Record Numbers For Launceston Tournament

The Launceston Junior Soccer Tournament continues to grow from strength to strength with around 80 teams totaling about 1200 players aged from under-nine to under-16 taking part in the tournament which ran from Friday to Sunday. Now enterting it's 29th year, the tournament was supported strongly by the clubs in the region, and also drew in sides from around the state and six interstate sides. Five of those six sides that came down from New South Wales and Victoria were girls sides, showing the tremendous growth in that area of the game. Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley said that the Launceston Cup once again demonstrated the overwhelming popularity of the game with Tasmanian's. "The massive success of the Launceston Cup, and the Hobart Cup the fortnight prior really underlines just how many players we have. Between the two events we have had over 3000 participants and 200 teams taking part. The challenge moving forward is ensuring we have the infrastructure to support all of them, because as it stands our pitches are bursting at the seams."  "Our sport is growing rapidly among younger Tasmanians. Registration data shows one in four boys aged 6 to 10 are playing football. Young girls are increasingly turning to football as their preferred team sport and we have the highest % of female participants of any state." NTJSA Comittee Member Dale Rigby told Rob Shaw from The Examiner he was delighted with how the event went. "We're extremely happy how it's going. Apart from the inclement weather it's gone really well and it is a winter sport after all and most people had their umbrellas. "We were definitely up to capacity but seemed to cope okay and I think most of the Northern teams are doing pretty well too." He said these occasions were something the players especially looked forward to.