This weekend 10 Macksville Falcons touch football teams will compete in the three day NSW Junior State Cup Northern Conference at Port Macquarie.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
“We are sending away all our teams and age groups 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s and 18s, 10 teams in total, two girls and boys sides for each division,” Regional Director Craig Englert said.
“This is the biggest touch tournament in the world, and it's only getting bigger, 430 teams are competing this year.
“It has gotten so big that for the first time the competition was split in two, the Northern Conference which our teams are in, and the Southern.”
The Macksville Falcons are still relatively young having first formed in 2011; however, they have already amassed quite a few impressive accolades.
“We have been competing since 2012, Macksville teams have made the semi-finals of this competition before, and our 18s girls are ranked in the top 4, Englert said.
“We are a relatively small club compared to some of the others, all our teams are playing really well though,” he added.
It’s non stop, they will be playing all day in 25-minute games, there is no half time. The teams who play the grand final will have played in 12 matches by the end
- Craig Englert
Each team has been hard at work since September, training one to two times a week in preparation for the fast-paced competition that will see each side play a minimum of eight games over Friday and Saturday, more if they make the finals on Sunday.
“It’s non stop, they will be playing all day in 25-minute games, there is no half time. The teams who play the grand final will have played in 12 matches by the end, Englert said.
“After this weekend the top eight teams from the Northern and Southern conference will play in the state finals series in April.”
Joining the players this weekend are a dedicated team of staff, they may not be playing on the field, but they are an essential part to make the weekend a success for the club.
“Going away with the teams are qualified management staff who have generously donated their time. Each team has a coach, an assistant coach and a manager; there are 30 going away with the teams, plus 11 referees,” Englert said.