DoorDash National Youth Championships Celebrates 30th Instalment

The DoorDash National Youth Championships (NYC) return to the Sunshine Coast this September, celebrating 30 years since the tournament’s current format commenced.

Originally held as the Australian School Sport National Championships from 1987-1992, the Australian Touch Association acquired and expanded the event in 1993, enabling regions to participate in addition to the traditional school system teams.

Touch Football Australia (TFA) historian Cary Thomson recounts that School Sport Australia officials at the time were keen to create more competition for teams in the 18s divisions due to the fact only four teams regularly participated in the early 90s. Thompson went on to add that while the opportunity was first made available in 1993 for state and regional teams to attend it wasn’t until 1996 that teams from all States and Territories finally came together and participated at the same event.

Regardless of the adoption rate, the decision in early 1993 created a unique under 18s competition involving State, Regional and school system teams which shaped the modern-day format of the NYC for the next three decades. To this day, the event remains only one of a few endorsed national school sports events that are fully integrated with and delivered by a sport’s national governing body.

Long regarded as the world’s premier domestic junior touch football tournament, the event has grown from four teams in 1993 to a record 111 teams that will participate this year.

Over this time the NYC has been a nursey for elite sporting talent with notable alumni including NRL and NRLW stars Ryan Papenhuyzen, Matt Dufty, Tamika Upton and Taryn Aitken as well as Olympic Gold Medallists Charlotte Caslick and Emilee Cherry who all developed their skills at the event.

On the official honour board, Queensland Secondary School Touch (QSST) reign supreme with 15 x boys' and 18 x girls' championship trophies (33 x combined titles) to their name with archrivals New South Wales Combined High Schools the next best with twelve titles (5 boys', 7 girls’ championships) in the coveted 18s divisions.

Fast forward to modern times and the event continues to innovate and expand with the introduction of 12s, 14s and 16s age and gender divisions in 2020. Covid enforced border restrictions disrupted the first two years of this expansion, however somewhat fittingly in the 30^th instalment of the event, the broader junior Touch Football community will once again reunite as was the vision back in 1993.  

There are many storylines to look forward to at this year’s event. The 30^th instalment, the first time since 2019 that school system teams return in the 18s divisions and the first time since 2011 that NSW regional teams return. How will these teams perform against their rivals? Will QSST continue their dominance? Who are the next generation of stars to watch? And can Brisbane Cobras defend their overall champion permit status against a full complement of teams?

We’ll find out shortly.

Timeline of the NYC

• 1987 - 1992 – Australian School Sport U18s National Championships era (delivered by School Sport Australia)
• 1993 – Australian Touch Association acquisition, regional teams welcomed
• 1994 – Event held in Christchurch, NZ (School Sport NZ were a regular early participant)
• 1996 – First year teams from all Australian States and Territories participated in the one event
• 2002 – Touch New Zealand return to the event bringing invitational teams, a trend that would continue until 2020
• 2012 – NSW Regions replaced by NSW Touch Association Development Teams
• 2016 – Harvey Norman School Series introduced featuring year 9/10 boys’ and girls’ teams
• 2017 – Harvey Norman School Series expanded to include year 7/8 boys’ and girls’ division
• 2020 – Queensland Junior Regional Championships incorporated into the event offering eight divisions across under 12, 14, 16 and 18s age divisions. DoorDash assume event naming rights.
• 2022 – Record team numbers (111) registered for the event. NSW regions set to return.

Notable Participants

• Ryan Papenhuyzen (Melbourne Storm and Clive Churchill Medallist)
• Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights and Queensland Origin Representative)
• Tristan Sailor (St George Illawarra Dragons)
• Matt Dufty (St George Illawarra Dragons and Canterbury Bulldogs)
• Tamika Upton (Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Origin Representative NRLW)
• Taryn Aitken (Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Origin Representative NRLW)
• Maddie Studdon (Parramatta Eels and NSW Origin Representative NRLW)
• Charlotte Caslick (Olympic Gold Medallist – Rugby 7s)
• Emilee Cherry (Olympic Gold Medallist – Rugby 7s)
• Paige Parker (Gold Coast Suns AFLW)
• Michelle Jenneke (Olympic Hurdler)

The 2022 DoorDash National Youth Championships are being held over 4-action packed days from Wednesday 28 September to Saturday 1 October 2022 at Sunshine Coast Stadium.

The event is being broadcast live and free on Kayo Sports.