Victorian LGAs receive grants for community sports facilities

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Community Recovery Grants Program
Image credit: Natee K Jindakum via Shutterstock

The Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund (RCSIF) and the 2024-25 Local Sports Infrastructure Fund (LSIF) are giving regional and metropolitan communities opportunities to develop their sporting facilities. The fund aims to support all abilities and women-focused infrastructure.

The RCSIF has highlighted a focus on planning, designing, and building indoor stadiums, female facilities, aquatic facilities, and communal and all-ability facilities. This plan ensures sports participation opportunities for all community members.  

The 2024-25 LSIF allows metropolitan and regional communities to receive funds to create active recreational community projects. These include sports courts, lights, play spaces, change rooms, and skate parks. 

Additional grants of $50,000 for Victorian LGAs through RCSIF to boost community participation are also available. 

The Victorian Minister for Community Sport, Ros Spencer, spoke on the investment opportunity for metropolitan and regional communities.

“By upgrading facilities and removing barriers to entry, we are making sure even more people can get involved in local sport in their own communities,” he said via press release.

“These funds are making sure all Victorians, no matter where they live, have world-class sporting facilities.”

The comprehensive initiative is a welcome investment into a sustainable community activity area, encouraging LGAs to invest in their area. A project of this magnitude is a win for the long-term development of football in Victoria. From female to accessible athletes, they are huge and deserving beneficiaries of this project fund.

RCSIF has significant financial backing from the Regional Community Sport Development Fund and the All Abilities Sports Fund. The first round of funding invested $20 million in these Victorian communities across 26 infrastructure projects. Regional development opportunities will flourish, bridging the city-country gap in Victoria. 

Regional and metropolitan communities can apply for these investment grants as round 2 is now open for applicants. RCSIF round 2 closes on the 17th of March 2025, and LSIF round 2 closes on the 17th of February 2025. 

For more information about the programs and how to apply, visit Regional Community Sports Infrastructure Fund.

Also for the Local Sports Infrastructure Fund, click here.

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SBS expands Australian Championship broadcast coverage for 2026

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Image Credits: Football Australia

The Australian Championship will enter its second season with an expanded broadcast partnership between Football Australia and SBS. The 2026 competition will feature two live SBS broadcasts in every round, marking an increase from the tournament’s debut season.

Thursday night football will form a key part of the new broadcast schedule. The opening match will see Preston Lions face Wollongong Wolves on October 15th, with the game broadcast live on SBS2 and SBS On Demand. Saturday football will also remain part of the free-to-air schedule; first up, Sutherland Sharks’ clash with South Melbourne on October 17th will be shown live on SBS and SBS On Demand.

The expanded agreement gives the competition a greater presence across SBS’s linear channels while retaining its full streaming coverage, with every match across the 2026 Australian Championship available live on SBS On Demand. The platform also provides full replays and highlights for viewers to access at their discretion.

In addition to SBS’ coverage, Football Australia will also stream the competition via YouTube.

The Australian Championship consists of a six-round group stage, finals beginning at quarter-finals from November 26, and a Grand Final scheduled currently between December 10-12.

It features 16 clubs from seven states and territories. The broadcast schedule places several historic fixtures in front of a national audience: South Melbourne will meet Sydney United 58 in a repeat of the 1999 NSL Grand Final, and Sydney Olympic and Marconi Stallions will also renew a rivalry that includes NSL Grand Final meetings in 1989 and 1990.

GIS Sydney continues to connect students with Australia’s sports industry

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Image Credits: Global Institute of Sport

Following the launch of its Sydney campus in 2025, the Global Institute of Sport (GIS) is continuing to establish itself in the nation’s sports industry. A leading provider of degrees and executive education in sport, GIS provides students the chance to study at two of Australia’s biggest sporting venues: Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Programs such as Sports Analytics and International Sports Business are delivered in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, and feature the chance for students to gain exclusive access to the sports industry.

More than 50 guest speakers have shared their experience with students studying at GIS Sydney, representing organisations like FIFA, Red Bull, Cricket Australia, and the AFL. While learning about the regional and national sports industry in the classroom, students have also had the chance to gain an international perspective through GIS’ signature Global Sports Summits, which have given Sydney students access to iconic sporting venues around the world from London to Miami.

Outside of the iconic venues students can call their classrooms, the organisation prioritises the real, industry placements needed to put theory into practice by providing each student with 140 hours of relevant work experience throughout their studies. Included in this are several sporting organisations who are keen to welcome GIS students on board, including the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA), Football Coaches Australia, and Basketball NSW.

GIS also has a partnership with popular network and app Yakka Sport to connect students with paid employment opportunities while they study.

Behind these advancements at the GIS Sydney campus is an Industry Advisory Board which features a host of experienced figures from the world of sport. Included in the Asia-Pacific branch is Chair James Rosengarten, GM of the Melbourne Renegades; Kevin Jang, Managing Director of CAA Stellar Korea; and Brad Lloyd, GM of the Carlton Football Club.

Since launching, GIS’ Sydney campus has ultimately combined its locations and industry connections to provide the next generation of sports professionals with the knowledge, network, and confidence to tackle the rapidly evolving sports industry.

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