Inferno National Touch League Back to Pre-Pandemic Strength Ahead of Changes

The Inferno National Touch League returns to Coffs Harbour free from adverse weather and pandemic disruptions. From Wednesday 8^th to Saturday 11^th March 2023 the country’s Touch Footballers will return on mass, bringing colour and energy to the region.

Over five and a half thousand visitors will land on the Mid-North Coast for the four-day tournament, where 138 teams across nineteen gender or age divisions will face-off to be crowned National Champions.

The 2022 event saw Queensland teams claim the three open divisions titles for the second year running, the state rivalry will be very much alive as teams from across Australia attempt to quell the Queenslander’s hopes for a three-peat.

The event will inject over $5m into the local economy and returns to Coffs Harbour for the 24^th time. The event has attracted 118,000 visitors to Coffs Harbour since 1997.

This year’s championships will be the last of the current format, with Touch Football Australia (TFA) introducing major changes to the event format from 2024. Under a two-year trial, the event will be expanded to provide affiliate (club), regional and state teams the opportunity to participate in the event across a variety of age and gender divisions. The move is set to increase participation and visitation.

TFA CEO Jamie O’Connor said the change was made to meet the evolving needs of the membership and organisation.

“After 25 years we felt that it may have been time for the event to undergo a refresh. Over the past year we have engaged extensively with our community to determine just what the event should be” O’Connor said.

“When we took a deeper look, we measured the event against three things; does it meet the needs of our membership, will the event provide for year-on-year growth and does it deliver performance outcomes.”

“We determined that by opening up the event, we provide more opportunity for a larger section of our members to access the event and expose our sport’s pathways.”

The impending format changes establish a tantalising 2023 event, with many teams looking to make history one last time in the current format.

The 2023 Inferno National Touch League is being held at C.ex Coffs International Stadium from 8-11 March. Entry is free.

Fans can watch the event exclusively live and free in Australia via Kayo Sports and live and on demand in New Zealand via Sky NZ.