The 11-hour trips to Port Macquarie for the Junior State Cup are a thing of the past and Wagga's top young touch players will get the chance to shine on home turf at the inaugural southern conference event this weekend.
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The Vipers will field boys and girls rep teams in the six age divisions, from under eights to under 18s, as well as a second development team in some age groups.
"We've got 17 teams, 235 players, 18 referees and roughly 50 support staff," said Wagga Touch Associaton president Darrin Walsh who is also coaching the under 12 girls.
"The development teams basically from 10s to 14s is allowing us to get representative exposure to those kids."
It's twice as many players as used to travel north for the Junior State Cup.
"It's also a significant saving that we're not bussing kids up and for families and extended families coming up as well," Walsh said.
Wagga's under 18 girls team is considered one of the Vipers' best hopes after taking out the 16s title at the last of the whole-state Cups at Port Macquarie last year.
The Vipers were also runners-up in the club state championship last year and have every intention of regaining that mantle this year, led by the marquee under 18s girls.
"They would be favourites to take out the competition this year," Walsh said.
"A lot of our junior teams will hold their own. It's hard to tell without seeing their opposition (before) but we'll give a good account of ourselves."
Walsh said there's an air of anticipation at a new tournament which will now see teams from Coolamon, Young, Yass and Griffith back in the game.
The top eight teams in each age group at the southern conference will still get to take on the best of the northern conference at the state finals in Wollongong in late April.
On the eve of the tournament, Wagga official and now NSW Touch vice-president, Chris Dolahenty, couldn't contain his excitement ahead of a huge event for the sport and the city's bright young stars.
"I'm really proud. Wagga's been my home - some people say I used to sleep here (at the Wagga touch headquarters)," he said with a laugh.
"It's really good for the town, for Wagga Touch itself. We've participated in all the Junior State Cups, even 10-hour, 11-hour trips to Port Macquarie so it's a really good coup to have it here, and sleep in your own bed…
"The kids really enjoy the participation. Like anything, they want to excel, they want to do the best they can. Their coaches - some of them are Australian representatives and they're putting back into those kids, helping them to become really good team players and good athletes."
