It’s been a massive finish to the year in the Touch Football world, with several state cups occurring in recent weeks. From nail-biting finishes to historical triumphs, here is a recap of some of the biggest moments in recent times from around the country.
QLD State Cup
In wet and challenging conditions, the 2024 QLD State Cup saw a record 133 teams compete across twenty divisions at Coomera Sports Park on the Gold Coast. Over 3,000 players persisted in the heavy rainfall, including international teams from Japan and Samoa, with the tournament concluding on December 1, with the UQ Rebels successfully retaining their Women’s Premier title with a one-nil victory over Brisbane Metropolitan Touch Association (BMTA).
In the Mixed Premier division, the Toowoomba Twisters trumped Coolum six tries to five to take out the division. One of the stories of the tournament, Redlands Touch carried over their momentum from their Metro Cup victory to take home the Men’s Premier title, defeating BMTA six tries to two. A historic moment, this marked Redlands' first State Cup win in the division, capping off an incredible end to the year for the Brisbane affiliate. Despite falling short in both Premier Grand Finals, BMTA were still crowned Affiliate Champions for 2024, with Gold Coast and UQ Rebels rounding out the top three.
For more information, click here.
NSW State Cup
The 2024 NSW State Cup was hosted at Port Macquarie’s Regional Stadium from December 6 to 8, with fifty-two affiliates, 234 teams, and over 6,000 participants and spectators in one of the largest events on the Touch Football calendar. Taking place in Port Macquarie for thirty-four consecutive years, the event pits the best players from across NSW – with the elite looking to press their claims for the 2025 State of Origin and national team selection.
From scorching heat, storms, and power outages – the tournament persisted through the challenging conditions and delays to culminate in a series of intense finals, headlined by a nail-biting Men’s Open grand final with Doyalson Touch Association emerging victorious over Newcastle City five tries to four.
Newcastle City, however, retained their Club Championships crown, narrowly beating out challengers Manly-Warringah.
For full results, click here.
Match replays can be found live and free on Kayo Sports here.
WA Junior State Championships Presented by Fuel to Go and Play
The 2024 edition of WA’s Junior State Championships Presented by Fuel to Go and Play was the biggest edition of the event to date, with a record 102 teams competing.
The UWA Sports Park in Mount Claremont hosted all of the action, as Perth Brothers emerged as champions in a strong showing. With six grand final appearances and four titles, the capital city team proved to be a class above the rest across the junior division, emerging triumphant in the Opens Girls and Boys, and Under 12s Mixed and Boys divisions.
Kwinana Titans took out the Under 12s Girls division, whilst the 14s divisions went to Fremantle (Girls), Goldfields (Mixed), and ARKS (Boys) respectively.
