Nominations open for the 2021 NSW Community Sports Awards

Matthew Badrov08/04/2021 6:00 am07/04/2021

Sport NSW has announced that nominations are now open for 2021’s NSW Community Sports Awards.

The 2021 NSW Community Sports Awards are devoted to recognising the outstanding achievements and contributions to community and grassroots sport by people across NSW. Community and grassroots sport is essential to the thriving of local communities, with much of the work carried out by volunteers.

With more than 500,000 people state-wide dedicating their time to volunteering year in, year out across all sports, the NSW Community Sports Awards exist as a way to acknowledge and pay tribute to the extensive efforts of these volunteers. Without these people, sport would not exist in the current form it does.

In addition, the NSW Community Sports Awards ensure that State Sporting Organisations and State Sporting Organisations for people with a Disability are recognised for the continual effort and for the accomplishments of their volunteers.

The nominations are open to the public to put forward the names of those who contribute immensely to the behind-the-scenes and day-to-day running of sporting clubs, organisations and events.

The 2021 edition of the NSW Community Sports Awards will see nominations invited for a total of 10 categories, including the Distinguished Long Service Awards for those that have provided an unending and extraordinary dedication to their respective sport for over 25 years. This year’s awards categories include;

Community Official of the Year
Young Official of the Year
Community Coach of the Year
Young Coach of the Year
Community Sport Administrator of the Year
Volunteer Director of the Year
Community Team of the Year
Community Club of the Year
Local Council of the Year
Community Event of the Year
Distinguished Long Service Awards

Nominations are only considered for achievements and contributions from May 1^st 2020 to April 30^th 2021.

Pending the COVID-19 restrictions on events at the time, winners will be announced at a special event on June 17^th at NSW Parliament House.

The nominations will be closing on Sunday the 2^nd of May, 2021 at midnight. Nominations forms can be completed by clicking here.

Football NSWFootball volunteerNSW Community Sports AwardsVolunteers

Dandenong Thunder to enjoy $700,000 LED lighting upgrade at George Andrews Reserve

Theo Athans3 days ago06/12/2023

Image via Star Journal

Greater Dandenong Council and Dandenong Thunder have recently confirmed that works have commenced for new powerful lighting towers to be built at George Andrews Reserve.

The upgrade will cost $700,000 and is being jointly funded by Greater Dandenong Council ($500,000) and the State Government ($200,000) with a plan to improve the ground’s overall quality for both training and matches. They formerly had 200-lux LED towers and they will be replaced by 500-lux towers.

For the Greater Dandenong local council, the focus was to improve the facility for the community to enjoy the health and wellbeing benefits through the increased amount of playable hours at the reserve.

Importantly, the project ensures that the Thunder have a ground that is up to professional competition and broadcast standards which means they can broadcast and host games that are viewed by a national audience, a huge step forward for the NPL Victoria club.

This broadcast upgrade also opens up the possibility to expand to national matches involving the Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City A-League women’s teams and an even more ambitious goal of hosting a Matildas game. The ground can easily hold 5000 people and the lighting and broadcasting standards will be fantastic after this upgrade.

Dandenong Thunder shared the positive implications this light upgrade has for the club.

“The new lights mean the club will be able to host a number of games, not only that but it’s a step forward to the clubs ambition to be part of the NSD (national second division),” a club spokesperson told Soccerscene.

“The support from local council has been nothing but fantastic, Dandenong want to be a sporting hub for the south east suburbs.

“With the FA cup we have seen A-League clubs play at local level clubs, having these new high powered lights we will be able to broadcast at a higher quality, no more yellow light broadcast.”

This news presents an exciting future for Dandenong Thunder and the matches played at George Andrews Reserve. The quality of training, matches and broadcasts has improved tenfold and it matches the size of the NPL Victoria side that have big ambitions.

CPKC and Kansas City Current’s major stadium naming rights deal a win for women’s sport

Nick Davis3 days ago06/12/2023

Image via CPKC

The world’s first professional female-football dedicated stadium – home of the NWSL’s Kansas City Current – will be known as CPKC Stadium, after an historic naming rights deal was agreed with the North American rail network company.

Formed as a merger between Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern rail networks in July this year, CPKC represents the first trans-North American rail network between Canada, the United States and Mexico.

CPKC has been a leading investor for women’s sports in the state of Kansas, and CPKC President & CEO, Keith Creel, was proud to announce the stadium naming rights deal.

“We are incredibly proud to sponsor the Kansas City Current and support this history-making project here in the city that is at the heart of our North American rail network,” Creel said via press release.

“CPKC has been a long-time champion of women’s sports and of investing in our communities. This stadium and this partnership with the Current will build on that legacy as together we write a new chapter here in Kansas City.”

CPKC will also hold naming rights to the stadium’s outdoor space for fans, which will be known as CPKC Plaza. This area provides entertainment for all CPKC Stadium attendees, including the KC Current’s official merchandise store.

It is hoped that the naming rights deal will kickstart further investment in women’s football across the region, which has been the cornerstone of the KC Current’s existence according to co-founders and owners, Angie and Chris Long.

“Our [KC Current & CPKC] organisations share a commitment to strive for excellence, invest heavily in our communities and raise the bar with global influence. We are extremely excited to work with CPKC on this historic agreement and know our partnership will create a long-standing positive impact!”

Further to its substantial investment in women’s football, CPKC’s establishment of a direct line between Canada, the United States and Mexico is expected to have substantial benefits for football supporters attending the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup.

Presently, though, the stadium naming rights deal demonstrates CPKC’s intention to be a key investor in women’s football across Kansas and North America.