Wednesday, March 13, 2013
By Ben Harris
The best players from around Australia will go head-to-head today when the 2013 X-Blades National Touch League, taps off at the BCU International Stadium in Coffs Harbour.
The NTLs will showcase the return of the Elite Eight Series in the men’s and women’s opens divisions.
More than 100 teams from around Australia and including three international teams – Scotland, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea – will play across 14 divisions throughout the four-day tournament.
This is the first time the NTLs has returned to Coffs Harbour since 2008. It’s the second year of the biennial Elite Eight Series.
Touch Football Australia Colm Maguire said he was looking forward to seeing the best against the best in the country.
“Two years has been a bit too long, I think to have the Elite Eight back and going annual from here on in is going to be a fantastic opportunity for the sport and in particular, given the recent occurrences in New Zealand, it really sets up the framework for our athletes to perform,” Maguire said.
“I think the athletes themselves really responded well to it, I think most of them would say it was the toughest competition they have ever played in.
“Again it is timely to have it back. We will build from here on to 2015 and have a calendar that is really starting to focus on that elite performance level.”
The NTLs features a wide range of divisions from mixed opens to men’s 55s.
One division that has Maguire particularly excited is the T-League.
“The concept was with the advent of the Elite Eight, the competition where the regional and state entities can still have ownership over their development pathway,” he said.
“Actually have up to six athletes that don’t make those Elite Eight sides or mixed sides and actually come back and participate with some young kids in their 20s and bring them through and hopefully support them as they get introduce to a higher level of the game.”
Teams from outside New South Wales and Queensland will also take part in the tournament, continuing their development of touch football.
But the highlight, for Maguire, would be the involvement of Scotland, Hong Kong and PNG.
“It is just a prelude I think, I think we [Touch Football Australia] will learn more from those teams than they will learn from us,” Maguire said.
“The opportunity to sit down with each of those nations and say you know ‘how did you experience coming over? The length of the tournament? How was it run? What’s sort of feedback would you have for a World Cup?’ I think that will be valuable lessons for our teams to take on.
At least we know those three nations will be represented come 2015 [in the World Cup].”
You can keep up-to-date with all of the latest news and information from the 2013 X-Blades National Touch League in the following ways:
Websites
Social Media
Facebook – www.facebook.com/touchfootballaustralia
Twitter – www.twitter.com/touchfootyaus (be sure to use the hashtag #NTL2013)
Instagram – search for ‘Touch Football Australia’
YouTube - www.youtube.com/touchfootballaus
- Links:
Ready for tap-off
