The state's best juniors should be daring to dream of playing at a World Cup or at major NRL stadiums, NSW Touch Association general manager Dean Russell declared on Wednesday.
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There will be more than 2800 players in 10 divisions, boys and girls from age 10 to 18 playing at the state finals at Dalton Park, starting on Saturday morning.
It includes the best 16 teams qualified from the northern and southern conferences in each age group, under a revamped format designed to reignite interest from rural and remote areas.
But Russell is adamant the platform is now firmly set for juniors to aspire to a touch football career, through the senior representative ranks into the newly-established NRL Touch Premiership, or at a future World Cup, like the one the established talent will be playing at in Kuala Lumpur which starts this weekend.
"The opportunity is there," Russell said.
"There's more than 100 teams in the World Cup, from right across Europe, America, Asia, island nations.
"And with the advent of the Touch Premiership, players that kids know are now playing on TV and in main stadiums in Australia.
"Touch is a sport they really enjoy and we've seen great junior growth, but now there's the opportunity and the pathway to make it your first-choice sport."
Wollongong had been the home of the State Cup for years, until the number of teams resulted in the competition being moved to the bigger Port Macquarie venue.
However, the change resulted in a number of teams from western and south-western NSW struggle to commit to playing the competition.
So the decision was made revamp the format, which led to two conferences, with the southern qualifiers played in Wagga earlier this year.
With the two qualifiers being closer for many smaller associations, it resulted in a boom in entries this year.
And the capped 16 team - eight southern and eight northern - format, Wollongong took back the hosting rights, with the state champions in the 10 divisions to be announced on Sunday afternoon.
"We've had a strong history with the Wollongong Association and with Destination Wollongong and the council," Russell said.
"There junior State Cup was here for over 10 years, but it outgrew in in that format.
"But it sets up really well now as a finals venue and it's also a suitable venue for the western and south-west affiliates."
Wollongong will compete in the five boys divisions and the under 16 girls.
Under the partnership with the NRL, the Touch Premiership features eight teams - Brisbane, North Queensland, Parramatta, the Roosters, Newcastle, Wests Tigers, Gold Coast and the Warriors.
There's also been interest in Wollongong about pushing for a Dragons teams in an expanded competition.
The games, played at NRL venues as curtain-raisers, have been spread out over the season this year, with the grand final on August 18.
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