The Parramatta Eels Club has announced it will have a team in a new NRL Touch Football Premiership commencing this season in Round 11 on Friday 18th May.
The six elite touch football teams aligned with NRL Clubs will play touch football games as curtain-raisers to NRL games. Each Club will have both a women's and men's team playing in the tournament, equalling 12 NRL Touch teams in total.
There are currently almost 4,000 touch football players within the Parramatta catchment, and Parramatta Eels Club CEO Bernie Gurr said he was thrilled about giving players a tournament that allows them to showcase their skills to a broader audience.
"As a Club we are a strong supporter of Touch Football both as a contributor to the development of our players such as Bevan French and as an important avenue for our members and fans to stay involved in rugby league. We are proud to support this important initiative and expand our relationship with Touch Football Australia".
Touch Football Australia CEO Steve Mitchell is excited about having a Parramatta Eels team in the mix, "The Parramatta Eels Club has been extremely supportive of the establishment of our Premiership, and we look forward to working with them to bring it to life."
Six NRL Clubs will have teams; three from New South Wales, and three from Queensland: the Parramatta Eels, Wests Tigers, Newcastle Knights, Gold Coast Titans, Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys.
Two 30-minute games will be played ahead of the main NRL event between Rounds 11 and 20, with games to be broadcast nationally through a mix of live and delayed broadcasts.
The inaugural Premiership will consist of six rounds plus a final. Queensland teams and NSW teams will compete against each other in separate pools, with the winners from each pool progressing to the Premiership Final.
Branding, including uniforms, will align with the Parramatta Eels Club branding.
