Touch footy fever hits as NSW Country Champs heads to Wollongong

The tournament - which will be held on October 12-13 - will return to the region for the first time in over five years.

Local club the Wollongong Devils will be hoping to collect more silverware again. In the 2023 event, the Devils picked up two trophies in Mudgee in the womens 30s and mens 40s divisions, and four other sides reached the grand final.

Devils vice-president Tim Robinson said that he was expecting an even bigger effort from the club on home soil.

"It's really pleasing to have the event come back to Wollongong," Robinson said.

"It's quite a central location when you talk about country NSW, so it being held in Wollongong will probably mean more teams this year which is great.

"Last year we had six teams. We're looking to blow that out of the water this time round. We've just advertised for our trials, and we're hoping to get a lot more than six teams. We've probably got at least eight at the moment without really trying."

Divisions include mens, womens, and mixed opens, as well as 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s in both mens and womens.

"[Last year] we represented in every grand final that we had a team in, so that was quite pleasing," Robinson continued.

"So we'll definitely be looking to replicate that."

Games will be played at the Devils home ground, Thomas Dalton Park. If you would like to trial for the Country Championships, visit the Wollongong Devils website.