Excitement Builds at 2024 Your Local Club Academy Games Launch

Southern Sports Academy athletes Ella Rey (hockey) and Charlotte Niuila (netball) ahead of the upcoming Academy Games. Picture supplied by Bernard Humphreys

The countdown is on for the much-anticipated 2024 Your Local Club Academy Games, which kicked off with a Media Launch on Tuesday, March 26th hosted at the Wagga Wagga Country Club.

In just three weeks’ time, the Wagga Wagga region will play host to some of the state’s most promising young athletes, gathering for the final installment of the Games in Wagga Wagga. From Friday, April 12th to Sunday, April 14th, 2024, the Southern Sports Academy (SSA) will welcome participants and spectators alike to witness an unforgettable showcase of talent and camaraderie.

Athletes, coaches, families and supporters representing all 11 Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) across New South Wales will converge in Wagga Wagga for this event. Hailing from regions such as Central Coast, Far West, Illawarra, Hunter, North Coast, Northern Inland, South East, South West Sydney, Southern, Western Region, and Western Sydney, these competitors will vie for victory in seven sporting disciplines: Basketball, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Triathlon, Cycling, and Indoor Volleyball.

Among the rising stars that graced the Media Launch were athletes Harry Uphill (Golf), Charlotte Niuila (Netball), Hunter Behnke (Cycling) and Ella Rey (Hockey), offering a glimpse of the talent that will illuminate the Games.

Mark Calverley, CEO of SSA, expressed his enthusiasm, “Bringing together the best young athletes from across New South Wales, the 2024 Your Local Club Academy Games in Wagga Wagga promises not just competition, but a celebration of talent, determination, and community spirit. As the Southern Region proudly hosts this event for the third and final time, we invite everyone to witness the power of sport to unite and inspire.”

Proudly supported by Your Local Club, the NSW Government, Wagga Wagga City Council, Southern Cross Austereo, Active Health Riverina, Regional Academies of Sport and the Southern Sports Academy, the 2024 Your Local Club Academy Games promises to be a testament to unity, inspiration and the enduring legacy of sport.