National Touch League (NTL)
The NTL was created to replace the Australian Nationals which featured representative teams from all the Australian states (see below). The finals of the Nationals competition were most often played between the two most dominant touch playing states – NSW and Queensland – with the Australian Capital Territory also performing strongly.
The introduction of state regional teams (called a permit) created the National Touch League. This created: (1) the opportunity for more players from the dominant states, and (2) an attempt to provide a more level playing field for teams from the less dominant states. The new competition was still very strong.
The first National Touch League was played in 1997.
While the format of the competition has had some minor amendments during the past 10 years of competition, the stability of the event has led to the development of fierce rivalries between regions. But, the traditionally strong Touch Football regions maintained their dominance.
At the time of its introduction, the NTL was seen as being a move away from the past and step forward in the future development of Touch in Australia. Each of the original 12 permit holders was to represent an equal number of registered players, making for a fairer, more competitive tournament. The playing talent is spread far more evenly, and it was to give a larger number of players an opportunity to impress for higher representative honours. The NTL was also to provide the players with an important intermediate competition between local and state or national teams.
The NTL was also seen as being a marketing tool that would have significant value as a promotional vehicle. The first NTL opened up merchandising and sponsorship opportunities, and was televised on regional television networks and the Optus Vision cable network.
The NTL was also expected to deliver a strong national club structure, which would engender regional identity and lead to further grassroots development within the sport.
The competition was initially established to provide wide exposure to the elite competition in open divisions. As the competition evolved between 1997 and 2007 its popularity, especially with senior players, has led to the original focus being broadened to include participation.<p>
The 1997 National Touch League was held from on 17–19 October. The divisions contested were Open Men, Women and Mixed and under-20 Men and Women. Most of the 12 permit holders fielded Men’s, Women’s and Mixed teams. The tournament finals were broadcast on WIN Television, NBN Television and Optus Vision while NBN as the host broadcaster also ran 50 television commercials to promote the 1997 event.
The 1998 NTL ran from in October. The competition was run as two separate competitions, the Open divisions and the Seniors divisions. This format would persist until 2008.
The 2008 NTL saw a significant restructuring, with the Open and Masters competitions being run concurrently. The Masters competition was run from the 12th to 14 March 2008, and the Opens competition overlapped the Seniors competition, starting on the 13th and running until 15 March. The under-20s divisions were removed from the Open competition and were held in conjunction with the National 18s competition, to become the Touch Football National Youth Championships, held from the 17th to 20 September. They later returned to the NTL.
2010 was the largest NTL in history, when it was opened up to incumbent NTL permits and regions / minor states in their own rights.
In 2012, an Elite 8 division was created for elite touch football players. The division featured eight men’s and eight women’s teams. The Elite 8 division lasted until 2018, when it was incorporated into the newly launched NRL Touch Premiership. he Sydney Scorpions are the most successful Club with Six championships, followed with three titles each for the Brisbane Cobras, Gold Coast Sharks and the Sydney Scorpions.
In general, the Permits went through various transformations over time. The Barbarians and Crusaders represented the less competitive states – touch football in those states having fewer playing numbers. Later on, these two permits were replaced by a new group called The Alliance.
NTL permits over the years
Divisions: Mens, Womens, Mixed, Youth, Seniors – Under 20s to Over 60s
| Name | Division | Where | Current | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT Raiders | Region | Aust Capital Territory | 2023 | 1997 |
| ADF Warriors | Region | Aust Defence Force | 2023 | 1997 |
| Brisbane City Cobras | Region | Brisbane Qld | 2023 | 1997 |
| Central Qld Bulls | Region | Central Queensland | 2023 | 1997 |
| North Qld Cyclones | Region | North Queensland | 2023 | 1997 |
| Hunter Western Hornets | Region | Hunter region, NSW | 2023 | 1997 |
| Northern Eagles | Region | Northern NSW | 2023 | 1997 |
| Southern Rebels | Region | Southern Sydney, NSW | 2023 | 1997 |
| Sydney Scorpions | Region | Northern Sydney, NSW | 2023 | 1997 |
| Sydney Metropolitan | Region | Metropolitan Sydney, NSW | 2023 | 1997 |
| Southern Suns | Region | Southern NSW | 2023 | 1997 |
| South Qld Sharks | Region | South QLD | 2023 | 1997 |
| Sunshine Coast Pineapples | Region | Sunshine Coast QLD | 2023 | 1997 |
| South Australia Heat | Region | South Australia | 2023 | |
| Tasmania Thunder | Region | Tasmania | 2023 | |
| Victoria Storm | Region | Victoria | 2023 | |
| NSW Country Mavericks | Elite | NSW Country | ||
| Queensland Chiefs | Elite | Brisbane | ||
| Queensland Spirit | Elite | South West Qld | ||
| Queensland Country Outlaws | Elite | North Qld and Central Qld | ||
| Queensland Fire | Elite | |||
| Queensland Pride | Elite | |||
| Queensland South Stingrays | Elite | Gold Coast QLD | ||
| Wests Tigers | Elite | Western Sydney, NSW | ||
| Alliance | Region | |||
| Barbarians | Region | NT, SA and WA | 1997 | |
| Northern Territory | Region | Northern Territory | ||
| Queensland Country Rustlers | Region | Central Qld, South West Queensland and the Sunshine Coast | ||
| Crusaders | Region | ACT, ADF, Victoria and Tasmania combined | 1997 | |
| Sunwest Razorbacks | Region | Sunshine Coast, QLD | 1997 | |
| SW Qld Swans | Region | South West QLD | ||
| Brisbane Broncos | NRL | Brisbane, Qld | ||
| North Qld Cowboys | NRL | North Qld | ||
| Gold Coast Titans | NRL | Gold Coast Qld | ||
| NZ Warriers | NRL | New Zealand | ||
| Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | NRL | Manly, NSW | ||
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | NRL | South Sydney, NSW | ||
| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | NRL | Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW | ||
| England | NTL guest team | England | ||
| Hong Kong | NTL guest team | Hong Kong | ||
| Japan | NTL guest team | Japan | ||
| PNG | NTL guest team | Papua New Guinea | ||
| Singapore | NTL guest team | Singapore | ||
| Scotland | NTL guest team | Scotland |
NRL Touch
The National Rugby League (NRL) Touch Premiership is an elite competition in which men’s and women’s teams compete under the banner of NRL clubs
State of Origin – Qld and NSW
In parallel to the Rugby League State of Origin clashes, this elite competition between New South Wales and Queensland is a step up from NTL. The concept came about with the introduction of the National Touch League and the demise of the State verses State National Championships.
1995 Originally comprising of only Men’s and Women’s divisions the first Clash of the Touch Titans was in 1995 in Port Macquarie, NSW where Queensland defeated NSW 2-0. They repeated the dose the following year and it wasn’t until the third series in 1998 that New South Wales got their revenge.
In 1999 the State of Origin added to the divisions Mixed, 20’s, 30’s and 35’s as well as Men’s 40’s and 45’s . The Mens over 50 years division was added to the Interstate Challenge in 2002.
It wasn’t until 2008 that all the divisions combined to become a State of Origin Tournament worthy of any Touch event in the world. In 2014 the Mens Over 55 years division was added to the State of Origin Tournament.
From 1995 to 2022 New South Wales have won eleven events while Queensland have won three. No team in any division has dominated except maybe NSW Mens 40 years who have a 23-10 record over Queensland and NSW Mens 35 who have 24-9 winning record. Queensland’s best results is in the Mens Open with a 23-18 win record.
See also : Touch Almanac
Australian National Championships (ended 1997)
The Australian National Championships was a touch football competition between the Australian states which ran from 1980 to 1995. The finals of this competition were almost always played between Queensland and New South Wales, the two most dominant touch playing states, with the Australian Capital Territory also performing strongly. The ‘one sided’ nature of the competition was the major reason for its replacement by the National Touch League (NTL) format from 1997. see also : Touch Almanac
Results of the National Championships – 1980 to 1997
| Year | Venue | Men’s Open | Women’s Open | Mixed Open | Men’s U20s | Women’s U20s | Men’s 30s | Men’s 35s | Men’s 40s | Men’s 45s | Women’s 27s | Women’s 30s | Juniors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Gold Coast | NSW | NSW | – | – | – | – | NSW | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1982 | Canberra | NSW / ACT | NSW | – | – | – | – | NSW | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1983 | Hobart | NSW | NSW | – | – | – | – | QLD | – | – | – | – | NSW / ACT |
| 1984 | Sydney | NSW | NSW | – | – | – | – | NSW | – | – | – | – | NSW |
| 1985 | Melbourne | QLD | NSW | NSW | – | – | NSW / ACT | NSW | – | – | – | – | NSW |
| 1986 | Adelaide | NSW | NSW | NSW | – | – | NSW | NSW | NSW | – | – | – | QLD |
| 1987 | Perth | NSW | NSW | NSW | – | – | NSW | QLD | NSW | – | – | – | – |
| 1988 | Gold Coast | QLD | QLD | NSW | – | – | QLD | QLD | NSW | – | NSW | – | QLD |
| 1990 | Darwin | QLD | NSW | NSW- | – | – | NSW | NSW | NSW | – | QLD | – | – |
| 1991 | Canberra | NSW | NSW | NSW | – | – | NSW | NSW | NSW | – | QLD | – | – |
| 1992 | Hobart | QLD | NSW | NSW | – | – | NSW | QLD | NSW | – | QLD | – | – |
| 1993 | Sydney | NSW | QLD | NSW | – | – | QLD | NSW | NSW | – | – | – | – |
| 1994 | Gold Coast | NSW | NSW | NSW | QLD | QLD | NSW | QLD | NSW | NSW | – | – | – |
| 1995 | Gold Coast | QLD | NSW | NSW | NSW | QLD | QLD | QLD | NSW | QLD | – | NSW | – |
| 1996 | Gold Coast | – | – | – | – | – | QLD | NSW | NSW | – | QLD | – | |
| 1997 | Coffs Harbour | – | – | – | – | – | Defence | NSW | QLD | QLD | – | NSW | – |