Touch Football Australia have pleasure in announcing details of the first official tour by a fully sanctioned Australian Indigenous Touch Team. The 7-day whistle-stop tour to New Zealand will stretch from Tuesday 1 April - Monday 7 April 2008 and is an exciting cross-cultural exchange for both countries.

After many months of planning between Touch Football Australia and the TFA Indigenous Advisory Committee, final team selections have been completed and details of the historic tour to New Zealand have been released. The on-field action will see the Aussies engaged in clashes against the major Touch Football centres of the North Island of New Zealand.

Provincial combinations from Hamilton and Auckland are sure to test the mettle of the Australian Indigenous squad, whilst the competitive highlight is sure to be a series of games against New Zealand Youth squads (the Junior Touch Blacks) in Wellington.

TFA will be sending a Men's and Women's Open Team to New Zealand, and the combinations are chockfull of talent.

The Women's Open team will be spearheaded by dual Australian Women's Open World Cup Winner (2003/07) Bo De La Cruz, former Australian Women's Open Training squad member Theresa Anderson and former Australian Youth representative, Tamara Appo. The Indigenous Women's Team will be coached by 2007 Australian Mixed Open World Cup Assistant Coach and 2009 Australian 20 Years Mixed YWC Coach, Karley Banks.

The Men's Open Team will include current Lebanon Men's Open World Cup player Trent Touma, TFA National Youth Training Squad members Cody Green, and Kristian Congoo, as well as 2005 Australian Youth World Cup representatives Ricky Morris and Matt Baker. The side also contains two sets of brothers from the Nth Qld region: Naselli and Pattock Tamwoy are from Badu Island, & Colin and Ross Cedric are from the Yarrabah community just outside of Cairns. The Mens Open Team will be coached by TFA National 18 Years Men's Assistant Coach Ricky Luland.

The Australian Indigenous Women's Open Team is:

Jordan Ahsam, Theresa Anderson, Tamara Appo, Courtney Bailey, Emma Brereton, Bo De La Cruz, Kayla Faulkner, Sara Hamilton, Ashley Monkland, Jenaya Quan, Kristin Wuruki, Kristin Pearson, Jessica Shaw.

The Australian Indigenous Men's Open Team is:

Matt Baker, Colin Cedric, Ross Cedric, Cody Green, Jesse Green, Ricky Morris, Chris Rankine, Trent Touma, David Davis, Steven Ware, Damon Viellaris, Kristian Congoo, Naselli Tamwoy, Pattock Tamwoy.

Touch Football Australia congratulate these players and wish them the very best for the tour.