Founded | 2023 |
---|---|
Region | New South Wales |
Number of teams | 162 (in 2022) |
Website | Sapphire Cup |
2023 Sapphire Cup |
The Sapphire Cup is a women's knockout cup competition in New South Wales, run by the governing body of football Football NSW. Teams competing in the competition come from the female National Premier League and NSW League One competitions, as well as clubs from senior women's clubs of semi-professional and amateur competitions from across the state. The competition is held during the Women's National Premier League season.
Ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup which was to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the governing body of football in New South Wales, Football NSW announced a new women's knock out cup tournament, that would replicate the men's Waratah Cup [1] The name of the competition was a nod to the historical roots of women's football in NSW, named after the NSW Sapphires who represented New South Wales between 1996 and 2004 in the Women's National Soccer League, which was the precursor competition to the professional A-League Women. [2]
It was announced by Football Australia that starting in 2024, the winners of the Sapphire Cup will have the opportunity to qualify for the Women's Australia Cup, which will run parallel to the men's competition. The winner of the women's Australia Cup will have the opportunity to participate in the AFC Women's Club Championship. [3]
The first Sapphire Cup final will be contested by two Sydney-based teams, APIA Leichhardt and Northern Tigers who compete in the National Premier Leagues NSW Women's competition. [4] APIA Leichhardt would take the inaugural title, defeating Northern Tigers 2-1 at Leichhardt Oval. [5]
Competition | Year | Winners | Score | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sapphire Cup | 2023 | APIA Leichhardt Tigers | 2-1 | Northern Tigers FC |
Club | Champions | Club | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|
APIA Leichhardt | 2023 | Northern Tigers | 2023 |
The National Premier Leagues NSW is a semi-professional soccer competition in New South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted by Football NSW, the organising body in New South Wales. The league is a subdivision of the second tier National Premier Leagues (NPL), which sits below the national A-League. Prior to becoming a subdivision of the NPL in 2013, the league was previously known as the NSW Premier League.
Sydney Olympic Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club, based in Belmore, Sydney, New South Wales, that plays in the National Premier Leagues NSW. The club was founded as Pan-Hellenic Soccer Club in 1957 by Greek immigrants. In 1977, the club changed its name to Sydney Olympic and became a founding member of the Phillips Soccer League, later named the National Soccer League (NSL), the inaugural national football league of Australia, remaining a member of the competition until its demise in 2004.
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