Dear Members,
I am pleased to share an update from our recent Board meeting, along with several key developments shaping the future of Touch Football Australia (TFA). These updates reflect our continued commitment to good governance, strategic transformation, and elevating our sport at all levels. To support this, we will continue to provide regular updates to keep our community informed and engaged. We hope you find these communications valuable.
The Last Few Months
The past few months have been exceptionally busy, both on and off the field, with three major events delivered over just six weeks.
We began on Anzac Day with the return of international competition via the Open Trans-Tasman Series in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Athelite Australian Emus renewed their longstanding rivalry with the Touch Blacks across Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Open divisions. In a thrilling display, Australia claimed the series in dominant fashion, winning eight of nine games.
In May, Australia’s emerging stars shone brightly at the Asia Pacific Youth Touch Cup in Redcliffe, Queensland. Our young athletes won four of six grand finals against New Zealand, securing Champion Nation status and delivering several memorable moments.
Later that month, we hosted over 150 teams at our postponed national championship event, The Championships, in Coffs Harbour. The Hunter Western Hornets (Men’s), UQ Rebels (Women’s), and Southern Rebels (Mixed) each defended their titles with outstanding performances across three days of competition.
We also recognised the return of the Touch Football State of Origin series, delivered by NSW Touch Association and QLD Touch Football. NSW retained the shield in the 30th anniversary edition of the event, marking their tenth consecutive series win in the closest finish in the competition’s history.
On behalf of the Board, I extend our sincere thanks to the many staff, players, officials, referees, and volunteers involved. These events require immense effort behind the scenes, and we deeply appreciate your contributions.
Organisational Leadership and Change
Following the launch of our new strategic vision in response to critical gaps identified in late 2024, we held our first Board meeting in May in Coffs Harbour during The Championships. This session marked the first for Directors Sharyn Williams, Danielle Smith, and Brad Fittler, and their presence and fresh perspectives are already contributing meaningfully to our strategic direction.
We had also recently welcomed Mary Massih as National People and Culture Manager, supporting a collaborative, whole-of-sport approach across TFA, NSW Touch Association (NSWTA), and QLD Touch Football (QTF).
More recently, following a comprehensive operating model review, we farewelled Wayne Grant, Brian Carroll, and Brad Mitchell – three long-serving team members whose contributions to the sport have been immense. We thank them for their service and wish them every success in their next endeavours.
While change inevitably brings challenges, particularly for internal teams, it also opens the door to a stronger, more aligned organisation with reinvestment in critical roles. To that end, we have advertised for three key positions:
- General Manager – Growth & Innovation
- Senior Marketing Manager
- National Participation Programs Manager
We encourage interested and qualified individuals to apply by Wednesday, 18 July.
We are committed to increasing our resourcing and improving our organisational structure, particularly at a State level, to drive participation growth across the country – and are in the process of advising further vacant roles in due course.
Values and Culture Session
At The Championships in Coffs Harbour, we were privileged to participate in a values and culture session led by Darren Shand, architect of the All Blacks’ world-renowned team culture. The session presented an exciting whole-of-sport opportunity for a cultural reset guided by valuable principles. In attendance were NSWTA and QTF Chairs, Anthony Dudeck and Mathew Gilbertson alongside Board members, our Directors, and a representative group of members.
The session explored a unifying vision, values, and behaviours framework designed to strengthen our culture and inspire success across all levels of the sport – which proved immensely valuable to our shared cultural direction. There is another session currently planned for July 25 to continue this cultural journey for Touch Football.
Strengthening Governance
We continue to make significant strides in governance reform, with progress across several key areas:
Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee (ARCC)
Established in May 2025, the new ARCC includes Directors Sharyn Williams and John Mouawad, alongside independent member David McHale, a senior executive in finance – with all members bringing accounting qualifications.
Sharyn, a TFA Hall of Famer, currently acts as CFO with PWR Holdings Ltd, leading in financial strategy and governance, and holding legal qualifications, to guide our sustainability efforts. John’s leadership spans financial, commercial, and operational sectors with previous directorships in ASX-listed companies, currently a Partner at advisory firm KordaMentha. David brings over twenty years of executive leadership experience across Australia and the UK with expertise across commercial and financial management, as well as senior experience in sports broadcasting and the media industry.
Policy Development
- New Disciplinary Regulations have been approved by the Board following extensive stakeholder consultation.
- The National Selection Policy Steering Committee, chaired by Director Sharyn Williams, is reviewing our selection framework to align with national high-performance standards. Insights from independent experts, including Richard McInnes (ASC) and Sarah Cook (CEO of Rowing Australia), are helping shape this work alongside TFA Hall of Famers and national Opens coaches.
- A Participation Data Policy is being developed to enhance data capture and align with stakeholder expectations, including those of the NRL.
- A new Finance Policy is also in development to improve financial governance, support strategic investments, and manage risk.
Constitution Review
We are now turning our attention to constitutional reform to ensure our governance structures remain contemporary and fit for purpose.
CEO Report: Insights and Priorities
CEO Marcus Ashcroft provided a strategic report to the Board, offering detailed insights into key organisational issues and opportunities.
Participation Trends
While national participation has increased overall, this growth has been driven by strong results in WA, NSW, and QLD. Participation in alliance states continues to decline, largely due to legacy operating models and governance gaps – a trend requiring urgent attention, which has been partially masked by our recent international successes.
People and Culture
Talent development and succession planning remain a priority, with a focus on building capabilities, improving whole-of-sport career pathways, and rebuilding a fragmented and inconsistent organisational culture. This is directly linked to the current recruitment for key roles.
Strategic Learnings
Key findings from internal reviews highlight the need for greater integration between national and state bodies to support better planning and enable the modernisation of systems and services that more effectively assist staff. As part of this, we have recently welcomed Pinnacle as our outsourced IT service provider.
Finance and Sustainability
We acknowledge the need to improve budgeting processes and financial controls, following a substantial operating loss over the past twelve months. Preparation of the 2025-26 budget is underway, focused on strengthening our state affiliates through targeted investment in key capabilities and resources.
Strategic Partnerships & Olympic Progress
ASC & NRL Partnership
We have signed the largest ASC funding agreement in our history, with more funding on the table for the Play Well agreement, which will position our sport on a strong, forward-looking trajectory. Our relationship with the NRL also continues to grow, with successful activations at both the NRL Magic Round in Brisbane and State of Origin II in Perth. A multi-year partnership agreement is in development, and community engagement initiatives, such as Brad Fittler’s interview series, have been highly effective in promoting Touch Football. Click here to watch his interview with Sydney Roosters player Sandon Smith following his man-of-the-match performance on Anzac Day.
Olympics Bid
Momentum is building around our joint Olympic bid with the NRL. Further planning and stakeholder engagement are underway to formalise our pathway toward Olympic inclusion.
Strategic Priorities Ahead
In developing our next strategic plan to guide the growth and direction of Touch Football, we are seeking input from all those involved across the Touch Football community to ensure the plan reflects the needs and aspirations of everyone involved in the sport. Supported by agency Gemba, a leading sport and entertainment consultancy, we’ve reviewed the current landscape of Touch Football and are now launching a national stakeholder survey to better understand the views of the sport at all levels. Your insights are vital in shaping the future of Touch Football in Australia, so please click here to complete the survey and help shape our next strategic plan – or scan the QR code below.
Once the strategic plan is finalised, the TFA Leadership team will be conducting a national tour across all states and territories to present the plan in person and provide stakeholders the opportunity to ask questions and give feedback.
Additional areas of focus in the coming months include:
- Finance: Finalising the 2024–25 financial review, approving the 2025–26 budget, and assessing national membership fee structures.
- Restructuring: Supporting alliance states and implementing a revised organisational structure for more effective resourcing.
- Calendar Planning: Reviewing The Championships format and planning for the 2026 Asia Pacific Open Touch Cup.
- Governance: Continuing constitution and sport policy development, including a new National Player and Coaching Selection Appointment Policy and the annual financial audit.
- Partnerships: Deepening NRL collaborations and progressing Olympic bid preparations and building a whole-of-sport Commercial Framework to attract new sponsorship opportunities.
- Operational Planning: Introducing new capabilities and resources to grow participation and reviewing the whole-of-sport event calendar and broadcast strategy for 2025 onwards.
Member Engagement
We appreciate the valuable feedback and insights our members continue to provide. Your engagement helps us better understand what matters to you, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure we remain responsive to the needs of our community. We take all feedback and issues raised seriously and act accordingly to strengthen our sport for everyone and to build trust.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to shape an exciting future for our sport.
Yours sincerely,
Christian Frost
Chair – Touch Football Australia
