SPORT
Kicking Goals on the Coast
WORDS: Ocean Road Editorial Staff PHOTOGRAPHY Premier Invitational
Australia’s prestigious school football tournament returns to the Gold Coast, bringing together elite young talent from across Australia and New Zealand for a showcase of skill, sportsmanship and future stars.
From 25 September to 4 October 2026, the Gold Coast will once again take centre stage for Australia’s largest school football event, the Premier Invitational Football Tournament 2026. We are expecting 800 teams from across Australia, New Zealand and Japan. In 2025 the tournament hosted 670 teams providing an economic benefit of over 30 million.
During the Easter holidays the Magic Group are hosting 3 tournaments on the Gold Coast.
TSS Football Tournament
The first tournament in partnership with The Southport School, the TSS Football Tournament is drawing leading Grammar School teams from across the country and New Zealand, cementing its reputation as a premier event for Schools in Australia.
This year’s event will have significant growth. New Zealand schools including Long Bay College, Liston College and Rathkeale College will compete, alongside St James’ Anglican School from Western Australia. The tournament is now open to U14’s, U16’s and Open’s. The age groups reflect the tournament’s continued evolution and ongoing commitment to nurturing talent from an earlier stage.
Strong national representation remains as the hallmark of the competition. Schools such as Melbourne Grammar School, Marist College Canberra and Nazareth College are joined by a formidable New South Wales contingent including Barker College, Trinity Grammar School, Cranbrook School, Sydney Church of England Grammar School, St Monica’s College and St Aloysius’ College. Queensland teams, include King’s Christian College, Brisbane Boys’ College, Brisbane Grammar School and Marist College Ashgrove, ensuring strong local competition alongside the host school.
The Easter Championship
A standout development for 2026 was the introduction of a girls’ competition, signalling an important step forward for the tournament and the sport. Participating schools including Long Bay College, St James’ Anglican School, St Monica’s College, King’s Christian College and Barker College demonstrated the growing investment in female football programs and the bright future of the women’s game.
According to Adem Poric, CEO of Magic Group, the tournament’s continued expansion reflects both demand and ambition. With increased participation across multiple age groups and the successful launch of the girls’ tournament, The Easter Championship is quickly becoming one of the most important development pathways for school football in the region.
Set against the Gold Coast’s world-class sporting facilities and springtime climate, the 2026 tournament once again delivered a dynamic blend of competition, camaraderie and opportunity — reinforcing its status as a must-watch event on the national school sporting calendar.
The Academy Cup
The Academy Cup returns for it’s 3rd year. 80 teams will compete. The tournament will host combined age groups of U8, U10, U12 and U14 over 3 days. The Academy Cup is split into two divisions, Premier and Development to allow teams to have suitable levels of competition. Academy teams are travelling from Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns.
The Magic Group are calling on interested sponsors to get involved with their events. For interested partied please email Andrew Robinson [email protected]
