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First Nations Football

NAIDOC Cup

The NAIDOC Cup provides an opportunity for talented First Nations footballers from across NSW to represent Football NSW in a representative tournament against Northern NSW Football.

The annual event brings the two Member Federations together to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and communities through football, while providing representative pathways for First Nations players, coaches and referees.

The inaugural NAIDOC Cup was held in 2022 on Awabakal land at Northern NSW Football’s Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.

Following the success of the inaugural tournament, the NSW Government supported the 2023 NAIDOC Cup through the NSW Football Legacy Program. Hosted by Football NSW at Valentine Sports Park, the tournament expanded to include Under 14 age groups and became a three-day event.

Football NSW and Northern NSW Football now field male and female teams across the Under 14 and Under 16 age groups, with hosting duties shared between the two Member Federations.

The NAIDOC Cup continues to provide a meaningful representative pathway for First Nations footballers across NSW, while creating opportunities for First Nations coaches and referees and celebrating culture, connection and community through the game.

2026 NAIDOC Cup Details

The 2026 NAIDOC Cup will be held from Tuesday 29 September to Thursday 1 October 2026 at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility, the home of Northern NSW Football.

Football NSW and Northern NSW Football will go head-to-head across three days of football, with male and female teams competing in the Under 14 and Under 16 age groups.

After Northern NSW Football claimed the NAIDOC Cup in 2025, Football NSW will travel to Lake Macquarie looking to win back the trophy in 2026.

First Nations Football Festival

The First Nations Football Festival (FNFF), formerly known as the National Indigenous Football Championships is an annual tournament which originally commenced in 2016. The event is hosted by Dhubu Dinawan FC and was the first national open men and women football tournament for participants of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background.

The tournament is about showcasing the sporting abilities of Indigenous footballers and to create a pathway for Indigenous children and youth. The tournament promotes a healthy lifestyle, the importance of education, cultural awareness, respect on and off the field, and a drug and alcohol-free tournament.

Each year the tournament kicks off with a MiniRoos Schools Clinic which sees over 100 students attend on the day. Since its inception, not only has the schools clinic grown, so too has the number of senior men’s and women’s teams, as well as the inclusion of a junior tournament.

Teams competing in the tournament represent their Nation by wearing traditional artistic jerseys and colors with such teams travelling from areas such as:

  • Batemans Bay (NSW)
  • Cairns (QLD)
  • Canberra (ACT)
  • Dubbo (NSW)
  • Grafton (NSW)
  • Illawarra (NSW)
  • Jervis Bay (NSW)
  • Kempsey (NSW)
  • Newcastle (NSW)
  • Nowra (NSW)
  • Peak Hill (NSW)
  • Shoalhaven (NSW)
  • Sydney (NSW)
  • Tamworth (NSW)
  • Wallaga Lake (NSW)

Football NSW proudly supports the FNFF each year with the tournament being held as one of the key events over Summer Football. The tournament runs in November each year.

For more information to get involved in the championships please contact Bernie Mcleod – Tournament Director via nationalindigenousfootball@gmail.com

Nations of Origin

The Nations of Origin tournament has been designed to promote reconciliation within communities and engage Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal members in PCYC through the games of Rugby League 7’s, Football 5’s, Basketball and Netball. It also works off four main components: Reconciliation, Education, Cultural Identity and Sport. Coinciding with national NAIDOC Week, the tournament also celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

This tournament empowers and motivates our youth to celebrate Australia’s diverse Indigenous culture and its deep impact on our history and their stories. Nations of Origin has been held annually since 2012 which has now grown into one of the largest youth Indigenous sporting events in NSW.