaching Courses.

CommunicationsWith the assistance of TFA, NSWTA commenced our Communications Plan for email direct marketing (EDMs). We have developed regular communication with the following segments of our membership: NSWTA Affiliates, Sporting Schools coaches, schools/teachers, Game Development Schools, members, referees, coaches and event participants.

NSWTA supplement this via our social media channels as a means of engagement with our community, and the results have been excellent. The Shunt Reports lists the NSWTA as a top performer in the NSW Sport and Recreation industry. Figures demonstrate that our audience and reach with our community is flying in this space.

Strategic PlanNSWTA also commenced work on the next strategic cycle. This project commenced via an initial process undertaken for the staff. This piece related to the culture of the organisation and its operational drive – what we do and why we do it. The next step is having further stakeholder/member feedback from Regions and Affiliates to develop the new Strategic Plan fully. Our staff view on our role is as follows:

This will tie into the two critical pillars of the plan approved by the Board. Lead the Game and Grow the Game. Five key touchpoints will underpin these pillars:

• Community Growth• Brand, Marketing and Communication• Athletes and Officials Pathway• Technical Development• Financial Growth Programs Finally, our congratulations to Phil Rainger of the Taree Flames and Northern Eagles, who was awarded the 2018/19 Rod Wise Medal as Volunteer of the Year.

Dean RussellGeneral Manager, NSWTA

WE LEAD

WE INFLUENCE & INSPIRE

WE DELIVER

WE RECOGNISE & SUPPORT

WE PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES

WE CONNECT


P A G E 2 52 0 1 9

The 2018/19 year has been one of positive change for Touch Football Northern Territory (TFNT). We have focused heavily on school engagement and ensuring we are servicing the needs of our Affiliates, and this has been well received by the community, with satisfaction at all-time highs.

Human resourcingThere has been minimal staff change within the period. George Edols took over the role of Sports Operations Coordinator from Billy Allen in January and has worked tirelessly to promote our sport in schools across the territory. Isobel Appo has continued in her role as Business Development Manager and provided exceptional support for the State Manager. With stability in the office, we now look forward to seeing the sport grow.

The TFNT Annual Meeting saw the newly named STAC have one new member elected in Melinda Whelan, and Tim Pearson re-elected for a further two years. They joined Melinda Turner, Nigel Roy, Michelle Duggan, Samantha Pearson and Thomas Edgword on the NT STAC. TFNT thank them for their extraordinary efforts over this period. We would like to acknowledge outgoing member Shelly Caspani for her work with the TFNT STAC over the past two years. We have also lost Melinda Turner from our STAC in the months since our Annual Meeting as she returned home to Canberra; we thank her for the work she has done as both a general member and the Chair.

Volunteers play a major role in our sport, and TFNT honoured some of them at the TFNT Ochre Awards. We are extremely grateful to all our committees, coaches, managers, referees and other volunteers for their contribution to our sport.

Funding and partnershipsTFNT continued to receive crucial support from the NT Government Office of Sport and Recreation

STATE REPORTthrough Tier 1 Peak Sport Body funding and the Remote Sports Voucher Scheme. We extend our thanks to Debbie Halprin, Client Manager NT Sport and Recreation, for all her assistance.

TFNT is very appreciative of the fantastic partners we have. The City of Palmerston has continued their support for the NT State Titles. We are also thankful to Hot 100, who continue to support our marketing across the wider Darwin area.

ParticipationParticipation had declined dramatically over the previous two years so the team has been working diligently to change this trend. Although we are still showing a minimal decline in full-active senior members, team numbers for the period have increased across the territory. Junior participation grew again by 40% over the period, thanks largely to the great work being done in this space by Katherine Touch. George Edols has also been working to establish junior programs in both Darwin and Palmerston and has started to get buy-in from local schools. The Alice Springs Junior competition did not run this year, however is back up and running for early 2019/20.

Our work in remote communities is vital for the growth of our sport, and our Field Officers travelled to Minyerri and Ramingining in October, Numbulwar in November and Rockhampton Downs in March, to introduce our sport, provide skill clinics and educate local recreation officers for delivery of our programs.

During the reporting period, TFNT delivered to 22 schools, with 2,936 students reached, largely through the ASC Sporting Schools Program and Remote Schools Program.

EventsTFNT held a number of successful events during the period, including Come and Try Clinics at Leanyer Recreation Park, Palmerston Cash Comp, World No

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Tobacco Day Family Touch in partnership with Danila Dilba, and the Touch for Heart lunchtime competition in conjunction with the Heart Foundation. Katherine Touch once again held the Katherine Knockout (now a bi-annual event) and hosted teams from Katherine, Darwin and Kununurra.

The marquee event of TFNT’s calendar is the City of Palmerston NT Titles, once again held in May. This tournament is continuing to grow, with teams coming from Alice Springs, Gove, Katherine, Darwin and Palmerston to compete across Women’s Open, Men’s Open, Under-18 Mixed and Senior Mixed divisions.

TFNT had Men’s and Women’s Open teams compete at the WA State Championships in February and both competed well. We then combined some of these players to compete in the Mixed Open division at the National Touch League (NTL). The team competed very well and did the NT proud.

TFNT had Girls and Boys U18 teams compete at the National Youth Championship (NYC), with both teams very competitive. The teams have continued to develop and will be forces to be reckoned with in future. TFNT has continued to work closely with School Sports NT and assisted with selection and training of the four teams that competed at the Schools Sports Australia Touch Football Championships in Tasmania in 2018.

The NT was also represented at the 2019 Touch World Cup, with Justin Costello in the Australian Men’s Open and Bo de la Cruz in the Australian Women’s 35 teams, both winning gold. Cameron Adams represented the Cook Islands in the Mixed 30 division, narrowly going down to Australia in the final to take home the silver.

Rugby League linksTFNT continued to build on our NRLNT relationship and in May moved with them into the new home of NT Rugby League, the Territory Rugby League Stadium, where we hosted the School Sports NT development camp and TFNT development clinic in June. We have worked collaboratively on multiple programs throughout the year.

TFNT also worked with the Parramatta Eels to activate at their school Touch tournament prior to the Canberra Raiders match in June, and with the NRL in the delivery of the Parliamentary Friends of Rugby League Touch Football match.

Referee developmentTFNT was pleased to have two senior referees successful with upgrades at NTL this year, with Danny Dong attaining his Level 6 and Jason Taylor his Level 5. They were joined at this tournament by long-time Level

6 Referees Tim and Samamtha Pearson. While at our NT Titles, under the watchful eye of three qualified referee coaches, Darcy Lawrence was also successful in attaining his Level 4 State Grading.

TFNT thank everyone who assisted in delivering our sport over the past year, and we look forward to seeing success from new initiatives.

Nathan McDonaldState Manager, Touch Football NT


P A G E 2 72 0 1 9

In February 2019, Queensland Touch Football (QTF), in partnership with the Queensland State Government and McLaughlin Sports Consultancy, began a Governance, Constitution and Operating Model Review to better understand where we can improve, both on and off the field.

It had been more than 12 years since we last reviewed our Constitution. McLaughlin Sports Consultancy (MSC) led the review. Throughout this process, MSC was supported by the Project Reference Group, comprised of three QTF Directors, a Regional Board Director, Club President and Referees Director, a Regional Administrator and the QTF CEO. It also included feedback from Mullins Lawyers and members from the Department of Sport and Recreation.

Initially, MSC reviewed the internal operations and governance structure of the sport and compared what we do to best practices, including for other sports. MSC then prepared a survey that wasdistributed to:• Affiliates – committees, coaches, referees, volunteers;• Regions – Director, sub-committees, Coaching Directors, Referee Directors, etc;• General stakeholders – players, parents, coaches, supporters, public.

We received approximately 500 survey results, which provided valuable insights. MSC then held 38 one-on-one stakeholder interviews with some of the most experienced people throughout the sport. We then completed the data collection, with six Focus Group Sessions across the state with more than 100 people participating in an open and honest discussion on how to propel the game forward.

After this process, documents were prepared for the Project Reference Group (PRG) to consider and review. Over the next 18 months QTF will work collaboratively and transparently with our members and implement

TOUCH FOOTBALL

a post-review communications strategy and implementation plan of the recommendations. There will be challenges ahead, but it’s an exciting time to be a part of Touch Football in Queensland.

Human resourcesThe QTF staffing structure has continued to grow to support the 2018-2020 Strategic Plan and we anticipate further growth over the next 18 months post-Governance Review. This will provide further resources to support the growth of Touch Football on the ground across the state. Since the departure of Scott MacAllister last year, Greg Denny has filled the position of General Manager Operations and continues to strengthen and drive Touch Football operations in Queensland. We have also welcomed a Business and Finance Manager Fiona Meggitt, Marketing and Communications Manager Rachael Harpur and a Program and Administration Manager Jack Whitelock.

FinancesFinancially, the sport has experienced challenges in Queensland as the need to resource and grow the sport has had to be offset by new revenues or increased opportunities around existing competitions. The operational plan to deliver this was placed on hold, particularly any fee increases, until after the Governance Review is complete. This has affected the overall position of the business.

Commercial activitiesDuring 2018/2019, QTF launched our commercial strategy and QTF has partnered with a number of organisations with common values to provide benefits for QTF members. QTF were proud to welcome the following partners during 2018-2019: the College of Sport and Fitness, Fisiocrem, Optus, DSA Images and All Sports Travel. QTF would also like to thank the following partners for their continued support: Inferno, Steeden, Fraser Coast Regional Council, Tourism and Events Queensland and Bundaberg Regional Council.

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Tournaments and elite touchA record 233 teams competed at the 2018 Junior State Cup event in Hervey Bay, the biggest in the tournament’s 23-year history, with more than 3500 participants. This is indicative of the strength in junior participation across the state.

The NRL Touch Premiership has been a game-changer for Touch Football, and Queensland teams were prominent in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons, with the Brisbane Broncos Men’s team winning the 2018 season and the Broncos Women only just losing out to the Wests Tigers in that final. The Premiership continued to thrive and reach a broader audience into 2019. We thank the Brisbane Broncos, North Queensland Cowboys and Gold Coast Titans for their ongoing support of our Queensland teams, and look forward to seasons to come.

In November QTF hosted the 2018 State of Origin at Dolphin Stadium, Redcliffe, in partnership with Moreton Bay Regional Council and Redcliffe Dolphins Rugby League Club. The rivalry between Queensland and New South Wales was contested in a three-game series across 14 divisions, culminating in the main event – the Men’s and Women’s Open series. The series was close, with both states locked at five divisions all, with the Maroons needing to win three of the last four divisions to claim victory. Unfortunately, 2018 wasn’t our year, with only the Queensland Women’s Open team victorious, so the shield was returned to the Blues, who ended the series with an 8-6 overall series win. Queensland were victorious in the following divisions: Women’s Opens (2-1), Women’s 30s (2-1), Women’s 40s (3-0), Men’s 20s (3-0), Men’s 30s (2-1) and Men’s 35s (3-0).

QTF’s High-Performance Program continues to develop our players and officials. The introduction of the Academy has been instrumental to the sport and participation growth in Queensland. Led by Performance and Pathways Manager Tristan Mana, these programs are driven to support grassroots participation and create representative pathway opportunities.

ParticipationOur Sporting Schools program continues to be successful, with a 39% increase in Touch Football participation from the previous year. Terms 3 and 4 2018 achieved particularly strong growth. The number of Sporting Schools Field Officers also increased.

Participation growth in Queensland remains challenging, with a small decline in adult participation and a small increase in junior participation.

Event participation, however, remains strong, with a continued focus on junior events across all regions and strong attendance of seniors at the National Touch League (NTL), regional and local events. One-off recreational events such as the Casuarina Cup, Qld All Nations and Bundaberg Cup (seniors and juniors) continue to increase in popularity.

School-delivered programs and school-managed competitions decreased somewhat and reflect the challenging demands of resources and its competitive sporting landscape.

In closing, I would like to thank our stakeholders for your participation and support throughout the Governance, Constitution and Operating Model Review to date. Thank you to all QTF staff and the Board of Directors for their tireless effort, leadership and support. I look forward to sharing in the success we will have in the coming years.

Ben MannionCEO, Queensland Touch Football


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Touch Football South Australia (TFSA) enjoyed increased stability in staffing during 2018/19. State Manager Anthony Jennings and Competition and Events Coordinator Renee Bryant held their positions with TFSA, while Sport Operations Coordinator Jake Milne was promoted to a role in the TFA national office. TFSA thanks Jake for the outstanding contribution he made to Touch Football in SA and is pleased to see him retained within the sport. David Harris has taken over the Sport Operations Coordinator role.

The STAC, which currently consists of Stacey Quinn (Chair), Damien Carlson (Referee Panel Chair), Jane Russo (General Member, who was named 2018 Sport SA Volunteer of the Year), Mick Gray (General Member), Deirdre Morrow (General Member) and Amanda Sheeky (General Member) once again provided important guidance throughout 2018/19. The STAC was supported strongly by the broader Referee Panel and Representative Panel.

SA competitionsTFSA maintained the network of Affiliated competitions through 2018/19, consisting of metropolitan affiliates (Demons Touch Association, Botanics Touch Association, Adelaide University Touch Club, Onkaparinga Touch Association and centrally-managed competition City Touch) as well as regional Affiliates (Mount Gambier, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie and Barossa Valley Touch Associations).

Demons and Onkaparinga Touch Associations both offered junior competitions, which complemented the continued offering of a junior competition and a high school girls’ competition at City Touch.

School programsTFSA’s school programs continued to go from strength to strength. In partnership with School Sport SA, SA Christian School Sports Association, SA Catholic Primary School Sports Association and the SA Catholic

STATE REPORTSecondary School Girls Sport Association, TFSA delivered programs and events.

TFSA also independently delivered the All Schools Mixed and the Primary School Championships. The Sporting Schools program continued to provide an avenue into both the primary and secondary school markets and remained a key entry-level program for Touch Football in SA.

CoursesTFSA held a number of coaching and referee accreditation courses over 2018/19 both in country and metropolitan areas. Ongoing education and upskilling are key factors in providing our membership and participants with an enjoyable experience, and TFSA thanks the volunteer course facilitators who delivered these courses.

SA tournamentsThe 2018 TFSA League once again saw rounds hosted by Affiliates, Onkaparinga Touch Association and Adelaide University Touch Club, which allowed TFSA to showcase a quality level of the sport at different venues. The three divisions were won by three different permits, with Eastern Stingrays victorious in the Men’s Open, Central Scorpions in the Women’s Open and South West Wolves in the Mixed Open. Northern Vipers were also awarded the overall leading permit.

In January 2019, Mount Gambier hosted the Your Podiatrist Cup, with a record 26 teams coming together from Adelaide, Melbourne, Mount Gambier and Regional Victoria for a one-day round robin event. TFSA would like to thank the Mount Gambier Touch Association, the Portland Touch Association and the Your Podiatrist Cup committee for their efforts to deliver and grow this event. Two Beach Touch events were also offered in 2018/19, with the Adelaide University Touch Club and the Australian Beach

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Games offering opportunities for the community to experience a different format of Touch Football.

National and international event involvementBoth a Boys and Girls team competed at the 2018 National Youth Championships (NYC) and enjoyed successful campaigns. The Girls team did particularly well, defeating the ACT in the Alliance State Final, and SA was awarded the Leading Alliance State.

At the 2019 National Touch League (NTL), SA fielded a Men’s Open and a Senior Mixed team. A highlight of this event was the Men’s Open team defeating the Sydney Scorpions on Field 1 in the first game of their campaign.

Referee Amanda Sheeky represented SA at both these national events. She was Leading Female Referee at both and Number 2 Overall Ranking at the NYC. While James van Gilst represented at NYC and Jon Hall at NTL. Sheeky also represented at the 2019 Touch World Cup, where she was also Leading Female Referee and a FIT Golden Whistle recipient. Other South Australians represented at the Touch World Cup too, with Tim Glazebrook a player in the Mixed Open team, Khanui Cox in the Men’s 30s, Mick Gray Coach of the Women’s 35s, Rob Day flag-bearer and a player in the Men’s 50s, and Deirdre Morrow Manager of the Women’s 27s.

PartnershipsTFSA would like to acknowledge its commercial and strategic partners for their support and collaboration over 2018/19: Thrive Physio Plus, Arkaba Hotel and the Sydney Roosters NRL club.

Adelaide Oval once again played host to the Sydney Roosters vs Melbourne Storm NRL fixture on Friday 28th June, with the Sydney Roosters vs Brisbane Broncos NRL Touch Premiership match played beforehand. Having an NRL Touch Premiership match played in Adelaide was a fantastic opportunity for the SA community to experience elite Touch Football and also support the South Australians involved, who were Roosters players Ferghus Kernahan and Kelly Rowe, Assistant Coach Dean Philp, and Referee Amanda Sheeky.

TFSA was again involved in the lead-up events, including having Anthony Minichiello attend a school

carnival at City Touch, the Sydney Roosters Touch Football team attend a Sporting Schools Program at Rose Park Primary School, and the Sydney Roosters host a community clinic at City Touch.

Anthony JenningsState Manager, Touch Football SA


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Touch Football Tasmania (TFT) has experienced a period of change in the last 12 months, both in staffing and in focus. In the State and Territory Advisory Committee (STAC), Toby Burgess finished up as the High Performance Chair in September, Allan McKinlay and James Edmunds renewed their appointments and Josh Damen was welcomed as a new General Member at the AGM in December.

Allan McKinlay was voted in as the new Chair of the committee in February, James Anderson was endorsed to continue as the Referee’s Representative, and Josh Damen was later elected as the Players and Coach representative. Kate Dobson filled the last General Member position on the panel. TFT also welcomed Michael Rush to the committee, as the TFA Board Member allocated to Tasmania. Des Fogarty joined the staff in July 2018, and Glen Walker acted as State Manager from Victoria until he moved on from TFA in May, leaving the position vacant.

Representative pathways and coachingThere has been significant growth in some areas, particularly with respect to junior representative participation, and we are looking at ways to harness the enthusiasm and increase in skill base to effect significant change in our representative teams in the medium to long term.

Through upgrades available from the School Sport Australia Championships in 2018, and the State Cup in February 2019, TFT awarded eight Talent Coaching accreditations, 31 level 1 referees and four level 2 referees.

Des Fogarty attended the Elite Coach course in February run by Tony Trad. The skills gained on this course are being actively passed on to coaches within the state, and a program of coaching forums is being developed and implemented to mentor and improve the existing pool of Foundation and Talent coaches within the state.

STATEREPORT

ParticipationThe TFT School Series event has become the largest on our calendar, with participant numbers growing by 100% over the past two years. We introduced a new event in Hobart to encourage more southern schools to participate in the event. In April/May, 54 teams and more than 550 students participated.

Following a period of decline, Southern Touch has experienced a steady increase in team numbers in the winter competition for the third year in a row. Launceston Touch has increased team numbers for the summer season. Devonport Touch have a thriving Junior Competition, with team numbers up. Burnie Touch are still young, but are maintaining team numbers.

TFT implemented an inuagural Women’s Training Program, with assistance from Ella Squires who was leading the Touch Football Victoria Switch (‘Strengthening Women in Touch’) project. Seven women participated in the initial six-week program, coached by James Dowling. Following the program, three of these women integrated into the Southern Touch Winter competition. We hope this program will continue and grow across our state and others in the future.

FundingThrough support from the Tasmanian Government’s Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC), TFT received funding through the State Grants Program to expand Touch Football around the state. Thanks goes to Al Adams of the Community, Sports and Recreation Department for his support and assistance.

TFT also received funding from Relationships Australia, following the implementation of a Mental Health Community Action Plan. We were able to get custom-made touch footballs from Steeden with the SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY logo on them, which were used at the TFT School Series events.

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EventsTFT sent an Under-18s Girl’s team to the Sunshine Coast for the National Youth Championship (NYC) tournament in September. For many of the girls, this was their final year in the U18s division. After competing in a very tough pool, the girls just missed out on a spot in the Alliance Final after a thrilling game against the ACT Raiders who prevailed 7-6.

While we we unable to get enough players for an U18s Boys team, Zach Lindenberg attended NYC as a pool player with the Sunshine Coast Pineapples, while Ashton King and Sheldon Smith went as pool players with the WA Tigers team. WA won the Alliance Final 9-8 over Vic Storm in an epic 3-on-3 drop-off. Ashton also received the Players’ Player Award within the WA Team.

In conjunction with Richard Welsh from School Sport Tasmania, TFT hosted the School Sport Australia U12s and U15s Touch Football event in October 2018 at Wentworth Park in Hobart. It was a wonderful experience for the Tassie teams not having to travel and getting to play in familiar surroundings. Highlights of the tournament included the U15s Girls winning the Plate Final over SA, 7-4.

Unfortunately this year TFT was not able to get teams away to the National Touch League (NTL), however many Tasmanians represented, with Amelia Bransden, Alice Robinson and Mackenzie Nason playing for Victoria Storm in the Women’s and Men’s Opens, Sam Williams for Sydney Rebels B in Men’s Opens, Chris Nason for NSW Northern Eagles Men’s 45s, John Samin for ACT Raiders Men’s 50s and Michael Eddleston for the ACT Men’s 60s. Rachel Dilger successfully achieved an upgrade to Level 6 Referee at the event.

Launceston Touch Association dominated this year’s State Cup competition, securing the trophy for the sixth consecutive year. The only divisions won by other associations were the Mixed Open and Men’s Opens divisions (won by Southern Touch), and the U18s Boy’s division (won by Devonport Touch Association).

Thanks to Ken Golden for attending the event and providing referee upgrades and support, and to Tony Eltakchi, who ran a skills clinic.

Three Tasmanians represented at the 2019 Touch World Cup in Malaysia. Dean MacDonald was selected as a Referee, Rebecca Oliver was selected as a player in the Women’s 27s division and John Samin played in the Men’s 50s team.

This year has been a positive one for Touch Football Tasmania, and we look forward to further progress for the coming year.

Gerry O’DeaState Manager, Touch Football Tasmania


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Touch Football Victoria (TFV) continued to experience positive growth and development for 2018/19, with fantastic success on and off the field. We acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our state and national staff, as well as Affiliate Presidents and their committees, coaches, assistant coaches, team managers and members.

LeadershipThe Victorian State Council Annual Meeting was conducted on 24th November and attended by TFA CFO Garry Foran, and delegation from TFV Affiliates. TFV is delighted to continue the appointment of Cecilia Eichler as the Chairperson of the State and Territory Advisory Committee (STAC). We welcome back General Members Annie Ozols, Kim Butler, Craig Coleman and Mitch MacKenzie, and recognise Tom Brown on his appointment as the representative of the Victorian Referee Panel.

The Victorian STAC has been very active in their leadership and has provided invaluable direction for the sport as we strive towards the objectives set in our 2020 Strategic Plan.

FundingTFV continued to receive significant support from VicHealth and Sport and Recreation Victoria. VicHealth has been a long-term partner and demonstrated this support through funding for projects tailored to female participation and youth engagement. TFV continued delivering on the Supporting Victorian Sport and Recreation (SVSR) program, which helped us continue to develop Affiliate and junior programs.

Human resourcingStaffing in the Victorian state office went through significant change during the period. Glen Walker resigned as State Manager in May 2019, replaced by Ella Squires. Colette Ritchie accepted a position with TFA as National Events Coordinator.

STATE REPORT

Before Ella’s appointment as State Manager, she continued to manage the VicHealth-funded program Switch: Strengthening Women in Touch Football. The position of Game Development Manager was created and appointed to David Diack, while Troy Rolle commenced as Affiliate Servicing and Events Coordinator and Chris Riddell as Competitions Coordinator. Natasha Barber joined the team in June 2019 to lead our other VicHealth-funded program, Youth in Touch.

Our volunteer network experienced decline over the 2018/2019 period so TFV has conducted an internal review along with TFA and we look forward to the outcomes from that report to strengthen and grow our volunteer network.

TFV facilitated 27 technical development courses for 104 new volunteer accreditations.

ParticipationTFV had 526 adult teams play over the past summer and winter seasons. In the state’s affiliated competitions, 258 teams participated across 16 locations. We have again experienced significant growth in our junior participation, with a total of 103 teams participating over nine locations. While our school programs were delivered in 77 schools across the state. TFV have commenced working with a number of our Affiliates to transition this exposure into junior Touch offerings.

The Victorian Schools Touch Football League (VSTFL) entered its 12th season, with 43 Boys teams. The Victorian School Championships saw 73 teams compete over two days. Our inaugural Country School Gala Days ran across Yarrawonga, Traralgon and Ballarat.

The 2018/2019 period marked a significant milestone in Victoria’s Junior Girls Academy, with the commencement of TFV’s inaugural Junior

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Victorian Touch League. This competition became the foundation for Junior talent identification for girls aged 16 and under, with representatives from Melbourne University Blacks, Melbourne City Lions, Harlequins Touch Association and Monash University Touch Association. We look forward to expanding this offering to further develop both male and female junior athletes.

PartnershipsThe Commercial Hospitability Group demonstrated their commitment to TFV by allowing the use of Bells Hotel again for courses, meetings and the annual Awards Night. F45 Southbank and Profile Foods continued their sponsorship agreements with TFV, and we thank them for their partnerships to date. We would like to thank Melbourne Family & Sports Podiatry and Melbourne Physiotherapy, Pilates + Fitness Group for their 2018/19 commitment and support.

We would also like to thank Dave Donaghy and the Melbourne Storm for their continued support. A key outcome of our partnership with the Storm was TFV having a number of players and officials showcase their skills at AAMI Park through pre-game and half-time events during the NRL season.

Tournament involvementVictoria has been proudly represented on national and international tours at all levels of the sport. At the 2018 National Youth Championships (NYC), our Under-18 Girls went down to WA in the Alliance State Final in a drop-off, while the U18 Boys also competed well. Victoria also competed in the 2018 School Sport Australia State Championship (U12s & U15s), the North Queensland Junior Regional Championships (U14s) and the Battle of the Border (U13s).

At the 2019 National Touch League (NTL), Victoria was represented across seven teams and by three referees. Outstanding achievements were made in the Men’s and Women’s 30s divisions, with both teams finishing in third place.

We would like to congratulate the Victorian players named in the Sydney Roosters NRL Touch Premiership squad: Elizabeth Brooks, Amitty Edgeworth, Lauren Fagan, Stephanie Kelly, Leah Percy, Glen Walker, Tim Glazebrook, as well as Women’s Coach Micheal Lovett.

TFV were also proudly represented in the 2018 Youth Touch World Cup and 2019 Touch World Cup, with 16 representatives for Australia, and another 13 representing other nations.

Victorian tournaments2018 marked the 12th season of the Victorian Touch (VT) League, where the state’s best players, coaches and officials apply their skills. For the third year in a row, the Melbourne City Lions were Club Champions for winning three of the four divisions (Men’s Division 1 and Women’s Division 1 and 2). Melbourne University Blacks took out the Men’s Division 2.

TFV delivered standalone Senior and Junior State Cups again in February 2019. The Senior State Cup returned to Elwood over one day, with 58 teams from 13 Affiliates. Unfortunately, due to extreme heat, the 2019 State Cup was called off halfway through the day. We thank all players, officials and volunteers for their understanding. The Junior State Cup was held in partnership with Westside Touch Association, with 26 teams from nine Affiliates.

The 20th annual Sale Knockout was held in April 2019, with 48 teams taking part across Men’s, Women’s and Mixed divisions.

Ella SquiresState Manager, Touch Football Victoria

VIC


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The WA State Council Annual Meeting was conducted on Sunday 9th December 2018 and attended by WA Affiliate delegates and TFA Chief Finance Officer Garry Foran.

There was one member elected to the STAC, Monique Williamson, and a further position left vacant that was later filled by Zoe Dacey-Aiken. Rob McKay continued as Chair, with Ben Demspey a General Member. Jon Harvey was set to continue, yet resigned his position to move to Referee Coach on the State Panel. Scott Mickeljohn did not seek re-election; we thank him for his contribution. WA’s Neil Collins remains on the TFA Board and Barry McNamara was designated to liaise with the WA STAC as a TFA Board representative.

FundingTFWA continues to enjoy support from Sport and Recreation WA following a major review of all funding. The same level of funding will be granted to TFWA in the coming year, with an ongoing review of additional funding.

Healthway continues to sponsor our major events programs through the LiveLighter and Go for 2&5 messages. TFWA has secured a further three years funding for 2019/2020 and 2021. This a great endorsement of the partnership and continued growth of our sport in WA.

Support from WA-based All Flags Signs and Banners for a cash and contra amount assisted greatly in creating brand awareness in WA, including branding on our vehicle. TFWA have a three-year partnership with All Flags.

Schools involvementSchool programs saw TFWA Field Officers and staff present to 15,789 students. A further 1,422 students were involved in school competitions coordinated by TFWA. Involvement with Associated Catholic Colleges and School Sport WA carnivals and competitions saw

STATE REPORTthe students enjoy all levels of competition, including ACC Year 7, SSWA Upper & Lower School carnivals and SSWA Country Week. October saw Tasmania host the 2018 School Sport Championships – the SSWA 15s Boys finished 3rd, while the 12s Boys and Girls teams and 15s Girls finished 4th.

WA eventsThe 2018 LiveLighter Super League Series was a successful event for TFWA, with 19 teams in Open divisions plus another three teams in the newly introduced Masters division. Our thanks to Perth Brothers, Northern Districts and Southern Stars for hosting rounds of the Super Series.

The 2018 Junior State Championships presented by Go for 2&5 were held at George Burnett in November 2018. This was a great event that was well attended, particularly in the Under-8s and 10s age groups. Twenty-eight teams competed in the U8s to U18s.

The 2019 State Championships presented by LiveLighter returned to the much-loved UWA Sports Park, Mt Claremont. This was a fantastic event that attracted five national teams from Singapore as they were preparing for the 2019 Touch World Cup.

WA again hosted the Friends of Parliament Game at Perth Stadium on the Monday following the hugely successful 2019 State of Origin Game 2. This annual event exposes us to members of Parliament and media contacts in Perth.

Events outside WAWA had a huge contingency of 19 players, two coaches, two managers and nine referees selected for the 2019 World Cup, including Australian representative Jenaya Paul playing for the Women’s, Rohit “Roy” Prasad for the Mixed 30s, Chris Benfield for the Men’s 40s and Justin Creighton as Assistant Coach of the Australian Mixed Open team. Other WA athletes represented for New Zealand, England,

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the Cook Islands, Scotland, France, Italy and the Philippines, as well as nine WA referees.

WA was not represented at the 2019 National Touch League (NTL) due to logistical challenges, which the Representative Panel and TFA are looking to address for future seasons. Though our WA referees did represent at NTL, with fantastic results, including Nicole West being awarded Referee of the Tournament and Rob McKay Leading Senior Male Referee, plus seven WA referees receiving Finals Appointments and five upgraded.

Speaking of referees, during the year, 222 referees and coaches participated in accreditation courses, programs and workshops.

A huge congratulations goes to the WA National Youth Championship (NYC) Boys, who were crowned Alliance State Champions for 2018.

Warren SmilesState Manager, Touch Football WA


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TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA · 2019-10-28 · FROM THE TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA CHAIR The 2018/19...

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Transcript of TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA · 2019-10-28 · FROM THE TOUCH FOOTBALL AUSTRALIA CHAIR The 2018/19...