Up to 1,000 netballers from across NSW are expected to participate in this year’s tournament which will be held at Charlestown Netball Courts near Newcastle on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October.
The tournament provides an opportunity for netballers to showcase their talent in a competitive and inclusive environment, and in an effort to enhance reconciliation, teams may feature both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal netballers.
Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said:
“The Koori Netball Tournament is a great example of how sport can bring people together in a healthy, positive way, promoting and showcasing Aboriginal sports women.
“For more the 20 years the Koori Netball Tournament has been enhancing reconciliation through sport.
“The standard of play is always high and we’re looking forward to some fantastic games at this year’s tournament.
“But regardless of whether you win or lose, all participants will come away with a smile on their face after a weekend of fun and inclusive competition.”
Charlestown Netball Association President Di Pascoe said:
“We started the Koori Netball Tournament 23 years ago and we love that it’s still going strong, that it’s still bringing people together for two days of fun.
“Hosting the Koori Netball Tournament is an annual highlight for us, it’s such a great event.
“There were nine teams that played in the first Koori Netball Tournament.
“This year, we may see 100 teams or more from across NSW and that’s very exciting for the community.”
“We love seeing the community come back each year, seeing people re-connect with one another and with more than two decades of the Koori Netball Tournament, we have seen multiple generations come back to play and to support each other – it’s wonderful.”
Netball NSW Executive General Manager – Communities & Pathways, Tim Fava said:
“The Koori Netball Tournament has become a staple of the NSW netball calendar to showcase the magnificent talent, community and contribution of First Nations people to our game.
“Not only does the tournament provide an opportunity to identify indigenous talent, but more importantly, also plays a major role in bringing together community in celebration of netball.
“We are delighted to see this hugely important competition take place in Charlestown once again and look forward to a wonderful few days for netball in the Region.”
