Australia’s most esteemed junior football tournament for boys will take place from October 3rd in Coffs Harbour, with over 450 of Australia’s best young male footballers in the 13 Years and 14 Years divisions set to participate in the FFA National Youth Championships for Boys.
The tournament held at C.ex International Stadium, Coffs Harbour will involve 27 teams from around Australia, with over seven teams contesting in each age division.
Hosted by Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) at the Coffs Harbour facility since 2006, last year marked the commencement of a further three-year tenure which will see the Championships, along with the Westfield National Youth Championships for Girls returning to Coffs Harbour until 2017.
Member for Coffs Harbour, Andrew Fraser, said the FFA National Youth Championships for Boys is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.
“Supporting a wide range of events in our region provides a boost to our local visitor economy while showcasing our spectacular beaches, national parks and local attractions. We look forward to welcoming competitors and spectators to Coffs Harbour this October for another fantastic few days of football.”
The 2015-17 NNSWF bid was supported by long-time partner, Coffs Harbour City Council and Sports Unit, along with Destination NSW, with both recognising the significance of the tournament as a catalyst for tourism and economic benefit in the Coffs Harbour region and wider NSW and the partnership facilitating a strong bid.
NNSWF Chief Executive Officer David Eland said: “Northern NSW Football is delighted to again host the FFA National Youth Championships for Boys which sees Australia’s best young male talent converge on Coffs Harbour to gauge their abilities against the best players from across Australia.”
“Football has been showcased at the Rio Olympics by our Matildas and the Socceroos recent success over the UAE in their World Cup qualifier has them sitting atop their qualifying group ahead of matches against Saudi Arabia and Japan. With this continuing profile of Australian football on the world stage, we expect to see a further rise in the number of those playing our sport.”
“With a Technical Panel consisting of FFA Coaching Staff in attendance throughout the week, the Championships provide young male players with the opportunity for identification for future Australian team camps and the potential to one day represent our country at the highest level,” Mr Eland concluded.
The Championships conclude on Friday 7th October when Champions will be decided before the presentation of trophies and medallions which will take place at 6:15pm.
2016 NNSWF Representative Squads
Official Fixture Draw – FFA National Youth Championships for Boys 2016
