Your Local Club Regional Academy Games a Win for Athletes

Tamworth has once again delivered a standout sporting event, successfully hosting the 2026 Your Local Club Regional Academy Games across a vibrant weekend of competition from April 17–19.

Hosted by the Northern Inland Academy of Sport (NIAS) on behalf of the Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) network, the Games welcomed close to 1000 emerging athletes from across NSW, competing in basketball, golf, hockey, netball, triathlon and softball.

The 2026 Games were proudly supported by ClubsNSW, under the Your Local Club brand. ClubsNSW has been a long-term supporter of the Academy Games, contributing more than $500,000 since its inception. Registered clubs have also contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Regional Academies across NSW.

Venues across the Tamworth region came alive as athletes represented all 11 Regional Academies of Sport – Central Coast, Far West, Illawarra, Hunter, North Coast, Northern Inland, South East, South West Sydney, Southern, Western Region and Western Sydney – alongside guest teams from Sydney.

The Games brought together athletes, coaches, officials, families and supporters, creating a true celebration of regional sport.

NIAS Regional Manager Sue Charles praised both the athletes and the Tamworth community for delivering another highly successful event.

“The Your Local Club Regional Academy Games provide an incredible platform for young athletes to compete at a high level while representing their regions with pride,” Charles said.

“Tamworth once again put on an outstanding event for our athletes, teams and supporters, and the support from the local community played a huge role in the success of the Games.”

Now in the second year of NIAS’s three‑year hosting tenure, the 2026 Games built on the strong foundations established in previous years, delivering high‑quality competition while reinforcing Tamworth’s reputation as a leading regional destination for major sporting events.

In addition to athlete development outcomes, the Games delivered significant benefits for the Tamworth region, with hundreds of visiting athletes, coaches, officials and families travelling to the area across the weekend.

The influx of visitors generated strong local economic activity, including increased accommodation stays, hospitality trade and broader tourism benefits throughout the region.

“The Regional Academies of Sport network play a key role in the NSW talent pathway system, supporting the next generation of NSW athletes on and off the field to ensure the production line of Olympic and Paralympic athletes from regional NSW continues,” said NSW Minister for Sport Steve Kamper.

“The NSW Government is a proud supporter of the Regional Academies of Sport network as part of its commitment to supporting young athletes in regional areas.

“Congratulations to the RAS network, NIAS and 1000 emerging athletes from across NSW on another successful Regional Academy Games.”

With another successful edition complete, the Regional Academies of Sport network looks ahead to continuing to strengthen pathways for talented young athletes while delivering lasting benefits for regional communities across NSW.