National Indigenous Championships kick off on a high
Indigenous football is alive and well, that was the key message sent out to the rest of the nation as Day 1 of the 2018 National Indigenous Championships held at the South Nowra Complex kicked off on Thursday.
Known as the largest Indigenous Football Championships in Australia supported by Football NSW and run by the Wreck Bay Sharks FC, competitive matches were evident right throughout the day in the Open Men and Women competitions.
The Open Men’s category saw the Yuin Black Cockatoos take charge of Group A while the Gandhi Warriors FC take a strangle hold in Group B.
While in the Open Women’s competition after day 1, the Yuin Black Cockatoos have also shown their quality sitting in pole position in Group A while the Illawarra Bungarras have taken an early lead in Group B.
The unique three-day tournament run the in the Shoalhaven District Football Association has already exceeded the number of teams for 2018 enforcing the message that this is one of the premier Indigenous football events of the year attracting interest from the ACT, Northern NSW, Northern Territory and NSW – this on top of an U14’s competition added for the Championship.
Over 400 Indigenous Football Players from 40 teams will be competing for the $10,000 prize pool. This includes 16 teams of young indigenous people participating in the Jade North World Cup Series.
Friday will see the Under 14 Boys and Girls competition kick off as well as the first ever Elders Walking Football exhibition match featuring Elders from the Shoalhaven area promoting healthy lifestyles and wellbeing while FFA CEO David Gallop is set to make an appearance in what has been a magnificent start to the tournament.
The day will also feature Jade North’s popular “Kickin with a Cuz” activation alongside former Socceroos teammate Luke Wilkshire who will be running a joint Wollongong Wolves clinic.
The 2018 National Indigenous Football Championships will also offer the chance to participate in the National First Nations Team to represent Australia and play against the New Zealand Maori team in the second annual Trans-Tasman Cup to be held in January 2019. Players who participate in the tournament have the chance to be selected for this national representative team which will be announced at the Tournament Presentation Event to be held at Bomaderry Bowling Club on Saturday 3rd November.
