Emus World Cup Preview: Men's 45s

In 2019, the Federation of International Touch (FIT) held the first-ever Men’s 45s division. Following a dramatic Gold Medal contest, Australia were crowned the inaugural champions, defeating Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand five tries to four. In 2024, the competition size has doubled, with 14 teams set to battle it out for international supremacy. Can the Australians reclaim the gold, or will another team steal the headlines?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Men’s 45s division.

 

Participating Teams

Pool A

• Australia
• Chile
• Fiji
• Jersey
• Papua New Guinea
• Spain
• Wales

Pool B

• England
• France
• Ireland
• Middle East Touch
• New Zealand
• Portugal
• Switzerland

 

The Numbers That Matter

11 – In 2019, Australian Steele Tallon and New Zealander Tony Wiperi-Karauria both earned top try-scorer honours for the division with 11 tries apiece. With the potential of playing an extra two games compared to their 2019 run, look to someone to break this record in 2024.

100% – The Australian Men’s 45s team has won 10 out of 10 games played. This includes a 7-game win streak at the 2019 Touch World Cup and a Trans-Tasman Series clean sweep in 2010. This streak gives the Australian side the rare honour of having a 100% all-time win rate at the international level.

1901 – When Australia taps off their Touch World Cup campaign in Nottingham against Papua New Guinea, it will mark 1901 days since they last competed in international Touch Footy action. After several disrupted years, it’s great to see Australia’s Masters Touch Football program make its well-awaited return.

 

Athelite Australian Emus to Watch

Darren Reynoldson – In 2019, Darren was a standout performer for the Men’s 40s side, earning Players’ Player honours for his efforts. Despite falling short at the last hurdle, the Wagga Wagga representative had a proud display in his World Cup debut, crossing the line nine times across the tournament. Looking further to his performances at State of Origin and The Championships, there’s no doubt that Darren doesn’t shy away from the big moments. A clutch player in his own right, expect the Vice Captain to once again step up when his team needs him the most.

Adam Fahim – A try-scoring machine for years, Adam Fahim leads the way in his Men’s 45s side with 36 tries in 31 games for his country. Adam is no stranger to the World Cup stage, having competed previously in 2019, 2015, and 2007. At the national level, the Sydney Scorpions great has had a stellar career, scoring 115 tries across 15 campaigns.  These efforts have rightfully earned him a place in the Region’s Hall of Fame. Look to Adam to link up with his Sydney Scorpions counterpart Paul Macpherson, who is no stranger to the tryline himself, scoring 118 tries at The Championships.

 

Toughest Match-Ups

New Zealand – The Trans-Tasman rivals contested a dramatic Gold Medal match in 2019, with only one try separating the sides come full time. With the Men’s 45s division now split across two divisions, there will be no round-robin stage clash against the Kiwis. Many members of the New Zealand side will take confidence in their Men’s 40s result, in which they took home the Gold against Australia. Several Australians from that team are returning to the international stage in the form of the Men’s 45s division and will be driven to redeem themselves this time around.

England – The host nation is the defending European Champions, having won the title in back-to-back years. Despite finishing the group stage second, they peaked at the right time, defeating Wales in the final, thanks in part to a double from Lloyd Hook. With the lack of international Masters Touch Football contested in the Southern Hemisphere, could there be a few surprises from the north? Look to our Ashes rivals to be a tough match-up, especially come the later stages of this tournament.

Wales – Not to be taken lightly, Wales Touch will be looking to improve on their fourth-place finish in 2019. Although falling short in 2023, they did have an impressive outing at the European Championships, going undefeated in the round-robin stage, including a 5-4 victory over England. With plenty of experience in the past few years playing together, the Welsh side will fancy their chances of finishing in a strong position during the round-robin stage. The teams’ top try scorer in 2023, Andy Harrison will be returning to the side this World Cup and is again expected to be a difficult player to stop.

 

Athelite Australian Emus Fixtures*

Day 2 Fixtures: July 16

• 2:00pm VS Papua New Guinea
• 4:30pm VS Wales

Day 3 Fixtures: July 17

• 11:30am VS Fiji
• 2:50pm VS Chile

Day 4 Fixtures: July 18

• 10:40am VS Spain
• 5:20pm VS Jersey

Day 5 Fixtures: July 19

• 5:35pm Quarter Finals 1, 2, 3, 4

Day 6 Fixtures: July 20

• 10:35am Playoffs
• 2:15pm Semi Finals 1, 2
• 5:00pm Playoffs
• 5:55pm Bronze Medal
• 6:50pm Gold Medal

*Draft draw, subject to change. All times are shown in local England time zones. Follow Touch Football Australia (TFA) on social media for all up-to-date schedule information.

To see the Men’s 45s draw in its entirety, CLICK HERE

 

Last Word: The Men’s 45s will tap off their campaign against Papua New Guinea on day two, with the Gold Medal match closing out proceedings on day six. Expect the Emus to be in the hunt to go back-to-back.

The 2024 FIT Touch World Cup begins July 15 in Nottingham, England. Follow TFA’s socials on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for all updates before and throughout the World Cup.

All Stats Courtesy of the Touch Almanac by Cary Thompson