Introducing the Australian Invitational Challenge

Introducing the Australian Invitational Challenge

Australian Oztag have updated the International Tournament Calendar, with the addition of the Australian Invitational Challenge.

The 2024 Australian teams to be announced in the coming week extend an invitation to countries and recognized ITF entities, to participate in the Australian Invitational Challenge (AIC) in August 2024 in Coffs Harbour.

On the back of a very successful International Tag Series in 2022, Australian Oztag will cater for the ever-increasing demand for more international tag. Therefore, the AIC will replace the formerly known Big 4 tournament.

The AIC Opening ceremony will be held on Thursday 1st August, with games to be played Friday, Saturday & Sunday (2-4 August). 

Nominations for competing teams open February, 2024.

After a review of the International tournament calendar, the following events have been put in place:

August 2024: Australian Invitational Challenge – the 2024 Australian teams will invite countries and entities to take on the might of the Aussie teams.

March/April 2025: Trans Tasman Tour – the 2025 Australian teams to tour New Zealand.

August 2025: International Tag Series (ITS) – Countries & ITF sanctioned Entities to compete in Coffs Harbour, without the inclusion of Australian teams. The creation of this tournament gives others an opportunity without the Aussie teams, which have dominated the international scene.

2026: Tag World Cup – Venue & Date TBA.

REPEAT above sequence.

2027: AIC

2028: Trans Tasman Tour & ITS

2029: Tag World Cup

2021 Australian Senior Championships Announcement

2021 Australian Senior Championships Announcement

It is with deep regret that Australian Oztag has to abandon the 2021 Senior Australian Championships.

We are all aware of the amount of rain which has fallen over the Northern rivers and the Greater Sydney basin in the last two weeks. The devastation it has caused and the impact it has had on our players, their families and friends has been enormous.

New South Wales is in a state of emergency and our thoughts are with all of those affected. We understand that their priorities must be with recovery efforts rather than playing Oztag.

Secondary to the decision to postpone the tournament, Perry Haddock attended Coffs Harbour on Tuesday morning to inspect C.ex Stadium and surrounding fields with Council Staff and the Stadium Greenkeepers.

Although the fields are starting to dry out, the long-range weather forecast indicates further rain in Coffs Harbour and across NSW next week which may prevent us from hosting an effective tournament.

Australian Oztag would like to thank Council and greenkeeping staff who did provide us with a contingency plans to use different variations of fields, however, considering the devastation right across the Sydney basin on Tuesday 8th March and the impact it has had on the Oztag community, we are abandoning the tournament. 

We understand better than anyone the impact decisions like this can have on players, families and the local Coffs Harbour community. However, by making this decision now we hope to minimize the impact and allow teams to make arrangements with accommodation & travel.

This brings me to the decision by AO to abandon the tournament rather than postponing it.

This tournament has already been postponed from November 2021.

To postpone the tournament again, in an already very busy Oztag schedule in 2022, creates more logistical problems. E.G. Weather, scheduling and hiring the venue, close to the June state cup dates, accommodation availability, referees and also consideration was given to the fact that Australian teams are not being selected from this tournament & Queensland teams were not represented.

Although this decision was not made lightly, to abandon the Senior Championships and move on to the 2022 tournaments just makes sense.

Bill Harrigan

Australian Oztag General Manager