NORTH Coast Football’s (NCF) Talented Female Program is benefiting from the surge in popularity of the women’s game, with 2026 participation numbers hitting record highs.
NCF general manager Duncan Marchant says the growth is unprecedented.
“So far we have 1,700 female footballers registered for the 2026 season, which accounts for 33 percent of total registrations. That’s phenomenal,” Marchant said.
“The popularity of the Matildas has certainly helped, but our community football clubs have been brilliant in providing opportunities for female footballers and making it an enjoyable experience.
“As a result, we now run female junior competitions every year up to the age of 14.
“Many of the teams in our competitive age groups are already full, but some clubs still have spots available.
“We’re expecting another influx of registrations prior to our non-competitive competitions for ages 5-11, which kick off on Saturday, 2 May.”
NCF Talent Development Manager Nico Bonarrigo said the expanding pathway for junior girls is a key driver behind the growth.
“The TFP gives girls the chance to represent their club on weekends and still train with their club, while adding another training session each week,” Bonarrigo said.
“Being from a regional town, they also have the opportunity to play against teams from other regions.
“In July they’ll participate in a tournament in Newcastle and benchmark themselves against players from the city and other regions.
“The grand finale is a national tournament in September, where the players challenge themselves against some of the best in Australia.
“Sometimes that competition also attracts international teams.
“The program also provides a pathway into other representative teams, including the Northern NSW Football side that competes at nationals.
“This year we have players on the national stage at the Football Australia Emerging Matildas and Emerging Socceroos competitions, which is an amazing opportunity for the players.”
By David WIGLEY
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