Emus World Cup Preview: Men's 50s

The 2024 Federation of International Touch (FIT) World Cup will mark the third contested Men’s 50s division. This year, the Emus side is star-studded – filled with Hall of Famers, Golden Jubilee members, and veterans of the sport. Heading into England, the current tally reads one Gold Medal for Australia and one for New Zealand. Which of these nations will claim a second title, or will a new country add their name to the honours board?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Men’s 50s division.

 

Participating Teams

Pool A

• Australia
• Chile
• England
• Fiji
• France
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• South Africa

Pool B

• Italy
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Portugal
• Scotland
• United States
• Wales

 

The Numbers That Matter

10 – In 2024, ten nations will be making their debut in the Men’s 50s division. This makes the 2024 edition of the tournament the largest in the division's history, trumping the previous record of nine. The ten debuting nations also include Portugal, who will be participating in their first-ever Touch World Cup. With all these debuting nations, there’ll be a plethora of fresh matchups to watch this July.

46 – With 46 tries to his name, Ron Hanson Medallist Troy Morgan is in reach of the coveted 50 mark for Australia. Should he cross the line five times he'll become only the fourth Australian to reach 50 tries at World Cups.

117 – Heading into his seventh World Cup, Gavin Shuker currently sits on 117 tries in the green and gold jersey. In 2019, the recently inducted TFA Hall of Famer crossed the line six times to take his World Cup total to 88 and will be looking to add to his tally in 2024. He also holds the record for most tries scored in a single World Cup game with 11 in 2011 against Luxembourg.

 

Athelite Australian Emus to Watch

Steve Menzies – NRL Legend Steve ‘Beaver’ Menzies will join a select group of athletes to represent Australia in both Rugby League and Touch Football this July. A rugby league career spanning twenty years, he was a tenacious defender, and is the most prolific try-scoring forward in the history of the sport. Retiring from Rugby League in 2013, the Manly representative has since forged a decorated career in Touch Football. In 2022, he made his debut in the Touch Football State of Origin arena, representing NSW in a 2-1 series loss to Queensland. At the national level, he has represented the Sydney Scorpions at The Championships on three separate occasions, winning the title twice. Now in line to make his Australian debut, ‘The Beaver’ is set to join the likes of Scott Prince, Benji Marshall, and Adrian Lam to play at World Cups in both Rugby League and Touch Football.

Garry Sonda – Golden Jubilee ‘team-of-the-half-century' member Garry Sonda, heads to his fifth World Cup, last competing in the Men’s 30s division in 2015. A legend of the game, the New South Welshman was recently inducted into the TFA Hall of Fame and will be looking to add Gold Medal number five to his stacked resume. Whether playing it short or long, look to his extensive range of passing to be on display throughout the tournament, and a key factor in how this side shapes up. A highly decorated player, he is celebrated as one of the toughest athletes in Touch Football history, renowned for his relentless determination and never-say-die attitude on the field. One of the greatest competitors the sport has ever seen, look to Garry to be a source of inspiration throughout the week for his fellow Emus.

 

Toughest Match-Ups

New Zealand – In 2015, Australia was crowned the inaugural World Champions. In 2019, New Zealand participated for the first time and took home the Gold. Despite opening the scoring in 2019, Australia eventually fell short to the Kiwis, nine tries to five. Having avoided each other in the pool stage draw, expect there to be fireworks should these two sides meet in the latter stages of the tournament. With the scores tied at one Gold apiece, both Trans-Tasman rivals will be desperate to get one over the other.

Singapore – In 2019, Singapore earned the Bronze medal, defeating Ireland four tries to three in a close contest. Despite struggling in the early stages of the tournament, a drop-off winner from William McCormack earned the Asian nation their first Masters World Cup medal since 2003 (Women’s 27s and Men’s 35s). Preparation has been strong this time out, including a recent warm-up match against the Women’s 27s squad. Multiple members of the 2019 side will be returning in 2024 and will be confident in their chances to go one game better than last time out to make history for Singapore.

England – Making their divisional debut (having participated under ‘Great Britain’ in 2019), England will be looking to add another medal to their trophy cabinet in 2024. Their side has plenty of experience playing together, having participated in the European Championships in 2023 and 2022, as well as the Autumn Internationals (against Wales) in 2021. In 2023, they were crowned European champions, in a tri-series against France and Wales. Going undefeated in that tournament, the host nation will be feeling confident ahead of this year’s Touch World Cup. Their matches against Australia and Singapore will be crucial to how Pool A plays out.

 

Athelite Australian Emus Fixtures*

Day 1 Fixtures: July 15

• 2:00pm VS South Africa

Day 2 Fixtures: July 16

• 1:10pm VS Singapore
• 3:40pm VS Malaysia

Day 3 Fixtures: July 17

• 9:50am VS France
• 1:10pm VS Fiji

Day 4 Fixtures: July 18

• 2:00pm VS England
• 4:30pm VS Chile

Day 5 Fixtures: July 19

• 6:30pm Playoff Qualifier
• 6:30pm Quarter Finals

Day 6 Fixtures: July 20

• 10:35am Playoffs
• 11:30am Playoffs
• 1:20pm Semi Finals 1, 2
• 5:00pm Bronze Medal
• 5:55pm 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 50s draw in its entirety, CLICK HERE

 

Last Word: The Men’s 50s side will have the distinct honour of tapping off our Australian World Cup campaign with their clash against South Africa. After falling short in 2019, the Athelite Australian Emus will be out for redemption this year in Nottingham.

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