UPDATE: 12.40pm Thursday 22/9/22
Further to this morning’s communication, tournament managers have provided a final update on the status of scheduled matches for day four of the 2022 National Youth Championships for Girls on Thursday.
Football Australia and Northern NSW Football have made the regrettable decision to abandon all day four matches due to severe wet weather and subsequent unavailability of pitches.
The grass pitches of Fields 1 and 2 at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium are unplayable due to continuing heavy rain last night and today. The synthetic pitches are also not in a playable condition.
Regarding day five matches, consultation between FA and NNSWF has led to a decision being made to amend the schedule and draw for tomorrow, with the priority being the scheduling of a grand final and third and fourth play-off matches in each age group.
Only grand finals and third v fourth play-offs have been scheduled on synthetic pitches on Friday. All other matches have been cancelled due to the availability of pitches.
Finals will be played between the first and second placed teams from group A, while play-offs will be played between the third placed team in group A and the first placed team from group B.
This decision has been made because it is highly unlikely any grass pitches will be playable tomorrow. Matches can also not be pushed back on Friday due to team travel arrangements.
Up to 100 millimetres of rain was predicted to hit Coffs Harbour on Thursday.
Championship Manager Ramsey Vane-Wood said tournament staff would continue to monitor conditions tonight and early tomorrow morning. A final decision on day five matches will be made at 8am tomorrow.
“Football Australia and Northern NSW Football understand that this is a disappointing outcome and acknowledge the impact on all stakeholders, especially our players,” Vane-Wood said.
“All avenues were taken to try and ensure matches could go ahead today. Unfortunately due to departure times for participants and other requirements, abandoning the semi-finals and cross-over matches was the only option which would provide the tournament the opportunity to still have champions crowned.
“But by providing this information to parents and Member Federations as early as possible, everyone has clarity around the situation and can plan the remainder of the week accordingly.”
Original Announcement: 12.40pm Thursday 22/9/22
Tournament managers have provided an update on the status of scheduled matches for day four of the 2022 National Youth Championships for Girls on Thursday.
Football Australia and Northern NSW Football have determined that the grass pitches of Fields 1 and 2 at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium are unplayable following a pitch inspection this morning. They will not be used for any NYC matches today.
The synthetic pitches are also not in a playable condition due to continuing heavy rainfall this morning.
A decision has been made to prioritise semi-final matches. These matches have been postponed pending another pitch inspection at 11 am. Member Federations will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.
FA and NNSWF have made the regrettable decision to cancel all scheduled cross-over matches for day four. These were to be matches played between teams that did not make the semi-finals.
Up to 100 millimetres of rain has been predicted to hit Coffs Harbour on Thursday. Championship Manager Ramsey Vane-Wood said player safety and completion of the tournament were priorities.
Further updates and information on the semi-finals and the day five scheduled will be provided as soon as possible.
