Northern Inland Academy of Sport CEO Shona Eichorn has described earning the hosting rights for the Your Local Club Academy Games as a "tremendous honour".
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Something Eichorn and the NIAS team have been working on behind the scenes for over 12 months, it's now full steam ahead planning, after it was announced the annual sporting festival is heading to Tamworth for 2025, 2026 and 2027.
"Hosting the Your Local Club Academy Games for the next three years is a tremendous honour for NIAS," Eichorn said.
"These games not only provide a platform for young athletes to showcase their talent but also unite the community in celebration of sportsmanship and dedication.
"By bringing such a prestigious event to Tamworth, we aim to elevate the city's profile and propel it to the forefront of sporting excellence."
The second time NIAS have been awarded the rights to host the premier event on the Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) calendar - they previously held them in Armidale (at UNE) from 2009-2011 - the Games are expected to bring upwards of 1300 athletes to town, and inject more than a million dollars into the local economy each of the three years.
The 2023 games held in Wagga Wagga brought an economic benefit of $2,038,164 to the region.
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our NIAS partners and the sports community for their unwavering support in making this possible," Eichorn continued.
"With Tamworth's exceptional facilities and vibrant community, we are confident that hosting these games will not only boost our local economy but also take Tamworth to the next level in terms of sporting prominence and community engagement."
In 2025, to be held from April 11-13, the event will bring together the 11 regional academies (and Sydney Netball Academy) to compete in seven key sports, with some demonstration sports also to be included in the line-up.
The new hosts will be looking to build on a successful 2024 campaign at Wagga.
Notable highlights from the weekend include the girls hockey side clinching victory on goals for-and-against, after a gripping final and golfers Jayden Budda-Dean, Brock Galvin, and Lang Toakley dominating their division of the match play to secure a well-deserved triumph.
Benji Ralston meanwhile earned a spot in the prestigious All-Star 5 for the boys' basketball competition while Delika Boney was named mvp for NIAS netball and Sam Ferguson finished 13th in the A final and Jethro Gosson second in the B Final of the triathlon.
