Dear Members,
As we move through the early months of 2026, on behalf of our Board, I wanted to share an update on Touch Football Australia’s (TFA) progress, what we have delivered based on previous commitments, and what’s ahead.
Before I do, I want to take a moment to acknowledge Marcus Ashcroft, who in March celebrated twelve months as our CEO. The progress you will read about in this update reflects his leadership and the strength of the team he is building around him. Marcus arrived with energy and conviction, and both are very much on show. Thank you, Marcus.
As you read on, I hope you get a genuine sense of the momentum we are building together. There is a lot to be proud of.
Strengthening Our Governance
Good governance underpins everything we do, and it is appropriate to continue to lead our Member updates with this.
The governance and policy changes made in 2025 have strengthened our decision-making, and our focus in 2026 is to take the next step and reform our Constitution, its first substantial review in a decade. With the guidance of external experts and the continued support of our Members, now is the right time to consider formalising:
- More independent directors on our Board: Increasing the proportion of independent director positions on the Board to align with leading practice.
- Board sub-committee modernisation: Formalising the role of our Audit & Risk and Nominations Committees in the Constitution for greater independence, oversight, transparency, and codifying the qualifications and experience necessary for committee members to perform these critical roles.
- Louder Member voices in the Alliance states: Lifting the profile and function of Alliance state representation at a governance level to maximise Member voice and ensure we continue to invest for sustainable participation growth.
We intend to formally put the proposed changes to Members in May, and we will continue to engage deeply before then.
Sustainable Finances
Strong governance and strong finances go hand in hand. The financial practices introduced in 2025 are delivering results; we are on track to achieving a surplus this year, and we will share more details once our finances have been independently reviewed.
As we plan for the year ahead, our priority is clear: sustaining the investments made in grassroots, and to this end, we are exploring creating a dedicated growth fund, quarantined specifically to co-invest with Members. We look forward to sharing further details following our budgeting process.
Participation Growth
Sustainable finances enable investment in participation growth, and our initial investments are paying early dividends.
Across the sport, we recorded 1.1% growth over the twelve months to January 2026. After several years of decline, targeted initiatives in Alliance states are seeing growth return:
- Victoria: +23%
- ACT: +12%
- Western Australia: +5%
Queensland (+3%) continues to expertly implement its strategy, and there is much we can learn from their consistent year-on-year increases.
Long-term declines have also halted in South Australia, Tasmania, and the NT, and our focus now turns to returning those communities to positive trajectories. Alliance State Action Plans are in place, backed by new investment in people and resources, including the creation and appointment of new roles across the Northern Territory and South Australia.
NSW, our largest member, experienced a small decline, but the direction of travel is changing. A new Board, a refreshed strategy, and strong new leadership are in place, and we are genuinely excited about what lies ahead for the game in NSW. Daniel Rushworth returns to our community as NSW Touch Football (NSWTF) CEO, having successfully delivered participation growth and governance reform across two NSW sporting organisations, and we could not be more pleased to welcome him back. Daniel commenced on 7 April, and we look forward to the energy and experience he brings. We also extend our sincere thanks to Marcus Ashcroft for his leadership as interim NSWTF CEO during the transition. Marcus, your contribution is appreciated.
Delivering on Our Commitments
Last year, we listened closely to our Members about their needs, and we committed to delivering and providing updates along the way.
National Selection Policy
Our new National Selection Policy is now live, establishing clear, transparent processes for identifying our best players and coaches, with specific provisions to ensure Alliance state talent is actively considered at every level. We have appointed expert independent selectors to support the policy:
- Mark Boland (Emu #27)
- Ryan Pollock (Emu #160)
- Melinda McMah (Emu #109)
- Peta Rogerson (Emu #85)
This commitment is now embedded in how we work. We thank those who helped bring this to life and to our new selectors for their contribution. We look forward to continually reviewing this Policy over time.
Alliance State Athletes in National Squads
We are proud of the Alliance state athletes selected in our 2026 national squads, and I would like to acknowledge them by name:
- Jaxson Tutavaha (WA)
- Zoe Leaver (VIC)
- Liley Quigley (ACT)
To each of you, your selection is richly deserved, and you are an inspiration to your communities. I also want to acknowledge everyone across our Alliance states who has contributed to the development of these athletes and ambassadors.
With the Asia Pacific Opens Touch Cup in Mudgee fast approaching, we look forward to announcing the Emus Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Teams in the next few days via TFA social media and email. I want to wish all our Emus teams and players the very best in advance. Representing Australia is a privilege, and we are proud of every one of you.
The Championships and Calendar Review
We committed to reviewing The Championships, and we have made significant progress. The process has been thorough, with over 450 survey responses, ten national focus groups, stakeholder interviews, in-event interactives, and benchmarking against other major events.
Initial findings are being assessed now, with recommendations due in April. The review covers the purpose, structure, location, and timing of the event, and we look forward to sharing outcomes with Members once finalised.
This work sits within a broader whole-of-sport calendar review. We are committed to reducing calendar clutter, creating clearer pathways, and delivering better experiences at every level of our sport.
Investing in Your Resources
You told us what you needed, and we listened. We have created new roles directly in response to Member feedback. We’re also working closely with Queensland Touch Football (QTF) and NSWTF to share resources across the three organisations where it makes sense, reducing duplication, improving consistency, and creating opportunities for our talented staff to work across the sport.
What you told us: We need more referees in WA to help our competitions grow. What we did: Employed a dedicated Referee Coordinator in WA.
What you told us: We need a resource focused on growth in the Alice Springs region. What we did: Regional Development Lead for Central Australia, currently being recruited, commencing mid-2026
What you told us: We need a resource focused on Affiliate and competition growth in South Australia. What we did: Club and Competition Development Coordinator currently being recruited, anticipated commencement mid-2026.
What you told us: We need a resource to manage the integrity and safeguard our sport. What we did: National Integrity and Compliance Manager, currently in the final stage of recruitment (shared resource).
What you told us: We need better MySideline support for affiliates. What we did: Appointed a dedicated Digital Coordinator to develop a roadmap for MySideline and provide hands-on support to affiliates nationally (shared resource).
Digital Growth, Commercial Progress, and Game Innovation
Our sport is growing in reach, ambition, and relevance, and this section captures three areas that reflect that momentum.
Reaching New Audiences
Our digital presence has grown significantly, and it matters because it reflects the health of our sport and opens doors to new participants and partners:
- 303,000+ social followers and 16.1% year-on-year growth,
- 55 million+ impressions in the past twelve months,
- 7.44% engagement rate, well above the industry average of 1-2%,
- 7.6 million views at The Championships, including 1.7 million for a single Hunter Western Hornets try, and
- 70% of our Instagram audience are non-followers, our story is reaching people who have never engaged with our sport before.
It was also wonderful to see Brad Fittler speak about Touch Football on Channel 9 (Link Here). Having Freddy share his passion for our game with a mainstream audience is the kind of endorsement our community loves, and it speaks to the growing profile of our sport.
These digital foundations are important, and we look forward to seeing this momentum convert into commercial revenue and sustainable participation growth.
On the commercial front, we have finalised our inaugural whole-of-sport national commercial framework with NSWTF and QTF. Our ambition is to secure more whole-of-sport partners in 2026, building sustainable foundations that benefit every level of our community.
Innovating Our Game
Touch Football has always reinvented itself; our very origin was as a Rugby League innovation. That spirit is alive and well in 2026.
We have already taken some meaningful steps. Last year, we piloted an indoor version of the game, and we are pleased to have received NSW Government funding to extend that pilot into specific communities.
At the Championships, we changed the rules to allow all 16 squad members in senior grades to take the field each game, and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
We are now exploring something bigger, looking at both our core game and alternate formats. Should advancing past halfway in three touches or fewer result in a set reset? Is six-a-side the right format, or would four, five, or seven work better? What rules could make the game more enjoyable for juniors and seniors alike? These are the kinds of questions we are asking, and we want the answers to come from you.
We know that many of you are on the front line of delivering our sport in the community and will have excellent ideas and feedback to share. This is why we are supporting a community-led initiative by Jason Stanton to capture the ideas from current and former players, referees, coaches, and administrators across the country. Jason has already spoken with more than 30 community members and is collating feedback to share with TFA. If you have an idea, reach out, and we will connect you directly with Jason.
Touch Almanac
Over the past two years, we have been working to digitise our history through the Touch Almanac, enabling detailed searches on team and player history. Simply search a name or team and explore results, including tournament standings, team wins, tries per player, and much more.
In partnership with TFA, NSWTF, QTF, and InvestStream, the first phase of the digitised Almanac will be launched shortly. This marks an important step forward in making our sport’s history more accessible for all participants.
This initiative would not exist without two people. Firstly, Cary Thompson, who has dedicated years to maintaining and safeguarding our sport’s historical records, the Almanac is built on Cary’s remarkable stewardship. Secondly, Anthony Dudeck, who has driven the digitisation of this treasure for the benefit of our entire community. Thank you both.
This initial release includes international event data, with future phases to expand into national competitions and continue building the Almanac as the single source of truth for Touch Football history.
The Almanac will be available shortly via the TFA website.
Acknowledgement
Our success is only possible due to the dedication of our talented team members. To this end, I want to congratulate Renee Bryant on nineteen years of service to TFA, and Warren Smiles on ten, both remarkable achievements. We also acknowledge Tallas Williams and Scott Glover for their contributions to Western Australia and Victoria, respectively, as they move on to new opportunities.
Looking Ahead
In Q1, we committed to a range of actions and initiatives that came out of the community engagement. I’m proud of the work the team has completed in a short amount of time, and I’d particularly like to call out these key projects that directly affect our members:
- Grassroots hires based on member feedback,
- National Selection Policy live and in action,
- Game innovation starting, and
- The Championships event review.
In Q2, the team will continue to deliver the initiatives of The Next Play Strategic Plan. I’d like to highlight just a few of the more critical components that contribute to the strong foundation that Marcus and his team are building:
- Constitution and STAC review,
- 2027 Event Calendar, and
- Digital uplift: MySideline development roadmap, digitisation of the Touch Almanac, and refreshed Affiliate resources via the Affiliate Hub.
From a Board perspective, our priorities are clear: consulting on and finalising our new constitution, supporting participation growth across every state and territory, and ensuring our commercial and digital momentum continues to serve our community.
The future of our community is strong, and I want to thank you for being part of it.
Yours sincerely,
Christian Frost
Chair – Touch Football Australia
