Thousands Celebrate Historic Opening of Inaugural Football NSW Deploy Association Championships
The inaugural 2026 Football NSW Deploy Association Championships made a spectacular start on Tuesday, with thousands of players, coaches, officials, families and supporters converging on Glen Willow Regional Sports Complex in Mudgee for a memorable opening day of New South Wales’ newest premier grassroots football event.
The three-day championships commenced with a vibrant Opening Ceremony that celebrated the spirit of community football, officially launching what promises to become one of the state’s marquee grassroots tournaments.
Football NSW’s Head of Football, Ed Ferguson, welcomed the football community as Master of Ceremonies before Football NSW Chair Gilbert Lorquet and Mid-Western Regional Council Mayor Des Kennedy officially addressed the crowd, highlighting the significance of the inaugural event and the partnership that has brought the Championships to Mudgee.
In a proud moment for every participating Association, two players from each team, accompanied by their coach, were introduced to a packed Glen Willow Regional Sports Complex, receiving a warm reception from the large crowd before competition officially got underway.
The atmosphere carried seamlessly into an action-packed opening day, with the state’s best emerging grassroots players taking to the field across the Boys Under 13 and Under 14, and Girls Under 14 and Under 15 competitions.
Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas said the opening day exceeded expectations and showcased exactly what the Championships were designed to achieve.
“To see thousands of people come together to celebrate the inaugural Deploy Association Championships was a fantastic way to launch this exciting new event,” Tsatsimas said.
“The atmosphere throughout the Opening Ceremony and across the first day of competition was outstanding. It was a real celebration of grassroots football and a credit to every Association, player, coach, volunteer and family who has made the journey to Mudgee.
“These Championships are about providing community players with a memorable representative football experience while strengthening connections across our football family. Day one certainly delivered on that vision.”
The celebrations continued into the evening as Football NSW hosted its official Association Chairs and CEOs Function at Club Mudgee, bringing together Association Chairs and Chief Executive Officers from across New South Wales. The function celebrated the ongoing strength of grassroots football while recognising the vital contribution Associations make to the game’s continued growth throughout the state.
Held from 7-9 July, the inaugural Football NSW Deploy Association Championships have brought together Association representative teams from across New South Wales in a festival of community football, while also incorporating referee coaching sessions, coach education workshops and player talent identification programs to further strengthen development pathways.
Football followers are reminded that all Championship Finals on Thursday will be streamed live and exclusively on the Football NSW YouTube channel, ensuring fans from across the state can witness the crowning of the inaugural champions.
