EVA Air Queensland Champions Cup Postponed

Despite plans to push ahead with the tournament this coming July, Football Queensland have announced the inevitable postponement of the EVA Air Queensland Champions Cup.

The tournament consists of three teams. Brisbane Roar and two London-based Premier League clubs in West Ham United and Crystal Palace Football Club.

The tournament made international headlines upon the first news surfacing, with many football fans excited to see two strong English clubs travel Down Under for a pre-season tournament.

The excitement was palpable. But unfortunately, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament has been postponed until further notice.

The tournament was going to be a big hit for fans in Queensland, especially those with vested interests in the Premier League.

Football has become a huge attraction in the Sunshine state in recent times and it’s quite saddening to see that this event has been postponed. Although at the same time, we’re thankful that precautions have been taken to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Brisbane Roar head coach Robbie Fowler has made a bold entrance into the A-League this season, taking the Roar into fourth position on the table.

Although Liverpool weren’t scheduled to travel to Australia, it’s a great prospect to see Fowler, in a way, mix it with Premier League teams once again.

West Ham United released a statement on their website on Wednesday:

“West Ham United regret to confirm that, due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the inaugural EVA Air Queensland Champions Cup has been postponed.

The Hammers were scheduled to be travelling to Australia in July to take part in the tournament alongside fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace and A-League outfit, Brisbane Roar.

However, given the social distancing measures in place across the world to prevent the spread of the virus, along with the suspension of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign until further notice, the decision has been taken to cancel the event, with the health and safety of players, officials and supporters an absolute priority.

The Club will continue to work with tour organisers TEG Live and there is a commitment from both sides to try and find a date to reschedule the tournament.

Manager David Moyes said: “It is a real shame that we will no longer be able to make it over to Queensland this summer, however, it is the right decision to postpone given the circumstances. The players and I were really looking forward to seeing our fans and the people of Australia, especially as there was great excitement and support for the tournament.

“This is a situation that has affected the entire world, though, and the only thing that matters at this time is that people stay safe and well. We hope the tournament can be rearranged at a later date once things are back to normal, and we look forward to visiting Australia in the future.”

Existing ticket holders should have already received an email direct from Ticketek, the official ticket operator for the tournament, outlining their options.

West Ham United would like to thank our supporters, particularly those out in Australia, for their understanding in this matter.”

ENDS

Crystal Palace also released a similar statement with chairman Steve Parish describing the decision as “bitterly disappointing”. However, Parish would go on to postface that football was merely secondary when compared to the current situation of the world.

As disappointing as it is that we won’t get to see two of England’s powerhouse clubs play in Australia, the decision was all but made once borders were closed. Depending on how the Premier League reschedules their fixtures and potentially their fixtures next season, it may be more of a cancellation than a postponement.

However, we hope that is not the case as it would be fantastic for the game of football in Queensland if this competition could go ahead.

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Project ACL: The initiative leading the way on injury research

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Image credit: FiledIMAGE / Shutterstock.com

Launched in 2024, the research project recently welcomed two US-based organisations: the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

 

About Project ACL

Led by FIFPRO, PFA England, Nike and Leeds Beckett University, Project ACL aims to research ACL injuries and understand more about multifactorial risk factors.

After piloting in England’s Women’s Super League (WSL), Project ACL will expand to the NWSL in the US, reflecting the global importance of the project’s research and outcome.

“We are incredibly excited to bring the NWSLPA and NWSL to Project ACL,” said Director of Women’s Football at FIFPRO, Dr. Alex Culvin, via official press release.

“Overall, we believe that player-centricity and collaboration with key stakeholders are central to establishing meaningful change in the soccer ecosystem and that players, competition organisers and stakeholdersaround the world will benefit from Project ACL’s outputs and outcomes.”

Interviews with over 30 players and team surveys across all 12 WSL clubs provided the project’s research team with valuable information about current prevention strategies and available resources.

Furthermore, the project tracks player workload and busy schedule periods during the season through the FIFPRO Player Workload Monitoring tool, therefore gaining insights into the link between scheduling and injury risks.

 

Looking to the data

Project ACL’s partnerships with the WSL – and now the NWSL – are immensely valuable for the future of player welfare in women’s football.

Although ACL injuries affect both male and female athletes, they are twice as likely to occur in women than men. However, according to the NWSL, as little as 8% of sports science research focuses on female athletes.

In Australia, several CommBank Matildas suffered ACL injuries in recent years: Sam Kerr was sidelined from January 2024 to September 2025, Ellie Carpenter for 8 months after suffering the injury while playing for Olympique Lyonnais, and Holly McNamara came back from three ACL’s aged 15, 18 and 20.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. The 2025/26 ALW season saw several ACL incidents, including four in just two weeks.

 

Research, prevent, protect

Injury prevention and research are vital to sport – whether professional or amateur.

But when the numbers are so shocking – and incidents are so common – governing bodies must remember that player welfare comes above all else. Research can inform prevention strategies. Prevention means players can enjoy the game they love.

The work of Project ACL, continuing until 2027, will hopefully protect countless players across women’s football from suffering long-term or recurring injuries.

South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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Image Credit: SCFC

South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

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