Singapore Premier League to restart

Daniel Foley12/10/2020 8:00 am11/10/2020

The Singapore Premier League (SPL) will resume on October 17 after a six and a half month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, the Football Association of Singapore announced that it had received approval from the Singapore Government for the SPL season to restart.

SPL teams will play each other twice for the 2020 season instead of three times – the Singapore Cup has also been cancelled for this season in order for the SPL season to be completed. The Football Association of Singapore said that they expected the SPL season to be finished by the end of 2020.

Fans will be unable to attend matches with only essential personnel allowed into the ground.

SPL players and match officials will be tested for COVID-19 every two weeks once the competition resumes. 223 players and match officials have been tested ahead of the resumption with all tests coming back negative.

“We are extremely pleased with the decision announced by MCCY on the resumption of the SPL. This is an outcome that the FAS and the SPL clubs, along with Sport Singapore and the relevant government authorities, have worked tirelessly towards in recent weeks. Our utmost thanks and appreciation go out to the various government agencies who have helped in making the resumption happen,” FAS President Lim Kia Tong, said in a statement.

“While we would have loved for supporters to be allowed into the stadiums so that they can cheer on their favourite teams, I am sure that they will understand the need for these precautions and that they will continue to support the SPL by watching the games on television or online.

“The FAS will ensure that all the necessary Covid-19 safe protocols are strictly adhered to, to ensure the smooth restart of the League and hopes it will pave the way for more local sports leagues and events to resume.”

The current Singapore Premier League season has been suspended since March 24. Small group training was permitted from mid-June before clubs were allowed to return to full training from September 1.

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Pushing for First Nations representation in the game with Football Queensland’s Murri Cup

Declan Chan26/03/2026 9:06 am26/03/2026

Image Credit: Football Queensland

Football Queensland has announced the inaugural FQ Murri Cup, a two-day tournament celebrating First Nations cultures and showcasing Indigenous football talent from across Queensland, to be held at Nudgee Recreation Reserve on November 28 and 29.

The competition, developed in close consultation with Football Australia’s National Indigenous Advisory Group and Football Australia’s General Manager of First Nations Courtney Fewquandie, will feature a Coles MiniRoos activation, a Charles Perkins XI Talent ID session and a community stallholder zone alongside the on-field competition. Expressions of interest are open now for individuals and teams across the state.

More than a tournament

The launch arrives at a moment when the structural underrepresentation of First Nations Australians in organised sport, at the administrative, coaching, and pathway levels, is under sustained scrutiny. Football, like most codes, has historically failed to build the kind of community-embedded structures that make sustained Indigenous participation possible rather than incidental.

The FQ Murri Cup is a direct response to that gap. By centering First Nations culture within the competition itself, rather than treating it as supplementary to a standard football event, the tournament signals a shift in how the game positions Indigenous participation as a community with its own relationship to the sport that deserves its own platform.

The inclusion of a Talent ID session carries specific weight. Structured pathways into elite football have not always been accessible to players from regional and remote Indigenous communities, where geography, cost and cultural barriers compound one another. Embedding that opportunity within a culturally safe environment lowers the threshold at the point where it most frequently closes.

“The FQ Murri Cup will bring together First Nations players, families and communities for a two-day celebration, providing a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of First Nations participants within our game,” said Football Queensland CEO Robert Cavallucci.Mu

PlayHER Tournament returns as Football Victoria Doubles Down on Women’s Participation

Declan Chan25/03/2026 6:15 am24/03/2026

Image Credit: Football Victoria

Football Victoria‘s PlayHER Tournament returns to the Knox Regional Football Centre in Wantirna South this May, offering women across Victoria the chance to play football in a structured, social and welcoming environment.

Now in its fifth year, the tournament has grown considerably from its origins as the GO Soccer Mums Cup, which was recognised as Community Sporting Event of the Year at the 2023 Victorian Sport Awards. The rebranding to PlayHER reflects a deliberate broadening of the event’s ambition, from a competition aimed at a specific demographic to one designed to lower the barriers to entry for any woman who wants to play.

That ambition is visible in the structure of the day itself. Matches are played in a five-a-side format with short halves, keeping the format accessible for players who may not have competed in years, or those who are stepping onto the pitch for the first time. New for 2026, participants will compete across two categories: an Open and 35 years and over. It’s an addition that acknowledges the different pathways women take into sport, and the importance of ensuring the game remains available at every stage of life.

More than a matchday

The tournament comes at a strategically critical time. Women’s football in Australia is in the middle of a period of unprecedented growth, with record crowds at the AFC Women’s Asian Cup and a growing pipeline of players coming through at club level. Translating that momentum into lasting participation growth depends on events like PlayHER- low-cost, community-driven, and explicitly designed for women who might not see themselves reflected in elite competition.

At $20 per participant, the tournament remains one of the most accessible organised football experiences available in Victoria. The message is straightforward: the game is for everyone, and the door is open.