NRL Touch Premiership
| Company type | Sports league |
|---|---|
| Industry | Touch football |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Founder | Touch Football Australia and National Rugby League |
Area served | Australia, New Zealand |
| Products | Touch football competitions (men's and women's) |
The NRL Touch Premiership was an elite national touch football league in Australia, inaugurated in 2018 through a collaboration between Touch Football Australia (TFA) and the National Rugby League (NRL). It comprised distinct men's and women's competitions featuring leading Australian athletes, including current representatives from the national team.
History
Introduced in 2018, this competition succeeded the Elite 8 division of the National Touch League. The initial lineup consisted of six teams. The first matches took place on May 18 and 19, 2018, at Stadium Australia in Sydney and Willows Sports Complex in Townsville, scheduled just before Round 11 of the 2018 NRL season.
Teams
During its debut season, six teams participated, each linked to established NRL clubs: three based in Queensland (Broncos, Cowboys, Titans) and three from New South Wales (Eels, Knights, Tigers). The premiership grew to include eight teams in 2019 with the addition of the New Zealand Warriors and Sydney Roosters.
| Colours | NRL Touch Team | NRL-aligned Club | Home Venue | City/Town | Suburb/s | Year Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Leagueicon | North Queensland Cowboys | Cowboys | Willows Sports Complex | Townsville | Kirwan | 2018 |
| Template:Leagueicon | Brisbane Broncos | Broncos | Brisbane Football Stadium | Brisbane | Milton | 2018 |
| Template:Leagueicon | Gold Coast Titans | Titans | Gold Coast Football Stadium | Gold Coast | Robina | 2018 |
| Template:Leagueicon | Newcastle Knights | Knights | Newcastle International Sports Centre | Newcastle | New Lambton | 2018 |
| Template:Leagueicon | Parramatta Eels | Eels | Stadium Australia | Sydney | Homebush | 2018 |
| Template:Leagueicon | Wests Tigers | Tigers | Stadium Australia | Sydney | Homebush | 2018 |
| Template:Leagueicon | New Zealand Warriors | Warriors | Mount Smart Stadium | Auckland |
Auckland Region |2019 | |
| Template:Leagueicon | Sydney Roosters | Roosters | Sydney Cricket Ground | Sydney |
Moore Park |2019 |
Rules
The NRL Touch Premiership adheres to the standard regulations of touch football as defined by Touch Football Australia, incorporating slight modifications tailored to venue specifications and broadcasting requirements.
Field of Play
The playing area measures 60 meters in length and 48 meters in width, which is marginally smaller than the conventional 70 by 50 meters. Scoreline and sideline intersections are indicated by corner posts, while a rectangular marker designates the 5-metre sideline line.
Match Length
Each game consists of two halves lasting 15 minutes each, separated by a two-minute interval.
Drawn Matches
In the event that scores are level at full time, an additional three-minute period is played with teams reduced to three players. The team winning the coin toss before the match commences begins with possession. Victory during extra time is determined by scoring; if no winner emerges after three minutes, the game concludes as a draw.
Match Officials
Officials for matches are assigned by Touch Football Australia under the guidance of National High-Performance Referees Coach Ian Matthew. Starting in 2019, officials for games held in New Zealand are appointed by Touch New Zealand, overseen by Stu McDonald.
| Graded No. | Match Official | Debut | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Match | Venue | ||
| '\'1\'\' | 'Kim Skelly' | '18/05/2018 15:55 UTC+10:00' | 'MEN'S: Eels v Tigers' | 'ANZ Stadium' |
| '\'2\'\' | 'Tony Calabria' | '18/05/2018 15:55 UTC+10:00' | 'MEN'S: Eels v Tigers' | 'ANZ Stadium' |
| '\'3\'\' | 'Rob Bowen' | '18/05/2018 15:55 UTC+10:00' | 'MEN'S: Eels v Tigers' | 'ANZ Stadium' |
| '\'4\'\' | 'Luke Saldern' | '18/05/2018 16:30 UTC+10:00' | 'WOMEN'S: Eels v Tigers' | 'ANZ Stadium' |
| '\'5\'\' | 'Luke McKenzie' | '19/05/2018 15:05 UTC+10:00' | 'MEN'S: Cowboys v Titans' | '1300SMILES Stadium' |
| '\'6\'\' | 'Brett Freshwater' | '19/05/2018 15:05 UTC+10:00' | 'MEN'S: Cowboys v Titans' | '1300SMILES Stadium' |
| '\'7\'\' | 'Michael Littlefield' | '19/05/2018 15:05 UTC+10:00' | 'MEN'S: Cowboys v Titans' | '1300SMILES Stadium' |
| '\'8\'\' | 'Denise Weier' | '19/05/2018 15:50 UTC+10:00' | 'WOMEN'S: Cowboys v Titans' | '1300SMILES Stadium' |
| '\'9\'\' | 'Luke Heckendorf ' | '28/07/2018 16:50 UTC+10:00' | "MEN’S: Tigers v Knights" | "ANZ Stadium" |
2018 Referee Team
- David Baggio
- Roberto Bowen
- Tony Kebabria
- Brett Freshwater
- Luke Heckendorf
- Luke McKenzie
- Luke Saldern
- Christopher Schwerdt
- Amanda Sheeky
- Kim Skelly
- Anthony Smith
- Brad Smith
- Denise Weier
- Michael Littlefield
2019 New Zealand Referee Team
The following officials are assigned exclusively to Warriors' home fixtures.
- Tony Arnel
- Ray Cairns
- Isaac Cosson
- Caleb Downes
- John Dustow
- Logan Forrester
- Taneshia Gill
- Kurt Harrison
- Richie Heap
- Caitlin Kimpton
- Ben Matthews
- Cameron McDonald-Pietersen
- Alisha Ruaiti
- Dali Tui-Taylor
- Harley Wall
- Thomas Webster
- Miah Williams
- John Wright
Broadcast
In Australia, games are available through live and replay coverage on Fox Sports Australia’s Fox League channel, the Kayo Sports streaming platform, and Sky Sports NZ.