Sides formed just for the weekend shone at the annual Wagga Futsal Cup, as local teams took the opportunity to shake things up.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
About 250 players from 27 teams played across four age divisions from Saturday morning through to Sunday at Equex Centre.
Wagga under 16s side Howdy Gang took out their division despite splitting their regular team in two to bring new players in to try out the sport.
In the under 14 division, The Mambas of Wagga produced a stunning comeback from seventh on the table, winning every match on Sunday to take the title.
Griffith team Piva Building were named champions in under 12s, while merged Wagga side Panthers won under 10s.
Wagga Futsal coach Sam Gray said many of the Wagga sides formed new teams for the weekend, giving players a chance to play with new teammates and giving opportunities to several newcomers to the sport.
"That's part of the attraction of the Futsal Cup, is to offer an opportunity," Gray said.
"It's just a really good, fun, weekend but also a huge showcase for futsal talent."
Gray said the tournament was the biggest yet, with entry capped to get through nearly 90 games across the weekend.
He said the interest from out of Wagga continued to grow, with three teams travelling from Griffith and a mostly female team comprised of Tumut, Harden, Cootamundra and Albury players returning this year.
Gray said it was a positive to watch the talent pool across Wagga and the Riverina growing as more players learn to love the sport.
"As organisers and hosts of it, that's the kind of thing we're looking for, just enjoyment for people," he said.
"Especially with the pandemic closing everything down, this was the first big carnival to be held regionally and it went off without a hitch."
Gray said with strong sponsorship of the event, he was hoping it would continue to grow next year.
READ MORE:
