Clubs Show Support For Inaugural Women’s State Cup

Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) has secured 20 club teams from across Northern NSW to compete in the inaugural NNSWF Women’s State Cup competition on the 23^rd and 24^th September 2017 at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility in Speers Point.

This will be the first time that many of these teams will compete against each another in sanctioned competition with the inaugural event featuring teams from across Northern NSW.

Five teams from the regional areas have signed up to compete and NNSWF is hoping that after the inaugural year, it will attract more female sides from throughout Northern NSW.

Football Far North Coast Coach, Paul Hanigan, says their Zone did not want to miss out on this event!

“We are very excited about the prospect of competing against some of the best women’s teams in Northern NSW,” Hanigan said.

“This tournament will be a great showcase for women’s football and the Far North Coast did not want to miss out on such an event.”

“It will be a great opportunity to display the talent that we have in the Far North Coast area,” Hanigan concluded.

Newcastle University Women’s FC President Steph Palmer said that her club is excited at the opportunity to compete against elite women’s teams to benchmark her own club’s ability.

“The introduction of the Women’s State Cup is an exciting step forward for women’s football. It is providing a fantastic opportunity for our club to challenge our team by competing against Women’s Premier League clubs, something we have not done in the past, allowing us to compete against the best and prove ourselves as an established club,” Palmer said.

The competition is a possible stepping stone for a National Women’s FFA Cup as States across Australia move to align their Premier Women’s Competition with the PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues (NPL) format.

The men’s State Cup, which was introduced in 2012, transitioned into the Nationwide competition that is now the Westfield FFA Cup in 2015, including PS4 NPL teams as well as Hyundai A-League teams.

The establishment of the Women’s State Cup was a strategic initiative for Northern NSW Football in the 2016-2019 Strategic Plan which outlines Northern NSW Football’s aim to be a leading organisation for females.

Events like this provide more opportunities for women to enjoy the sport and move towards ensuring that the opportunities for females reflect those that are currently available for male players.

The official draw for the inaugural NNSWF Women’s State Cup will take place LIVE on Friday, July 28^th at the Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility.

Stay up to date with NNSWF Women’s State Cup information HERE.