Page 6 - 2018 NTL The Wrap Up

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
Welcome, everyone, to beautiful Coffs Harbour for the 2018 National Touch League (NTL) and Elite Eight! 2018 is a particularly exciting year, being 50 years since the birth of our sport – our Golden Jubilee!
As many of you would know, the rst touch football tournament took place back in 1968, in Sydney.
Fifty years on, and some of the guys who were playing back then are still playing today – amazing! Not many sports can attest to ve decades of active player participation. It’s a testament to the fact that “everyone can play” Touch, and the sport is central to a t and healthy life for so many.
Another exciting highlight this year, is that for the rst time in NTL history, there will be a Men’s 60’s division with four teams of players aged 60-plus. And there’s also a strong representation of female participants – 58 of the 123 teams here at NTL are Women’s or Mixed teams.
The booming popularity of women’s sport in Australia has been a hot topic lately. As a sport, touch footy has always provided an even playing eld for women and men, girls and boys. Touch is not about being a men’s sport, or a women’s sport, it’s about being a great sport for everyone!
Which brings me to the fact that it’s also exciting to have some of the Jillaroos, Maddie Studdon and Chelsea Baker, as well as former NRL greats, CliffLyons and Scott Prince, competing here in Coffs this year. Five decades after our sport was developed through rugby league as an off-season training game, it’s great to see that strong pathway – from touch football to the NRL and, quite often, back to touch footy. We look forward to developing this pathway further, and continuing to strengthen the partnership between the NRL and Touch Football Australia (TFA).
I’d also like to welcome a Japanese team to Coffs Harbour for the tournament. The team is competing in the Men’s T League division! Thank you for coming all this way.
Many of you have travelled considerable distances to be here. Thank you to all the players, their families, clubs, coaches, team managers, our fantastic referees, and our generous volunteers, without whom this event would not be possible.
Thank you to our destination partners, Coffs Harbour’s City Council, for their ongoing support and also the NSW Government through Destination NSW for assisting our sport to thrive in this wonderful part of the world.
Thank you also to our fantastic corporate partners, BLK, Linebreak, Steeden, X-Blades, My Sports Tape, Hyperactive Merchandising and our newest partner, Pizza Hut.
On behalf of all the staff at TFA, and the TFA Board, we hope that everyone has a fantastic time at the event. Make sure you show us what you’re up to by using the hashtag #NTL2018 or #Elite8.
And between matches, make sure to tune into the livestream of every single game played on eld
one, at the TFA YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/ touchfootballaus
I’m looking forward to making my way around the event, meeting as many of you as possible, and watching some superb touch footy.
Steve Mitchell
CEO, Touch Football Australia
6 THE WRAP UP MARCH 2018