Football NSW announce new tournament ahead of the NSW NPL Women’s season

The governing body for football in NSW is hoping to capitalise on the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup by announcing a new knockout competition.

WITH women’s football firmly in the spotlight due to the upcoming women’s FIFA World Cup later this year, to be held on home soil in Australia and New Zealand, Football NSW has pledged equality and parity for the future.

An extra two teams will compete in this year’s NSW NPL women’s, bringing the competition to 14, with the governing body also announcing a brand-new knockout competition, the Sapphire Cup, which will be open to all NPL NSW and Football NSW League One teams.

“They’re things that we’ve been wanting and needing for such a long time,” Macarthur Rams player Alex Huynh said.

Alex plays for current women’s NSW NPL Champions Macarthur Rams, and believes the spotlight on the sport recently can only be good for both the players and fans alike.

Alexandra Huynh of women's NSW NPL side Macarthur Rams

“You go to any Matilda‘s game and you just see a sea of little girls, so it’s quite inspiring.

I think initiatives like the Sapphire Cup are doing nothing but creating more spaces for people to be able to play.”

Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas agrees the focus of women’s football is long overdue, and the new Sapphire Cup is a good step.

“If we’re talking about parity, equality and inclusion, we need to replicate what’s been out there for the men’s program for a long period of time,” he said.

The Sapphire Cup will replicate the existing men’s Waratah Cup knockout competition, and is named after the NSW Sapphires team who were part of the former Women’s National Soccer League.

It’s hoped that if the new Cup is successful, it will lead into the development of a national women’s football knockout competition, similar to the Australia Cup, which includes A League Men’s teams.

“To finally get the chance to play in something like that, that replicates that, is quite exciting,” Huynh said.

Football NSW is looking to remedy the low visibility in the male-dominated sport, along with Football Australia, and is using the popularity and success of the women’s national team and upcoming World Cup to boost the sport.

Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas

“We are working towards parity in every sense, in terms of not only participation, but leadership and coaching, to administrators to volunteers, and that cannot be done without heavy investment in a philosophical sense and a participation sense of females in our sport,” Tsatsimas said.

Football NSW is investing in women’s football, with the NSW Football Legacy Program providing a $10 million investment from the state Government to support football at all levels, which Tsatsimas said will “capitalise on the World Cup”.

“Without women, football doesn’t exist. I think Football NSW needs to be at the very heart of the fabric for women’s football and football in general.”

Addressing concerns the support and promotion of women’s football will fizzle out after the World Cup in July, Tsatsimas insisted it will continue to grow well beyond this year.

“Parity in our sport is a policy, it’s not time expired.”

Huynh also hopes this year will be a catalyst for change for the sport.

“I think in any sport, equality and parity will always be a challenge. There’s still a lot of work to do, but I think we’re heading in the right direction.”

Originally published as Football NSW announce new tournament ahead of the NSW NPL Women’s season