Approximately 9,000 junior touch stars and their families will take to the fields at the Lady Cutler Sporting Precinct in Dubbo over the next three days as Dubbo hosts the 2024 NSW Touch Junior State Cup Northern Conference.

“It is really exciting for our region to welcome the NSW Touch Junior State Cup Northern Conference back to Dubbo as part of a three-year contract. The feedback from last year’s event was overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to showcasing our beautiful region and impeccable sporting facilities once again this year,” Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Mathew Dickerson said.

“This major event is the biggest junior multi-day event Dubbo hosts and to help accommodate the large influx of visitors, Council has turned the Dubbo Showground into a caravan park.”

This major event is estimated to boost the regional visitor economy by $4 million through a wide range of businesses from accommodation providers, hospitality venues, retail outlets and tourism attractions.

“Preparations for the event have been underway for months now and we look forward to welcoming the junior teams and their families from today,” Clr Dickerson said.

The NSW Touch Junior State Cup Northern Conference brings together teams from across the northern half of the state including Sydney Metropolitan, Western NSW, Northern NSW, Central Coast, Mid North Coast and North Coast of NSW.

“NSW Touch Junior State Cup is one of the largest junior sporting events in Australia and will this year see 202 teams converge on Dubbo to compete in the northern conference of NSW Touch Junior State Cup. This is 15 more teams than 2023,” NSW Touch General Manager Dean Russell said.

“The success of last year’s event was a testament to the collaboration between NSW Touch, Dubbo Regional Council and Dubbo Touch Association. There has been a lot of work behind the scenes, and we appreciate everyone’s efforts to ensure another successful event this year,” Mr Russell said.

NSW Touch Junior State Cup is a free event and spectators are welcome to visit the Lady Cutler Sporting Precinct to watch any of the games with the grand finals to be played on Sunday afternoon. The winning teams from this event will progress to the Junior State Cup Final Series in March 2024.

The event was secured under Council’s Event Attraction Program and is being supported by Dubbo Touch Association.

The city has been prepped for the arrival of participants with welcome flags flying in Dubbo CBD. The flags are supported by local Welcome Partners including Westside Hotel, Intersport, Techni Clean, Inland Petroleum, Ballimore Welding and Redi.e Security.

Road closures will be in place around the Lady Cutler Sporting Precinct during the three-day event and there may be some traffic congestion at various times throughout the event. Residents are advised to visit www.dubbo.nsw.gov.au or the DRC Facebook page for full details on changes to traffic for the three-day event.