Touch football is one of Australia's most popular participation sports — accessible, non-contact, and playable across all ages and genders. With over 500,000 registered participants, touch football clubs and associations need funding for programmes, events, facilities, and equipment. This guide covers the key funding sources for touch football in Australia.
Touch Football Australia (TFA) is the national governing body for touch football in Australia.
Key investment areas:
- Club development and sustainability
- Junior development programmes
- Women's and girls' participation
- Indigenous touch football
- Referee development
- State body support
Contact Touch Football Australia and your state body for information on Sport Australia investment and national programme access.
Each state has a touch football body affiliated with TFA:
- Touch Football NSW
- Touch Football Queensland
- Touch Football Victoria
- Touch Football WA
- Touch Football SA
- Touch Football ACT
- Touch Football NT
State bodies administer competitions, club development, and may have grant programmes.
Sport Australia funds community sport participation through national sport organisations. Touch football receives investment through TFA's funding relationship with Sport Australia.
State sport agencies fund community touch football:
- NSW: Office of Sport
- Queensland: State sport agencies
- Victoria: Sport and Recreation Victoria
Touch football clubs affiliated with licensed venues can access gaming grants:
- NSW ClubGRANTS: Community sport development and junior programmes
- Queensland gaming trusts: Community club support
- State gaming trusts: Equipment and programme grants
Many touch football clubs run through junior sport associations or leagues that have relationships with local registered clubs.
Junior touch football is a major strength of the sport — it's one of the most popular junior participation sports in Australia, particularly in Queensland and NSW. Junior programme funding:
- TFA junior development programmes: National initiatives
- State bodies: Junior competition and development
- Gaming trusts: Junior sport grants — strong alignment with family-friendly, accessible sport
- State sport agencies: Youth sport activation
Clubs with strong junior numbers and growth trajectories are well-positioned for grant applications.
Touch football has strong female participation at all levels. Funding for women's and girls' programmes:
- TFA women's development: National programmes
- Sport Australia: Women in sport participation strategies
- State government: Women and girls sport incentives
Touch football is popular in many Indigenous communities, particularly in Queensland and the NT. Indigenous touch football funding:
- Indigenous sport and recreation programmes: Federal and state government
- Sport Australia: First Nations sport development
- TFA Indigenous programmes: National and state-level
Touch football requires grass fields with line-marking. Facility funding:
- Local councils: Field maintenance and upgrade — most community touch fields are on council land
- State government sport facility grants: Ground lights, amenities, fencing
- TFA/state bodies: Some facility grants for affiliated clubs
Floodlight installation is the most common facility grant for touch football clubs.
Touch football carnivals and tournaments attract participants across regions. Event funding:
- State bodies: Sanction and sometimes support major carnivals
- Local councils: Tourism and events grants for regional carnivals
- State sport agencies: Major events with economic and participation outcomes
- Gaming trusts: Community event support
Strong touch football applications demonstrate:
- Participation numbers: Total participants by gender and age group
- Junior development: Numbers, growth, and development pathways
- Female participation: Women's and girls' team numbers
- Accessibility: Low-cost participation, disability-inclusive programmes
- Indigenous engagement: Programmes in Indigenous communities
- Club governance: Financial health, volunteer structure
- Facility justification: Specific infrastructure needs with participant benefit
- Competition and events: Local, state, and national competition pathways
Tahua's grants management platform helps sport organisations manage their grant applications, track reporting requirements, and demonstrate the participation outcomes that state bodies and government funders value.