NELSON Bay Neptunes junior representative teams performed with distinction at the annual Peter Wilson Memorial Touch Football Cup Championships last weekend at Tomaree Sports Complex.

The Neptunes flew the flag for Port Stephens as more than 180 teams totalling over 2500 junior competitors from the greater Hunter, Manning Valley, Great Lakes, Central Coast and as far as Dubbo and surrounds participated in the event’s 21st edition.

Touted as the largest premier regional junior touch football tournament, the championships featured the best young talent for Boys and Girls U10 to U18 junior representative teams in NSW.

Hosted by the Nelson Bay Touch Football Association, the two day event proved a rousing success with skills, vision, deft passing, tricky footwork and athletic prowess the order of the day.

Shoal Bay’s Ali Mitchell spearheaded the Neptunes’ U18 Girls campaign with classy performances, twelve months after guiding the Nelson Bay outfit to a Peter Wilson Cup championship trophy.

The dynamic seventeen-year-old middle was also named in the Australian U18 Girls train-on squad in preparation for the Asia Pacific Youth Touch Cup Championships at Kayo Stadium Redcliffe in May.

Ali, Nelson Bay Touch Association’s 2025 Club Captain, will attend a national camp this week along with fellow Neptunes’ junior Ava Forster, who was named in the Australian U20s train-on squad.

Pat Hay’s talented U12 Boys squad – led by promising colts Jed Hay, Oscar Green, Jayden Hotene and Yadin Stone – showcased their skills with top displays in a strong age division, to stamp themselves one of the best junior line-ups in the region.

The boys came into the tournament brimming with confidence after winning the Mudgee title in a perfect tune up for the Peter Wilson Cup event.

By Chris KARAS