Capital Football Expands NPL Teams To Help GUFC Players

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Image Credit: Capital Football

Capital Football last week announced they have begun working with local football clubs to create openings for former Gungahlin United Football Club players by encouraging longer trial periods and expanding the NPL teams.

To assist former GUFC players, the NPL Mens will increase from 10 to 11 teams, with Canberra Juventus and White Eagles invited to join, and the NPL Boys will increase from 10 to 12 teams, with Monaro Panthers, Majura, and West Canberra Wanderers invited.

The NPL Girls will remain as eight teams with Bella Monaro invited to join the competition, while the NPL Women will continue with the six teams into the next season.

Capital Football made clear in a statement their actions were to minimise the impact of Gungahlin United’s decision to “commence winding up” the club, affecting club participants and stakeholders, including the 1,300 Mini-Roos and Junior League players previously registered.

“Our immediate priority is to support displaced players, particularly juniors, by helping them find new clubs,” they said.

“In addition, CF is working to create as many playing opportunities as possible in the Gungahlin region for affected National Premier League players following GUFC’s announcement on 18 October.”

Several clubs who have been invited to join the NPL have accepted the promotion, with Expressions of Interest and club statements commenting on the news, including other clubs celebrating the expansion of the game and commiserations of GUFC’s closure.

Gungahlin United Football Club has remained silent about Capital Football’s move to aid their former players, as well as any current updates.

Capital Football has stated that former GUFC players who have previous commitments from other clubs will not be affected by the changes, and any opportunities available should remain intact.

The football body has also committed to working with all the football clubs in the state and has encouraged all NPL clubs to extend their trial periods and to continue to support the sport, local community, and each other.

A Boost To The National Premier League in the ACT

The events of last week and the subsequent assistance of Capital Football have helped strengthen the NPL in the ACT for next year’s season.

With new clubs being added to the league, new opportunities are in the cards for both clubs and their local communities, including possible sponsorships and partnerships in the future.

This also means the development and support of youth sports and new fan engagement initiatives for the NPL next year to grow into the future.

The news and movement of the sporting community in the state have also shown the resilience and cooperation of football clubs in Australia, where if the same were to happen to any club in other larger states, the redistribution of players could be done.

However, of the estimated 2,000 players which made up Gungahlin United FC players, around 700 are not accounted for, as well as coaches, volunteers and members of the club’s administration.

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Nutrition Warehouse Wynnum Becomes Official Partner of Wolves FC

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Image Credit: Wynnum Wolves

Wynnum Wolves Football Club have announced local business Nutrition Warehouse Wynnum as an official Club Partner for the 2026 season.

Nutrition Warehouse is a fitness and health franchise which sells vitamins and gym supplements, with stores located across Australia.

The Wynnum branch of the company will be helping Wolves FC with requiring vitamins and supplements for improved health, while club members will receive exclusive offers in the future.

Nutrition Warehouse Wynnum Manager, Ben Rae stated they are really excited about their new partnership with Wynnum Wolves FC and the opportunity to support such a strong local club.

“At Nutrition Warehouse Wynnum, we’re passionate about helping athletes and the wider community perform at their best, both on and off the field,” he said to Soccerscene.

“We decided to partner with the Wynnum Wolves because we share the same community values and commitment to helping people reach their potential.

“The club has such a proud history and strong local presence, and we’re thrilled to be part of that journey.”

Ben Rae also said the Nutrition Warehouse Wynnum team are keen to become Wolves supporters and are looking forward to cheering them on next season.

Wynnum Wolves FC, Jack Hingert reciprocated the club’s welcoming of Nutrition Warehouse Wynnum as an official partner for the 2026 season.

“This partnership aligns perfectly with the club’s strong community values and shared passion for health, performance, and wellbeing,” he said to Soccerscene.

“Nutrition Warehouse Wynnum’s expertise in sports nutrition and recovery strengthens the club’s commitment to professionalism, providing HASTA/ASADA-approved supplements that help athletes perform safely and at their best.

“With ambitious goals for 2026 and beyond, this partnership represents another step towards creating an environment where players across all levels can maximise their potential — gaining that crucial extra 5–10% through trusted, high-quality nutritional support.”

The partnership between the local supplement business and Wolve FC will help grow the club and community as the next season progresses and will foster a competitive but healthy sporting environment for all teams.

“We Found a Better Way” – Cavallucci Reveals How Football Queensland Cut Costs for Players

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Image credit: Football Queensland

On Episode 16 of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast, it was a special episode with FQ CEO Rob Cavallucci to discuss the issues surrounding Australian and Queensland football ahead of a big 2026 year.

Many topics around the issues in Queensland football were discussed including Futsal’s incredible growth, update on Perry Park’s upgrade plan and driving player retention in certain youth age groups.

However one important topic that was discussed in detail was the fact that Football Queensland have the most affordable player registration fees in the country, and Cavallucci explained how they balanced the revenue lost from this big decision whilst also ensuring the sport is accessible for all.

“We made a decision 5-6 years ago, when I became CEO, and we looked at the game and how it was structured. The main issue we found was the lack of support from the commercial sector and the government sector,” Cavallucci expressed on the podcast.

“This meant there was always going to be significant cost pressure on the game. So we had to find a way to get us on a different path.”

FQ are no longer heavily reliant on the revenue made from registrations and have found solutions to ensure they maximise revenue in other areas of the sport to allow the fees to drop.

“We transformed the governance and competition structures. For competition we had the conference-based leagues, the pyramids, the junior FQ Academy system… all of those things allowed us to transition away from a reliance on registration fees,” he said.

“Registration fees used to represent 50% of our revenue and now it’s down in the 20’s.”

The key was in FQ’s ability to appeal to the government and private sector for more money, and the approach to this has been transformed by Cavallucci since he arrived as CEO in late 2019.

“Importantly we repositioned ourselves to appeal more to the corporate and to the government sector,” he said.

“Our corporate revenue is more than 20 times higher than it was five years ago. Our government revenue used to rake in $2 million a year, now it’s up to $30 million a year.

“The difference there has allowed us to maintain really affordable registration fees for everyone.”

Click here for the full interview with Rob Cavallucci, on Episode 16 of Soccerscene’s Off the Pitch Podcast – available on all major podcasting platforms.

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