Junior football clubs across the North Coast are being urged to enter this year’s Rale Rasic Joeys Mini World Cup, with organisers keen to see more local teams take part in a tournament that once called Lismore home.
The tournament, now based permanently in Inverell, will run from Monday, 28 September to Sunday, 4 October, and has grown from 16 teams in 2010 to nearly 70 today. Before settling in Inverell, the tournament spent time in Hervey Bay and Lismore, giving the North Coast a direct connection to its history.
Tournament Founder and Director Heinrich Haussler said the tournament was built so every team, no matter their level, comes away with something to show for it. Group games place teams into the Joeys Mini World Cup, the Shield or the Blade, guaranteeing every side a final or playoff for their finishing position.
“I thought, if I start a tournament, I’d do this differently because I think everyone should leave with a sense of achievement,” Mr Haussler said.
Mr Haussler said the tournament offers rewards not available anywhere else in Australia. This year, three players will receive a fully funded Joeys All Stars Tour of Germany, worth $9,000, with airfares excluded, along with one fully funded coaching tour. Three additional coaches will receive tour subsidies of $2,000 each, and 44 players will each receive a $1,000 travel scholarship.
Every player at the tournament has the chance to be watched by elite European selectors, including coaches holding UEFA Pro A Licences. This year’s tournament introduces a new two-stage format, with the Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12 competitions running from Monday, 28 September to Wednesday, 30 September, followed by a training camp on Thursday, 1 October. The older age groups, Under 14, Under 17, Under 15 Girls and Open Women, will compete from Friday, 2 October to Sunday, 4 October, before their own training camp on Monday, 5 October.
Organisers are expecting around 600 to 700 players across the tournament, with teams travelling from throughout New South Wales and Queensland and growing interest from interstate.
Mr Haussler said the opportunity for young players to train alongside high-level German coaches was rare.
“They will never ever get high-level coaches from Germany flying over to be present, you know, to be the selectors and do coaching clinics for the kids,” he said.
He pointed to the experience of Theo Law, who secured a professional opportunity in Germany after touring with the Joeys All Stars, as an example of what the pathway can lead to.
Team entries close on Monday, 3 August for teams wanting sublimated playing strips, with Mr Haussler explaining the strips need a five-to-six-week production run before they arrive. Teams entering after that date will still be able to take part, with a final cut-off of Monday, 7 September, though they will not receive screen-printed strips.
Mr Haussler said he hoped more clubs would put a team forward before entries close.
“I’d simply say, come and be part of something truly special,” Mr Haussler said. “When our community fills the sidelines with encouragement and pride, we create memories these children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
More information and team nomination forms are available at joeysminiworldcupinverell.com.
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