Junior players from Redlands Touch Association.
BY JAN NARY
“Visually, touch football is a great game; it’s fast, it doesn’t stop, and the players need skill, the ability to step out and find gaps, agility, teamwork and understanding of how to read a game. It’s high-paced and engaging, and to have it as an Olympic sport would be a dream – especially for Australia!”
Rachael Stacey can be allowed some bias. As Manager of Commercial, Events and Strategy of Queensland Touch Football, her passion is understandable, especially so close to the Queensland Touch Football Junior State Cup.
Touch football grew out of rugby league – Rachael points out that some league stars have actually come from touch – but it has the advantage of being safer for younger and older players.
“Touch football provides perfect off-season training, and because it doesn’t have the collisions of other football codes, it’s great for young athletes and is a fantastic opportunity for older participants to come back to reconnect with teammates in a fun and active sport. We have 79-year-olds still taking to the field. That makes it versatile, so that you can have teams with grandparents, parents and children all playing in the same team,” Rachael says.
While some young players move on to other football codes, many stay with touch throughout their playing lives.
“They come in young and go up through all the different levels. You’d be hard-pressed to find the skill level in other codes because touch footballers have been able to play the sport from such a young age. The life cycle of a touch player can be a lot longer than many other sports.”
Junior teams, which boast an equal split of male and female players, go from under 10 to under 18 years old. This year will see a record 273 teams participating, a boost to the Redlands of about 16,000 people each day, from Townsville to South Tweed and out to Emerald. The Redlands Touch Football Association has a record representation of 23 teams.
“There’s a sin bin, but it’s rarely used,” says Rachael. “The whole event is a festival; it’s wonderful to see the smiling faces – the players and their parents – and it’s a fantastic day out for anyone who wants to see if touch football is the sport for them!”
The 30th Queensland Junior State Cup will run from July 9 to 11 at the Redland Showgrounds and Henry Ziegenfusz Park.
