Junior Rep Information
If you want to play touch at the next level, representative touch is for you. Newcastle City Touch Association selects junior representative teams each year. These teams play in a number of tournaments from November to March, culminating in the Junior State Cup.
How can I join a representative team?
Junior representative teams are selected for Boys and Girls Under 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18. There are no mixed junior representative teams. Note: Under 8 teams will only play in local gala days. There is no Under 8 division for the Junior State Cup.
To be eligible for selection in a rep team, you must:
- Be registered as a player in our current junior or senior competitions.
- Attend the selection trial prior to the rep season commencement.
- Be within the maximum age for the team you trial for e.g. to be eligible for an Under 12 team in 2024/25, you must be 12 or younger as of 31 Dec 2025
Note:
- The age requirements for our summer competition are aligned with representative age requirements i.e. if you are eligible to play in our 11 years & under competition in 2024 (i.e. you are 11 or younger as of 31 Dec 2024), then you are eligible for selection in the 2024/25 Under 12 representative team.
- A given team will only proceed if we believe we have viable numbers in the squad as well as qualified coach, manager and sufficient referees to cover our tournament requirements.
What are the requirements of the representative teams?
Player nominations are now open for the 2024/2025 season: Nominate here!
U8’s and U10’s- 1pm-2pm
U12’s and U14’s- 2:30pm-3:30pm
U16’s and U18’s- 4pm-5pm
If players are selected in a representative team, players are expected to attend regular training sessions and every day of each tournament. Training sessions are at the discretion of the coaching staff but often these are weekly on Sunday afternoons, with potentially extra weekday sessions leading up to tournaments.
Representative teams are also expected to play in a number of tournaments. For the 2023/24 season, Newcastle City junior rep teams will compete in the following tournaments.
| Date | Tournament | Participation |
| 23-24 Nov 2024 | Don Green Western Championships (DGWJC) @ Mudgee | U10’s, U12’s, U14’s, U16’s and U18’s |
| 15 Dec 2024 | Hornet Minis (TBC) | U8’s and U10’s only |
| Jan 2025 (Date TBC) | Wallsend Gala Day | U10’s, U12’s, U14’s, U16’s and U18’s |
| 1-2 Feb 2025 | Peter Wilson Memorial Championships (PWMC) Juniors @ Nelson Bay | U10’s, U12’s, U14’s, U16’s and U18’s |
| 21-23 Feb 2025 | Junior State Cup (JSC) Northern Conference @ Dubbo | U10’s, U12’s, U14’s, U16’s and U18’s |
| 2 Mar 2025 | Junior State Cup (JSC) Finals @ Sydney | Qualifying teams only |
Notes:
- Any extra local gala days or training sessions with local clubs may also be organised during the rep season.
- Any development teams will attend any opportunities possible but will not attend Junior State Cup 2025.
- The Junior State Cup is split into Northern and Southern Conferences with a separate Final. Newcastle City is part of the Northern Conference. The top team from each division in each conference will proceed to the Finals.
What is the cost?
Representative competition is a great experience, however there are costs involved that you should be aware of. The following items are to be paid per player (note: any listed costs are indicative only and may vary). Where not available, previous year costs are included as a guide.
| Item | Cost per player | Notes |
| 2024/25 representative player levy | Approx. $150 (TBA) | The player levy covers costs incurred by Newcastle City Touch Association for referees at events, presentation day, general equipment and administration. |
| Uniform fees | ~$100 | Dependent on uniform requirements of each player- same uniform as 2023/2024 season |
| Tournament fees |
TBA Hornets ~$80 NSW Touch ~$120
|
These are fees as set by tournament directors, are not included in the representative player levy and must be paid separately. This covers tournament costs including field hire and insurance, equipment and match officials. |
| Optional Tournaments | TBA by each team manager | Costs for participation at optional tournaments are not included in the representative levy and are to be paid separately. This will include tournament fees and costs incurred by the team (e.g. costs for supplying referees). Such participation will be determined by the coach and organised by the team manager. |
| JSC Finals | TBA for qualifying teams | Cost of participation in JSC Finals is dependent on qualification. The club will aim to minimise tournament costs to participants as much as possible. |
| Travel and accommodation | Determined per family | All travel and accommodation costs are covered by players and their families. Some tournaments are close enough for day trips, however most players and families will seek accommodation for Junior State Cup Northern Conference plus (hopefully!) the Finals in Sydney. |
What about the NSW Touch player transfer policy?
From 1 May 2018, NSW Touch started administering their Player Transfer Policy. This process can affect players that have previously represented another affiliate at a NSW Touch representative event such as Junior State Cup.
If you have not previously represented another affiliate, you can skip this section.
Otherwise, the policy may affect your ability to join a Newcastle City junior rep team. As long as you meet the other eligibility criteria, you are still welcome to trial for our rep teams.
Under the policy, a maximum of 4 junior players per gender will be cleared for transfer by NSW Touch each year. Exemptions may be granted by NSW Touch due to exceptional circumstances (e.g. relocation). However, you should be aware that we may not be able to select some players due to the restrictions of the policy.
