The 2025 Koori Knockout – one of the largest gatherings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the country each year – is coming to Tamworth in 2025.
Scheduled to take place over the October long weekend, from October 3 to October 6, this prestigious rugby league carnival will unite players, supporters, and spectators in a celebration of sport, culture, and community. The honour of hosting the event was secured by WAC, who triumphed at the 2024 Koori Knockout in Bathurst. By winning back-to-back titles, Walgett earned the right to nominate Tamworth as the venue for the next tournament.
The Koori Knockout has grown to be one of the largest Indigenous sporting events in the world. In 2024, the tournament featured an extraordinary 138 teams, including current and former NRL and NRLW stars, showcasing the immense talent and passion within First Nations communities. The event attracted a live audience of 30,000 attendees and reached an impressive 500,000 viewers through television broadcasts, underlining its importance to the wider Australian public.
“The Koori Knockout is the best weekend of the year – there’s no denying that win or lose there is no feeling like being at the knockout getting to watch our people show the world our own style of footy, it’s raw, its exciting, it’s tough, we see the best tries and the biggest hits,” said George Rose, former NRL player and representative for WAC.
“Everybody comes from across the state and the community joy is what we love the most.
“We could be knocked out first round and still have our greatest weekend of the year because it’s not only about the footy. It’s about family. It’s about community. It’s about culture.
“The footy brings us all together but it’s the spirit of the weekend as a whole that makes us love it so much.
“WAC is proud to bring the tournament to Tamworth, this is the first chance we have had to defend our title on Gamilaroi country since it was held in Walgett over 30 years ago. We are proud to be back on Gamilaroi country with our people and representing WAC on the greatest weekend of the year.”
An estimated 20,000 visitors expected to visit the region across the four days of the event, generating a $10m boost for the local economy.
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