Welcome to the post State Cups/Aussie Cup edition of Sixty Seconds in Touch. It was a huge weekend and as a result it is a big edition of Sixty Seconds in Touch that you'll find below...

* It was a massive weekend as a huge number of teams gathered for the NSW State Cup, Queensland State Cup and Australia Cup. In NSW there were 36 teams in the Mixed Open along, a signal of our growing strength in the Mixed style of play and also the interest in playing Mixed rather than just Mens or Womens.

* The Touch Football Australia Annual General Meeting has been set for the 11th February 2006. Keep an eye on the website today for all of the appropriate paperwork.

* Attention NTL referees: The early bird discount for nomination for the 2005 NTL closes on Wednesday 14th December. To be eligible for the discount, simply enter your nomination by this date. Please note...you do not have to pay by this date, simply nominate! It's a great deal.

Referee gear order forms will be out within the next week. This will also include the levy payment section. The form will be a little different to usual, as we'll be offering gear with both the new logo and the old logo. Gear with the old logo will be available at a reduced price for anyone keen to pick up a bargain.

* Rain was certainly the talk of the weekend as teams braved less than ideal conditions for the 2005 NSW and Queensland State Cups and the Australia Cup. Thankfully for those in Queensland, the storm conditions from Thursday and Friday cleared beautifully for grand final day on Saturday and led to many ending up sun burnt rather than soaking wet.

Congratulations to the Queensland Staff, who handled the difficult conditions beautifully and kept all teams informed of fields changes and game changes. It was great to see the Queensland State Cup back in action and the event will no doubt get even bigger and better as the years go on.

Congratulations also to the teams from ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Northern Territory, who traveled to Queensland for the Australia Cup (held in conjunction with the State Cup). It certainly added another dimension to the competition and even further depth.

* Thank you also to the Japanese teams who traveled to Queensland for the event. Japan sent over 2 Mixed teams, who took part in the round matches. They improved consistently through out the tournament and received expert guidance and assistance from several Queensland and Australian players and coaches at the event.

The Japanese players weren't daunted by the difficult conditions and seemed to love every minute of the event. They came to Kawana with an aim to further develop their knowledge, as well as the skills and experience of their players. Aiming for the 2007 World Cup, the Japanese were fantastic guests to have in town.

* Vince McDonald has been appointed Business Manager for Touch Football Australia. Welcome onboard Vince! For the full story please see the following article: VINCE MCDONALD APPOINTED BUSINESS MANAGER

* Each State Touch office, as well as the National office will be closed for a period of time over the Christmas break. Please see the following article for the closure dates for each office: CHRISTMAS OFFICE CLOSURES

* Congratulations to TouchWest legend...At the Annual General Meeting of TouchWest on Saturday 26th November, the TouchWest Board unanimously supported the induction of a new TouchWest life member. Karon Boston has been involved in Touch Football in Western Australia for over 20 years, and in this time has contributed a great deal to the development of the sport at all levels in a variety of different functions.

* Happy birthday to TFA's Maree Curran for next Tuesday, December 13. Remember to drop her an email or give her a call, wishing her all the best. Have a great day Maree, we love you you're not looking any older to us.

* The National 18 Years Training Squad is rapidly approaching. The selected players have been returning their player profile forms...you can view these simply by holding your mouse over the `National Teams' tab and then following the links through Junior Teams etc or by simply using the following link: 2006 AUSSIE 18'S SQUAD- PLAYER PROFILES Just click here and then enter Player Profiles to see all of the individual profiles.

* The Southern Suns are the latest NTL permit to name their sides for the 2006 tournament. To see who was selected or just to check out your competition, use the following link: SUNS NTL SIDES

* If you're interested in entering a team for either the Yass or Cootamundra knockout in 2006, just check out the following site: YASS/COOTAMUNDRA KNOCKOUT

* Remember, if you have any info for Sixty Seconds in Touch, or you have an event you would like added to the 2006 Calendar of Events on our website, just email the details to Rachel at media@austouch.com.au

By Rachel Grant