Football NSW ready to celebrate 2023 NAIDOC Week

Football NSW will be joining the 2023 NAIDOC Week celebrations from the 2nd to the 9th of July with several exciting activations and new initiatives.  

Held annually, NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with this year’s theme being ‘For Our Elders’.  

After the success of the 2022 NAIDOC Cup, the competition is back in 2023 and will feature teams from Football NSW and Northern NSW Football who will go head-to-head in a bid to take home the Cup at Valentine Sports Park.  

The 2023 NAIDOC Cup has expanded to a three-day event kicking off on Monday 3rd July and concluding on Wednesday 5th July. 

Football NSW and Northern NSW Football will enter male and female teams in the under-14s and under-16s age groups, with squads made up of First Nations players. The tournament will also engage First Nations coaches and referees from across the state. 

The event is in partnership with Football NSW’s Indigenous Advisory Group. 

As part of NAIDOC Week, Football NSW will also mark weekend competitions on the 9th -11th July as ‘Indigenous Round’, providing clubs from across the state with the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the traditional custodians of the land which they are based in. 

NAIDOC Cup Event Program

NPL.TV to stream NAIDOC Cup Matches

All 8 matches from the 2023 NAIDOC Cup will be streamed live and exclusive only on NPL.TV.

Football NSW commentators Steven Poletti and Nicholas Kutnjak will be calling all the action as we find out who will be crowed Champions in their respective age groups.

These matches will take shape on Tuesday 4^th of July and Wednesday 5^th of July at Valentine Sports Park.

Match Times are as follows:

Tuesday 4^th July

• Under 14 Boys: 10:30am – 11:55am
• Under 14 Girls: 11:55am – 1:20pm
• Under 16 Boys: 1:20pm – 3pm
• Under 16 Girls: 3pm – 4:40pm

Wednesday 5^th July

• Under 14 Boys: 9am – 10:25am
• Under 14 Girls: 10:25am – 11:50am
• Under 16 Boys: 11:50am – 1:30pm
• Under 16 Girls: 1:30pm – 3:10pm

How can your club activate ?

• Matchday ‘Welcome to Country’: If you are interested in having a local Elder provide a Welcome to Country, we would suggest the first point of call would be your local Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Officer (or alike) Acknowledgement of Country: If a Welcome to Country is not possible, we would also suggest an Acknowledgement of Country (example below) prior to any local events which can be delivered by a club administrator.More information on Acknowledgement of Country
  
  Working example of Welcome to Country:
  “I begin today by acknowledging the [name of local custodians], the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather here today and pay my respect to Elders both past, present, and future. I extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples here today.”
  
• Create a social media post acknowledging NAIDOC Week and supporting the 2023 theme (using the #NAIDOC2023, #NAIDOCWeek or #NAIDOC hashtag)
• The NAIDOC Week website has a number of digital assets that a club can utilise including various logos and an email banner.
• The NAIDOC Week website has a list of ideas to activate for local events, including flag raising and / or smoking ceremonies, community BBQs, and more.