Northern NSW Football Technical Director Ryan Doidge believes NNSWF players will take the chance to compete in the Emerging Matildas Championships to test themselves and make it a key milestone in their development.
Players from across Australia are preparing to travel to Melbourne where the 2026 Emerging Matildas Championships will kick off on Friday.
Doidge will attend the tournament to oversee some of the region’s most talented players. He will also support NNSWF coaches and provide professional development opportunities for players and coaches throughout the tournament.
NNSWF will enter the Emerging Matildas Championships on the back of a successful 2025 campaign, with the under-15s finishing in second place after a hard-fought championship final. The under-16s placed seventh after narrowly missing out on a semi-final appearance.
“After an extensive talent identification period, during which we provided potentially talented players from our region the opportunity to showcase themselves alongside and against other identified players through our local A-Leagues program, we are excited to take these two squads to compete at the national level,” Doidge said.
“Ultimately this competition is about providing our players with an incredible experience while demonstrating the level of talent within our region and, hopefully, creating environments where players have the opportunity to be identified for junior national teams.
“On the back of a successful championship last year, where the teams competed at a high level and were consequently recognised by national team staff, we are hoping to continue building on this trend.”
The Emerging Matildas Championships will be played at the Home of the Matildas, Bundoora, from Friday 10 April to Wednesday 15 April, with testing taking place Thursday 9 April.
All member federations will be represented at the tournament, with NNSWF entering under-15s and 16s girls team.
The Vietnam under-15s women’s national team will participate in the Emerging Matildas Championship for the first time. The side enters the competition following the successful participation of Malaysia in 2025.
Vietnam will compete in the under-15s competition, allowing Australia’s best female talent the opportunity to test themselves against one of the region’s highest performers.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the players on their selection. It is a prestigious milestone in their careers to be chosen to represent the region and I would also like to extend that congratulations to our staff,” Doidge said.
“This year we are once again committed to having an all-female staff for the Emerging Matildas and we look forward to using this tournament to develop not only our players but also our coaches, managers and medical staff.
“I am proud to accompany our squads at the Emerging Matildas Championships and wish our teams, as well as the other member federations, the best of luck.”
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