Mark Stavroulakis

It’s been a long time coming, Football NSW is set to launch its brand new ‘Corporate Kick-Off’ lunch league competition for local businesses and workers at its spiritual home, Valentine Sports Park.

The small-sided (7 v 7, 25 minutes per match) football competition on FIFA certified fields with balls supplied by Deploy, will provide a fun, social opportunity to get outdoors, regardless of your football ability, as well as getting fit alongside your fellow colleagues in the pursuit of a healthier and more active lifestyle.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST TODAY

To play on a venue used as a training hub for the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, and utilised by a number of overseas and A-League clubs, is a unique opportunity now available to members of the public.

Equipped with modern showers and bathrooms, as well as a fully functional on-site modern café and meeting rooms, it’s the perfect opportunity to show your skills with your fellow peers.

The round robin style competition with finals will also feature trophies for winners as well as Golden Boot and assist awards as a bonus to the corporate stars.

“Valentine Sports Park are excited to host such a highly anticipated Corporate competition,” said VSP Venue & Facilities Manager, Claudia Meek.

“This is a great opportunity for team building and for businesses to network, so don’t wait till its over, register your team today.”

Register your interest to ensure your team does not miss out on Season 1!

For further information, contact Ryan Mettenbrink: ryanm@footballnsw.com.au or 02 8814 4473 and or visit and register via this link.

Barker College have created history by becoming the first school to lift the St Andrew’s Cup in the inaugural year for the Girls following a 5-4 win on penalties over the Meriden School at Valentine Sports Park on Friday.

Both Meriden School and Barker College finished on top of their pools and won their way through their semi-finals to meet in the big clash with the match finishing scoreless before Barker, captained by Ruth Hosie and coached by Chris Marquees, held their nerve from the spot-kicks to earn themselves the honour of lifting the Cup for the first time in the Girls category.

The inaugural event saw eight schools playing in two pools before progressing to semi-finals, playoffs, and the Cup final. The SACS Cup had schools participating from across school sporting associations including IGSA and the ISA and other independents.

The participating schools in the inaugural event were Barker College, Moriah College, Oakhill College, Redlands, St Andrew’s Cathedral School, the Meriden School, Abbotsleigh and the Wenona School.

“It is so exciting to have been able to get a SACS Cup for girls off the ground in 2024,” said St Andrew’s Cathedral School Tournament Organiser Richard Butler.

“With highly competitive games played across the day in a very positive spirit I am confident we’ll be here again in 2025 and future years.”

Cranbrook School were crowned 2024 St Andrew’s Cup (SACS) Champions following a highly entertaining 2-0 victory over Newington College that ended an amazing two days of quality football action at Valentine Sports Park on Thursday.

The Cranbrook boys led by skipper Will Poulos, proved too strong for their opponents while St Joseph’s College claimed the Plate following its 3-1 win over Shore.

It was a who’s who of private schools as the likes of St Ignatius College (Riverview), Barker College, International Grammar School, Knox Grammar, Moriah College, Waverley College, Cranbrook School, Newington College, Oakhill College, Redlands, St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney Boys High, Shore, St Aloysius, St Pauls Grammar School and St Joseph’s College all took part in what was a fantastic two days of school’s football action for students in Years 11 and 12.

It was a monumental tournament with the famous schools Cup running for 25 years.

A unique competition, schools from across the various sporting associations including GPS, CAS, ISA and MCC were all involved.

Tournament organiser Rafael Briant was delighted with how the two-day tournament unfolded.

“Over the course of the two days there has been lots of fantastic football played by schools from all over Sydney.

“The various styles of the different teams has provided a great learning experience for all participants.”

Football NSW’s world class multi-purpose facility Valentine Sports Park (VSP) successfully hosted Year 11 Japanese football students from the Kyoto Ryoyo High School who embarked on a special three-day-tour in March thanks to World Football Connection Australia.

Touring from the 15-18 March, the players and teachers called VSP home as they immersed themselves with the Football NSW community while taking in some of the sights and sounds of Sydney.

Football NSW’s Venue and Facilities Manager Claudia Meek was delighted to have the opportunity to host the international school group.

“It was a privilege and honour to have a group of Japanese students from Kyoto Ryoyo High School stay with us at Football NSW headquarters,” she said.

“It was also a pleasure to work with World Football Connection Australia who made this trip possible for the students, and I want to thank Winston Hills FC, Lindfield FC and APIA Leichhardt FC for contributing to an unforgettable experience for this touring group.”

The school played four matches in total, two against the Under 16s and Under 17s Winston Hills FC Boys side and two against the Under 16s and Under 18s Lindfield FC squads.

Both teams provided wonderful gestures to the students with Lindfield FC gifting the team a koala bear with a personalised jersey while Winston Hills organised an individual club jersey for every Kyoto student.

Football NSW also organised match day tickets to watch a classic NPL Men’s NSW encounter that saw APIA Leichhardt FC take on Sydney Olympic. In a coup for the travelling members, the players also experienced the changeroom celebrations following APIA’s victory.

Interested in making a group booking at Valentine Sports Park? Make an enquiry via our online booking form!

The ‘Home of Football’ Valentine Sports Park recently hosted the 2023 NSW Corporate Games (Football 11’s – Open Men’s tournament) in what were perfect conditions for the sport on Saturday 7^th of October.

Offering co-workers, customers, clients, family, and friends a great opportunity to take to the sporting arena in a semi-competitive environment, this year’s Corporate Games proved to be a smash hit for the hundreds of participants who participated at the Valentine Sports Park precinct.

The Open Men’s competition saw companies such as Macquarie Group, Concept Audio Visual, DHL Express, Nestle-Uncle Tobys, Walker Corporation, E & P Financial Group and HSBC Bank Australia all partake in what were picture perfect conditions at Football NSW’s headquarters.

Looking to host an event at Valentine Sports Park – click here to view more information today. 

A-League Finalists Wellington Phoenix held its final training session for 2022 at Valentine Sports Park following their six-month stay utilising the complex facilities and fields as its main base before their Elimination Final against Western United this Saturday in Melbourne.

Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay and his troops used Football NSW’s multi-purpose facility as a training base for the duration of the A-League season following the decision to base the Kiwi club in NSW.

“It was a great journey seeing the Wellington Phoenix utilise Valentine Sports Park as its training hub for the 2022 A-League season,” said Football NSW’s Venue and Facilities Manager Claudia Meek

“We trust that the team and their officials enjoyed the experience and look forward to hosting them in the not-too-distant future.

“We would like to wish the club all the best in their finals series endeavours.”

Click here to find out more about the facility as well as hiring Valentine Sports Park.

It’s not everyday Valentine Sports Park, home to Football NSW, is blessed with royalty, but on Sunday the all-purpose facility had a visit from the Tongan Princess herself Princess Lātūfuipeka who made the trip from Canberra to surprise the Tongan Women’s National Football team currently in camp at Glenwood.

The Tongan team were in awe of the Princess who spoke to the ladies, while the team put on a display for the Princess herself with various traditional song and dance hailing from the tiny but vibrant Pacific Island nation.

“It was amazing and an absolute honour to have Princess Lātūfuipeka visit Football NSW headquarters as I believe it’s been many years since we’ve had royalty appear at the precinct,” said Football NSW’s Venue and Facilities Manager Claudia Meek.

“We are currently looking after the Tongan Women’s National Football team for the next three weeks and to have had a visit from the Princess herself, you could see what it meant to the team, they were all so very grateful.

“To have been part of this memorable occasion and sharing in on the traditional customs of the proud Tongan people is something I will never forget.”

Football NSW will host its second FA Elite Matches for both Boys (2005) and Girls (2006/07) on Wednesday 30^th March at Valentine Sports Park.

The Girls will be kicking off at 6pm while the Boys at 7:30pm.

After hosting a successful FA Elite Match last Wednesday, these selected players in their respective groups will take part in playing matches designed and watched by the National Teams Unit to identify future national talent.

In 2018, these matches helped unearth 9 new players for the squad of 23 who represented Joeys at the AFC Championships, and in 2021 a Matildas Elite Match led to several players called into camps and eventually making debuts.

The Elite matches for both boys and girls align with plans for multiple capture points across more age groups, to give more talented players the chance to shine and be identified while they experience more high-level match minutes.

We would like to congratulate the following players on their selection for this FA Elite Match.

Boys 2005

• Bodie Denton – Northern Tigers
• Jacob Cremen-Cowan – Sutherland Sharks
• Daniel Hazouri – Northbridge Bulls
• Liam Bonetig – Western Sydney Wanderers
• Noah Tracey – Orange Waratah FC
• Daanish Awaz – Western Sydney Wanderers
• Leo Yamanishi – Blacktown City
• Will Freney – Western Sydney Wanderers
• Luka Samardzic – Syndey Olympic
• Max Middleby – Central Coast Mariners
• Louis Agosti – Sydney FC
• Filip Dimovski – Western Sydney Wanderers
• Bailey Brandtman – Central Coast Mariners
• Will Faulder – Sydney FC
• Ayouk Mow – Sydney United 58
• Max Vartuli – Sydney FC
• Max Buratto – Sydney United 58
• Jensen Vout – NWS Spirit FC
• Maisam Awaz – Western Sydney Wanderers
• Morrie Kamara – Sydney FC
• Seb Kiceec – Sydney FC
• Toby Peil – Central Coast Mariners
• Luca Cervo – SD Raiders
• Joseph Hatem – Blacktown Spartans
• Zane Schreiber – Sydney FC
• Danilo Mizdrak – Sydney FC
• Bailey Callaghan – Sydney United 58
• Ben Stander – Blacktown City
• George Jabbour – Macarthur Rams
• Lucas Craus – Western Sydney Wanderers
• Daniel Rasera – Sydney FC
• Miguel Goncalves – Sydney FC
• Stan Wilson – Sydney Olympic

Girls 2006/07

• Keely Halloway – Albury
• Priya Sciuriaga – Sydney Olympic
• Maike Morris – UNSW
• Isabelle Wilson – Bathurst
• Ava Walker – Blacktown Spartans
• Chloe Catley – CCM
• Zoe Henderson – CCM
• Helena Hailos-Lewis – Illawarra Stingrays
• Ariana Garland Powell – Northern Tigers
• Eliza Brown – Northern Tigers
• Lillian Skelly – South East Phoenix
• Mia Stanmore – SD Raiders
• Layla Etherington – Sydney Uni
• Siena Hawkins – Sydney Uni
• Sienna Havill – Sydney Uni
• Petria Phillips – Sydney Uni
• Romy McCorqudale – Sydney Olympic
• Allegra Park – Apia
• Savannah Lalor – CCM
• Arddun Surjan – Macarthur Rams
• Cara Harris – Manly Utd
• Ava Roberts – Manly Utd
• Kayla Osborn – NWS FC
• Nikkita Fazzari – NWS FC
• Grace Attard – NWS FC
• Abigail Giles – Northern Tigers
• Maddison Harris – Nowra
• Maddison Aktila – Sydney Olympic
• Olivia Vanderlaan – Sydney Uni
• Elizabeth Bieri – Sydney Uni
• Elissa Hariri – Sydney Uni
• Samantha Edwards – Blacktown Spartans
• Issabella Coelho