Record Numbers Attend Touch Football Championships in Coffs Harbour

The national Touch Football championships have commenced in Coffs Harbour today in an exciting new format that has been condensed into three action-packed days resulting in the largest number of teams on record.

The Championships, presented by Inferno, is Australia’s national championship event for adult Touch Football participants — attracting over 7,000 attendees and contributing over $5m of economic benefit to the NSW and local economy.

Formerly known as the Inferno National Touch League (NTL), the event has been reformatted with affiliate representative teams now able to participate alongside existing regional and state entities. The inclusive format heralds a new era for the event with an enhanced focus on enjoyment and mass participation.

The new format has garnered significant interest, with a record 165 teams across twenty-four divisions heading to the NSW Mid-North Coast vying to be national champions — increasing from 138 teams last year, and nineteen teams more than the previous record achieved in 2010.

Touch Football Australia CEO, Jamie O’Connor was buoyed by the turnout.

“It's great to be back in Coffs Harbour the spiritual home of our national championships and pleasing to see our community continue to support this event and turn out in record numbers”, O’Connor said.

“We made some courageous decisions to alter the event format to provide greater opportunities for our community to access and enjoy it, which have been embraced given the numbers here this weekend.”

“It’s fantastic to see affiliate and international teams join state and regional teams in what is now a truly inclusive event.”

The introduction of affiliate teams at the revamped event alongside regional and state teams provides an opportunity for more individuals to experience the comradery of competition and benefits of participation — while still being able to be identified for further representative honours with The Championships still acting as a talent identification opportunity for higher representative honours.

Between matches, participants and attendees can enjoy an enhanced off-field experience featuring activation zones, live music, markets, and food trucks in a festival-like atmosphere.

The 2023 NTL event saw the Central Queensland Bulls, Sydney Scorpions, and South Queensland Sharks claim the Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Opens respectively — showcasing the mix of talent at this event. Notably, the Hunter Western Hornets were their opponents in all three championship games.

The Championships are being held at C.ex Coffs International Stadium in Coffs Harbour, NSW from Friday, March 8 to Sunday, March 10 2024. Entry is free and all are welcome to attend.

The event is being broadcast live and free on Kayo Sports in Australia, Sky Sport in New Zealand and Sky Sport Next in all other global territories.

The Championships, presented by Inferno, are proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW and Coffs Harbour City Council.