Touch Football Australia (TFA) is pleased to announce the TFA All Stars and Indigenous All Stars Touch Football teams to take part in the 2015 Harvey Norman All Stars event.
Touch Football will feature prominently in the overall event program for the first time in 2015; featuring some of Australia’s best players comprising a TFA All Stars Mixed team set to play an Indigenous All Stars Mixed team as a curtain-raiser to the Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match at Gold Coast’s Cbus Stadium on Friday February 13.
The selection process aligns with the Rugby League All Stars format with a distinct public engagement/voting approach encouraging interactivity and input from the public.
The TFA All Stars team consists of players from all states and territories across Australia. Four players are selected from both New South Wales and Queensland by NSW Touch Association and Queensland Touch Football, respectively. A public vote on the six players from the remaining states was conducted over the past week via a successful social media campaign. TFA chief executive officer, Colm Maguire, selected two ‘CEO picks’ to round out the team.
The Indigenous All Stars team was selected by a panel of selectors and sees players from across Australia chosen, including current Australian Men’s 30s representative and NRL great, Scott Prince.
According to Maguire, the final make-up of the teams will provide for a wonderful spectacle and will complement well the overall Harvey Norman All Stars event program and the outstanding work conducted by TFA in the Indigenous participation and development space.
"As a result of the strategic partnership with the National Rugby League, TFA has been provided with a number of terrific opportunities to promote and expose the sport via key NRL fixtures and programs; the most recent including various game day activations at the 2014 NRL Grand Final," Maguire said.
"Touch Football has once again been provided a wonderful opportunity to highlight our sport on the national stage with a key Mixed Open fixture featuring a cross section of our diverse participation profile as part of the return to the NRL calendar of the highly popular Harvey Norman NRL All Stars clash.
"While the rugby league match provides the opportunity for the NRL to showcase the best players and best Indigenous talent within the sport, we now also have the opportunity to also showcase the best touch football talent across the breadth of the country and wider participation within the sport of Touch Football.
"With over 9,000 votes being cast over the six day period, TFA has been extremely pleased with the support and interest in the concept from the touch football community. I congratulate all those selected and wish all competitors the very best in coming weeks."
"Harvey Norman is thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase two key naming rights NRL sponsorships at the same event on February 13," said David Ackery, executive director of Harvey Norman.
"Our continued support of All Stars and our new naming rights partnership with Touch Football cements our commitment to the overall game."
TFA would like to congratulate the following players, coaches and referees on their selection:
TFA All Stars: Sam Brisby (NSW), Scott Buckley (CEO pick), Caitlyn Costello (NT), Hannah Dyball (NSW), Tim Glazebrook (SA), Kylie Hilder (CEO pick), Samantha Hopkin (QLD), Taylor Mason (VIC), Kennedy Merito (WA), Peter Norman (QLD), Laura Peattie (NSW), Peta Rogerson (QLD), Ryan Smith (TAS), Jacinta Williams (ACT), Matt Wilson (NSW), Dan Withers (QLD). Coach: Micheal Lovett.
Indigenous All Stars: Scott Bundy (NSW), Justin Costello (NT), Nakia Davis-Welsh (NSW), Bo De La Cruz (NT), Kasey Dragisic (ACT), Cody Green (QLD), Theo Majid (QLD), Jemma Mi Mi (QLD), Jenaya Quan (WA), Kobe Nona (QLD), Lachlan Pierce (QLD), Scott Prince (QLD), Jarrad Rotumah (NSW), Trent Touma (NSW), Tamika Upton (QLD), Marikki Watego (QLD). Coach: Phil Gyemore.
Referees: Dale Lawrence, Matt Prendergast and Denise Weier.
