Touch Football Australia (TFA) has today announced a restructure of The Championships, with the event to adopt a refreshed format for 2026 as part of an ongoing review process.
Formerly known as the National Touch League (NTL), the event was reformatted in 2024 as The Championships, welcoming Affiliates to compete alongside Regional and State entities. The event was condensed to three days with shorter matches to encourage mass participation, an approach that resulted in record team growth (Appendix 1). While positive, there were also some unintended consequences that we will address for future events.
TFA originally committed to The Championships as a two-year trial, with a review to follow to inform the long-term future of the event. Over this period, TFA has welcomed many ideas and feedback from across the community on a range of aspects of the event, and we thank everyone who has contributed so far to this ongoing conversation.
With a new strategy about to be finalised in the coming month, we will soon turn our minds to re-shaping The Championships from 2027 and ensuring its continued relevance as a flagship event within the broader Touch Football calendar. An initial review and consultation with key stakeholders have already been undertaken, leading to refinements designed to balance participation growth with pathway development while enhancing the overall event experience for all attendees. These refinements will be in place for the 2026 event.
Looking forward, TFA will engage an external consultant to lead a detailed, independent review of The Championships from October 2025 through March 2026 (inclusive of the event itself). Their findings and recommendations, supported by the work of an internal Calendar Working Group, will help inform the event’s long-term future.
Importantly, The Championships cannot be considered in isolation; its review will form part of a whole-of-sport approach, considering the needs and alignment of all States and Territories, the Federation of International Touch, and the National Rugby League as part of our partnership in the ongoing Olympics bid.
The entire Touch Football community will have the opportunity to contribute to this process through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and direct engagement at the 2026 event.
TFA remains committed to providing transparent updates to the community and to ensuring The Championships delivers the strongest possible outcomes for players, referees, coaches, and supporters nationwide. Between April and May 2026, TFA will share further updates on The Championships and the direction of the Touch Football calendar, including consideration of the potential impacts of the 2032 Olympics.
Key Changes for 2026
Event Structure
- The Championships will return to a four-day event, running from Wednesday to Saturday, with Finals scheduled on Saturday afternoon to maximise crowds and create an exciting atmosphere for the title matches.
- Matches in Opens and 20s divisions will revert to full 20-minute halves, aligning with the international format and providing the best possible talent identification opportunities for players, coaches, and referees from across all divisions. Consultation remains ongoing for other divisions.
- Masters (W35, M40, W40, MX, M45, W45, M50, W50, M55, M60, M65) and All Abilities (T1, T2, T3) divisions will be permitted sixteen players per team to compete each game, supporting increased participation and playing time for athletes while also reducing player load to support safety.
- TFA is also considering modified tournament draw formats to ensure maximum competitive game time through to division finals.
Eligibility and Teams
- Player eligibility will align with State Cup events, requiring players to play at least five games in a minimum 7-week competition (plus finals) with an Affiliate in either S1 2025 or S2 2025.
- Players must trial for their Regional or State teams in the first instance or be endorsed by their Region to trial for an Affiliate team.
- If a player is not selected for their Region or State, they may then trial for an Affiliate team. Players selected in a Regional or State team cannot decline selection in order to represent an Affiliate.
- Where players are eligible for multiple States or Regions, they will only be required to be endorsed by one of their entities.
- Home Grown status will be recognised for players who are eligible per above, and are seeking to represent their Home Region, where they first represented at an NTL/The Championships.
- Affiliate teams may compete with endorsement from their relevant Region or State, which is expected to be provided in good faith and may not unreasonably withhold approval.
- All Abilities teams can represent their Region, State, or Affiliate, without requiring an endorsement, with a focus on maximising participation and creating opportunities for more athletes to compete at a national level.
- TFA will work with entities to refine the player loan scheme, ensuring players are provided with maximum opportunities to participate in The Championships.
Dates and Venue
Dates and venue for The Championships 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks via TFA channels.
Appendix 1: Team Numbers for National Touch League/The Championships
| Year | Teams (Excluding All Abilities) | All Abilities Teams | Total Teams |
| 2016 | 118 | N/A | 118 |
| 2017 | 122 | N/A | 122 |
| 2018 | 124 | N/A | 124 |
| 2019 | 98 | N/A | 98 |
| 2020 | 105 | 7 | 112 |
| 2021 | 102 | 12 | 114 |
| 2022 | 112 | 12 | 124 |
| 2023 | 119 | 15 | 134 |
| 2024 | 151 | 14 | 165 |
| 2025 | 133 |
17 *18 registered before postponement |
151 *169 registered before postponement |
