Thomas Donehue Singleton referee and member of the Touch Football Australia National Referee Squad for 2026/27
You’ve recently been selected in the Touch Football Australia (TFA) National Referee Squad – can you take us back to where it all started and how your journey began?
I’ve spent nearly a year in the NRS after being selected back in July 2025. Started back in 2015 when I done the Level 1 course in Singleton. Only ever played touch in the local comp and the opportunity came around when the club were looking for more referees to help out on a Wednesday arvo. Took a lot of time off touch refereeing for footy, and ended up coming back in 2022 as a Level 2 and kicked off from there again.
How important has your local affiliate (Singleton) and the support of your community been in getting you to this point?
It’s been massive without the affiliate and Barry Nichols I probably wouldn’t be referring today. Baz was always onto me about going to tournaments and pushing for upgrades and he’s always been supportive of my journey as-well as the Singleton Affiliate.
What advice would you give to referees in regional and grassroots areas, who are looking to take the next steps in their journeys?
Stick with it and give it your all. I stand by if you’re gonna do something, do it right and to the best of your ability. You’re gonna have setbacks and challenges and it’s very cliche, but they are going to shape the referee and person you become from overcoming them. Always do it with a smile on your face and have fun.
Even with your national selection, how important is it to stay connected to your grassroots and how do you do that?
It’s very important to stay connected to your grassroots Affiliate and give back to something that has given you so much. When I can get away from work and make it to the local comp, I always enjoy helping out our junior referees with their own development and progression through the sport, so they can maybe one day be fortunate enough to be a part of a national squad.
From the first whistle Friday morning, the fields at Jubilee Park came alive with the sounds of cheering parents, coaches explaining instructions, and the thundering of young feet charging across the grass. With determination etched on their faces, teams clad in their vibrant jerseys took to the field, ready to showcase their skills and compete for glory.
Among the contenders stood the Sharks, a team fueled by ambition and a relentless drive for success. From the first game, the Sharks made their intentions clear – to be named Club Champions.
NSW Touch would like to thank the hosting Affiliate Wagga Wagga Touch, all Affiliates, players, referees, volunteers, and parents for helping to make 2024 Junior State Cup Southern Conference a success in trying weather conditions, and we would like to congratulate all the winners:
Under 10 Boys McCall Cup
Shark 9 defeated Canterbury 4
Player of the Final – Asher Small Sharks
Referees – Cole Baumgartner Vandrine
Under 10 Girls Tirado Cup
Sharks 7 defeated Griffith 2
Player of the Final – Chloe May Sharks
Referees – Wehrle E.Ryan Laurent
Under 12 Boys Zabiello Cup
Sharks 15 defeated Easts Roosters 8
Player of the Final – Nolan Grathan Sharks
Referees – Croft Leung Halling
Under 12 Girls Vassallo Cup
Balmain 11 defeated Wagga Wagga 6
Player of the Final – Lila Miller Balmain
Referees – Drapalski Carmody Carnegie
Under 14 Boys Yiangou Cup
Sharks 15 defeated Balmain 9
Player of the Final – Nate Horsey Sharks
Referees – Edwards P.Costigan Thornburn
Under 14 Girls Taylor Cup
Sharks 9 defeated Wagga Wagga 8
Player of the Final – Scarlett Turner Sharks
Referees – Pratt Sherry Pheeney
Under 16 Boys Wall Cup
Hills Hornets 9 defeated Penrith 4
Player of the Final – Callum Spooner Hills Hornets
Referees – Pike Lane Bowcock
Under 16 Girls Toohey Cup
Penrith 11 defeated Balmain 6
Player of the Final – Tia-Jane Golding Penrith
Referees – S.Whiteside Wearne V.Costigan
Under 18 Boys Galea Cup
Wagga Wagga 12 defeated Sharks 9
Player of the Final – Cody Reynoldson Wagga Wagga
Referees – Cheesley Kustec Richards
Under 18 Girls Rose Cup
Penrith 6 defeated Eastern Suburbs 5
Player of the Final – Dallis Graham-Withell Penrith
Referees – S.Naumovski R.Whiteside Piper
CLUB CHAMPIONS
Sharks – 149 points
Balmain – 100 points
Wagga Wagga – 98points